{"id":13661,"date":"2026-01-15T09:34:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/?post_type=news&p=13661"},"modified":"2026-01-16T07:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T07:12:52","slug":"workshop-on-special-issue-in-voluntas-the-nonprofit-sector-and-environmental-social-and-governance-esg","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/news\/workshop-on-special-issue-in-voluntas-the-nonprofit-sector-and-environmental-social-and-governance-esg\/","title":{"rendered":"Workshop on Special Issue in Voluntas: The Nonprofit Sector and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The workshop on the Special Issue in\u00a0Voluntas<\/em>: The Nonprofit Sector and ESG, organised by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong, was successfully convened on January 8-9, 2026. This engaging two-day event brought together scholars, as well as professionals from the corporate and nonprofit sectors, to discuss the fascinating research conducted by international authors contributing to this special issue.<\/p>\n

Each presentation was followed by lively discussion and Q&A sessions, reflecting high engagement and diverse perspectives from participants. The workshop successfully fostered meaningful dialogue on the ways the nonprofit sector intersects with ESG.<\/p>\n

The workshop featured five comprehensive panels comprising a total of 12 insightful papers, addressing key themes across the ESG landscape:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Philosophical and Cultural Perspectives on ESG<\/strong>
    \nHighlighted that ESG is not merely a technical framework, but also a deeply normative and culturally embedded concept<\/li>\n
  2. Governance and Sustainability<\/strong>
    \nExamined how ESG is interpreted and implemented in concrete organizational and policy settings<\/li>\n
  3. Public Perceptions of Nonprofits and ESG<\/strong>
    \nExplored how nonprofits are perceived, evaluated, and engaged by the public and other stakeholders: Trust, legitimacy, and participation<\/li>\n
  4. Collaboration and Cross-Sector Partnerships in ESG<\/strong>
    \nDiscussed the nuanced treatment of collaboration. Power asymmetries, strategic alignment, and the risks of mission drift.<\/li>\n
  5. ESG Metrics, Reporting, and Evaluation in the Nonprofit Sector<\/strong>
    \nAddressed the need to balance standardization and comparability with contextual sensitivity and mission-specific goals<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Across these discussions, several cross-cutting themes emerged:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • ESG is not a one-size-fits all framework. Its meaning and implications vary across cultures, sectors, institutional contexts, and organizational forms<\/li>\n
    • Nonprofits are not passive recipients of ESG pressures. They actively interpret, adapt, and sometimes resist ESG frameworks<\/li>\n
    • Collaboration is central to advancing ESG for social good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \ud83c\udfecField Visit to Nan Fung Group at AIRSIDE: Insights into Corporate Sustainability and NGO Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Participants learned about Nan Fung\u2019s sustainability framework, SEWIT, including management tools and impact measurement methods.<\/li>\n
      • SEWIT\u2019s pillars: Social Cohesion, Environment, Wellness, Innovation, and Technology, guiding long-term business and community sustainability.<\/li>\n
      • Engaged in in-person exchanges with community stakeholders at Good Date Village, grounding the framework in real-world practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        A big thank you to the Nan Fung team for hosting us and for the insightful sharing. We also extend our gratitude to all participants for making this event a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. We look forward to further academic contributions in ESG within the nonprofit sector.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/13661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccsg.hku.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}