Friday, July 5, 2024
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AXA Hong Kong and Macau celebrated its annual “Week for Good 2024”, a global volunteer service campaign with a focus on sustainability. This year’s theme was Water and Environment, perfectly aligned with World Environment Day on June 5th. Approximately 1,000 employees and financial advisors are engaged in meaningful activities, including coastal cleanups and upcycling workshops. These efforts not only raised awareness about the importance of clean water but also promoted the conservation of Hong Kong’s marine ecosystem. These initiatives underline AXA’s commitment to its new climate strategy and efforts to tackle climate change and scale up clean water and sanitation initiatives.
Water is fundamental to human existence, and as the global population expands, fresh water becomes increasingly scarce. Climate change has exacerbated this scarcity, triggering extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, landslides and heavy rains, which pose an increasing threat to water resources. Significantly, 90% of natural disasters are water-related or affect water resources. By 2030, the world could face a 40% shortage in fresh water availability. Addressing this crisis requires urgent educational initiatives to teach current and future generations the importance of water conservation.
Various programs aim to educate on marine conservation and emphasize the importance of water. From June 3 to June 14, AXA volunteers engaged in environmental workshops and activities organized by four non-governmental organizations and social enterprises, focusing on marine conservation and the importance of water among all age groups.
In a coastal cleanup and eco-tour in Shui Hau Wan, AXA volunteers and their families removed more than 500 kilograms of trash, including plastic and rope, from the mangrove-fringed shore. During the tour, led by experts from Green Power, the participants explored the ecological richness of the area.
WWF-Hong Kong organized a “Coral Cookie” painting workshop to educate attendees about Hong Kong’s marine ecosystem and coral restoration efforts. Participants made “Coral Cookies” to help the Coral Nursery in the “Reviving Our Coral” project in collaboration with the Coral Academy of CUHK. In another workshop by Green One Lab, AXA employees learned to make sea glass—weathered glassware vests—into artistic crafts. The creations, including wooden boxes decorated with sea glass, will be sold at the AXA BetterMe Weekend to support A Drop of Life’s clean water initiative in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, in partnership with A Drop of Life, AXA volunteers facilitated a workshop for around 50 students with special educational needs, teaching them about water conservation through simple crafts.
Sally Wan, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Greater China, said, “While caring for the holistic well-being of our customers, we are committed to building a sustainable future with the community. AXA’s ‘Week for Good’ is a beloved annual tradition that unites our volunteers to make a tangible impact on our local communities. This year, with a focus on ‘Water’, our team has dedicated their efforts to addressing some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, such as ensuring clean water and preserving marine ecosystems, taking our pledge to act for human progress by protecting them. What is important to life.”
AXA is committed to being an important partner to its customers, the economy and society in addressing climate change and adaptation. By launching numerous initiatives, AXA seeks to inspire diverse stakeholders to collaborate to deliver concrete, beneficial impacts on the environment and promote a greener, more sustainable future through collective action.