ONLINE EVENT

Conducted in Cantonese 
以廣東話進行

Climate change has become a global emergency affecting us all. Global temperature has risen 1.2 degrees Celsius since industrial revolution and time is running out for the target of the Paris Agreement to be met. Extreme weather, sea level rise, biodiversity extinction, health threats, water crisis are only some of the many challenges facing this and future generations. Climate inequality is also a growing challenge as the underprivileged, children and women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Determined and forceful actions in climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience must be taken now.

In Hong Kong’s context, Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2050 sets the goal of energy transformation to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. For example, using new energy, like hydrogen to generate electricity, reducing wastes, promoting public and green transport, and green buildings. Achieving carbon neutrality involves sector-wide efforts and individual dedication. On a personal level, we can each contribute by reducing our carbon footprints, and using our own industry expertise to rethink sustainable designs – from engineering to architecture to urban design.

What can Hong Kongers collectively do to achieve carbon neutrality? How can it integrate design thinking in reducing the impacts of climate change? What can each sector contribute to reduce carbon emissions? How can we change our consumption behaviors to reduce wastes?

We only have the one earth we inhabit. Let’s join our hands together to reduce our own carbon footprint, and promote responsible consumption.

Stephen Lau was born in Hong Kong. Graduated from HKU and UCL London. Practice in UK and Hong Kong as an Architect. Taught architectural design, later PhD at Hong Kong University and National University Singapore.  He has supervised and graduated 30+ PhDs so far, with whom they have covered most topics under the realm of sustainability and sustainable design. His green expertise covers 'ethics, technologies and certification', while his design expertise relates to the phenomonologies of architectural design. He has lectured at 60+ universities worldwide. Presently, he is Honorary Professor of HKU, Tongji U, Southeast U, and Visiting Professor of Macau U of Science & Technology and Shenzhen University.

Leung Wing Mo, former Assistant Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, is currently the spokeperson of and Hong Kong Meteorological Society. He teaches climate change in various tertiary educational institutes in Hong Kong.
Mr Leung is actively involved in environmental issues in Hong Kong.  He is a Board of Directors of the environmental groups “The Green Earth” and “Conservation E3 Foundation” (CE3).  He was appointed to various advisory bodies of the government, including the Council for Sustainable Development, and helps formulate the long-term decarbonization strategy in Hong Kong.
While working in the Hong Kong Observatory, he was the first professional meteorologist to host in TV weather programmes.  From 2018 – 2021, he was the host of the popular science TV programme MObservatory (武測天).

Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite. is Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She was the Undersecretary for the Environment at the HKSAR Government (2012-17) and a former legislator. Professor Loh has a long record in working on environmental and climate change issues going back to the 1980s. She is currently teaching a course on risks at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles. She is an Advisor to the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park on sustainability issues, a Member of BASF’s Stakeholder Advisory Council, and board member of CDP Worldwide, and also Global Maritime Forum.

C.M. Shun, SBS. was born in Hong Kong, with family roots in Shunde, Guangdong, Mr Shun Chi-ming graduated from St Paul's College, and from the University of Hong Kong in Bachelor of Science, with major in Physics. He joined the Hong Kong Observatory as Scientific Officer in 1986. Mr Shun specialized in aeronautical meteorology since the 1990s. In the 2000s, Mr Shun led a team of researchers to develop the world-first Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) Windshear Alerting System for the HKIA. The system overcame the long-standing problem, faced by the world, of windshear detection under rain-free conditions, winning local awards and international recognition.
Mr Shun was promoted to Director of the Hong Kong Observatory in 2011. Under the leadership of Mr Shun, the Observatory achieved very good results in the areas of public weather service, aviation weather service, public communication and public education, and won many local and international awards. Mr Shun retired in 2020.
Mr Shun had taken up several international positions, including the Chairperson of the Meteorology Subgroup of the Asia/Pacific Region of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (2003-2009), and the President of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM) of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) (2010-2018). Mr Shun was the first Asian elected to take up this high position in WMO (moderator).

Co-Organizer

The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented.