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November 8, 2021 — Following our second session, "Why Are We Not Equal? | The New Disruptors: Gender and Equality," Asia Society Korea hosted the third session of the Asia Society Korea Youth (ASK-Y) program on climate and equality. The session was hosted by Asia Society Korea Executive Director Yvonne Kim, with Kate Clayton, Research Officer at La Trobe Asia, and Alistair Ritchie, Director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability at Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), as guest speakers.
Moderated by Mark Hopkins, Master of International Studies Candidate at Seoul National University GSIS, and Nazifa Rafa, MPhil Candidate in Environmental Policy at the University of Cambridge, the discussion session was titled "Why is the Earth Sick? | The New Disruptors: Climate and Environment" as the panel probed the latest state of our global habitat and its stark warnings that humanity's future could be filled with risk profiles.
But as the speakers all agreed, this future is not set in stone. Our concerted efforts to mitigate climate change could reverse trends, accelerate technological progress, and create geopolitical developments that drastically reduce our footprint. The world at the end of the 21st century could turn out to be radically different. Watch our ASK-Y webinar to find out more about the environment-sustainability nexus — why the climate is changing, and how we can prepare for the future — from the perspectives of young leaders and seasoned experts.
Kate Clayton, Research Officer, La Trobe Asia
Kate Clayton is a Research Officer at La Trobe Asia and Chief Operations Officer at Young Australians in International Affairs. An international relations academic, her research areas include Australia, China, the Pacific Islands and the United States. Her focus is on security, geopolitics, international relations theory, climate change, gender and sexuality.
Kate's work has been published in The Conversation, Crikey, Lowy Institute Interpreter, China Story Blog, 9Dash Line, ABC News and Junkee. She holds a Master of International Relations (International Security) from the University of Melbourne, Bachelor of International Relations (Asian Studies) from La Trobe University and has studied at Chongqing University in China.
Alistair Ritchie, Director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability, Asia Society Policy Institute
Alistair Ritchie is Director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), where he leads and oversees activities on Asian carbon market development and ASPI’s overall sustainability portfolio. Alistair is an international expert in greenhouse gas emissions trading systems (ETSs), and a known leader in their development - including as leader of the European Commission project to support the Korean government’s implementation and upgrade of their emissions trading system (the first national ETS in East Asia). He was also the technical lead for the European Commission project to support the development of China’s national ETS. In Europe, Alistair played a key role in improving the EU ETS through managing and directing several projects to support Phase 3 and 4 policy design and implementation.
He has over 25 years of experience in various areas of climate change, energy, and air pollution control strategy and policy. Aside from his projects in Europe, China, and Korea, he has worked in Taiwan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.
Alistair holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering as well as an MBA.
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Yvonne Kim, Executive Director, Asia Society Korea (Moderator)
Yvonne Kim is currently the Executive Director of Asia Society Korea Center, having been with the inaugural Seoul-based branch of the Global Asia Society since its startup stages in 2008. A member of the Asian Women Empowered (AWE) Global Advisory Council, Ms. Kim has brought Asia Society and the presence of international businesses and embassies to the forefront of the Korean media through her extensive public relations network. By increasing overseas and local branding of Asia Society, she developed programming and financial planning for the prestigious and selective Asia 21 Young Leaders Program in Korea and Asia Society global fundraising. Ms. Kim is often sought after for her senior-level contacts in Korea’s public and private sectors, as well as in the international business community, to further global programming support, strategic planning, and public relations for global outreach.
Prior to joining Asia Society, Ms. Kim worked as the Manager of Special Events in Columbia University’s Office of the President for 3 years, where she developed and produced programs and VIP events for over 20,000 guests each academic year, including the World Leaders Forum and Heads of State visits during the United Nations General Assembly, with esteemed guests such as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, President Jalal Talabani of Iraq, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, President Václav Havel of the Czech Republic, Zhang Yimou, Tan Dun, and the Honorable David Dinkins. Ms. Kim also held varying roles at Columbia University's financial management and administrative departments from 1998-2007, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Office of Administrative Planning and Financial Management, and the Graduate School of Journalism.
Ms. Kim is also noted for her contributions to news media. She has worked for Newsweek; WZRC-NY Radio Korea; and New York’s WMBC-TV Channel 63. Ms. Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, and was educated in Hong Kong and in the United States. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in East Asian Studies.
