Is Hong Kong Ready to Ride on China's Carbon Neutral Pledge?
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Webinar

At the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2020, President Xi Jinping made a pledge that China would achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China’s commitment to an absolute carbon reduction target has brought positivity and fresh impetus to the global climate discussion and initiatives. Many are keen to find out how China could become carbon neutral in 40 years and more so on lessons to be learned. In Hong Kong, as we are working on the city’s long-term decarbonisation target, what does China’s ambition mean for us?

In the webinar, experts in public policy, energy and climate change and business leaders will share their thoughts on China’s pledge, the impact on climate actions worldwide, and the implications on Hong Kong’s decarbonisation strategy and business action on climate change.

Speakers

Mr. Richard Lancaster
Chief Executive Officer, CLP Holdings Limited

Richard Lancaster is Chief Executive Officer of CLP Holdings, the parent company of the CLP Group which is one of the largest investor operators in the electricity industry throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to assuming his current role in September 2013, he was Managing Director of CLP’s operations in Hong Kong, responsible for its electricity generation, transmission and distribution business serving 2.5 million customers in Hong Kong. Besides serving in various subsidiary companies of the CLP Group as Director, Mr Lancaster is the Chairman of Business Environment Council and a founding member of the Advisory Council of The Australian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong & Macau. He is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Management Association and a council member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and a member of its Climate and Energy Cluster Board. He is also chairman of the Hong Kong Membership Committee of the UN-accredited World Energy Council.

 

Prof Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE
Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Professor 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 Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-17) and a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000). Loh has been active in public policy and politics since the 1980s. She founded and was the CEO of the non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange (2000-12), and helped to establish several non-profit and philanthropic organisations. Professor Loh teaches a course on non-market risks at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management during the winter quarter and is a board member of the Robert HN Ho Family Foundation, CDP Worldwide, and Global Maritime Forum. She is also a member of BASF’s Stakeholder Advisory Council, as well as HSBC’s Climate Advisory Panel. Loh is a published author of many books and academic and popular works. Her expertise in environmental policy is well-known, including having advised the World Health Organization and International Energy Agency on issues relating to air pollution and public health. Loh is a lawyer by training, and a commodities trader by profession. She received her legal training in England and received honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from the University of Hull and Doctor of Science from the University of Exeter.

 

Mr. Jonathan Drew
Managing Director, ESG Solutions, Global Banking, HSBC

Jonathan Drew leads the ESG Solutions Group for Global Banking at HSBC.  Jonathan graduated with an MA in Economics from Cambridge University in England and is also qualified as a Chartered Accountant.  Jonathan started his banking career more than 20 years ago in London and after working in rapidly emerging Latin America and raising capital for large scale projects in the Middle East has been based in Hong Kong since 1997 witnessing first-hand the rapid growth of Asia and notably China.  During this time he has been involved in successful transactions across a wide range of sectors including advising on and arranging finance for projects that produce and deliver energy (renewable and non-renewable) and transport people and resources from source to point of consumption as well as a wide range of infrastructure projects in social and education sectors with a focus on resource efficiency and sustainability. These transactions have involved supporting projects, corporates and institutions to approach various financial markets and structuring innovative and tailored products including to meet the often large and specific needs of clients in markets with very distinct financial and regulatory characteristics. In recent years Jonathan has also been responsible for the structuring and delivery of sustainable bonds, loans and other financial support for corporate and institutional clients as well as collaborating with colleagues in the markets business in the creation of sustainable investment opportunities for clients. Jonathan is a member of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association and also chairs the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association Green and Sustainable Loan Committee.

 

Mr. Justin Wu
Head of Asia-Pacific, BloombergNEF

Mr. Justin Wu is head of Asia-Pacific at BloombergNEF (BNEF), a research group within Bloomberg LP covering clean energy, advanced transport, digital industry, innovative materials and commodities. He currently manages the company’s research and consulting businesses across a dozen countries in the region, working closely with governments, investors, and corporations to help them develop business strategies in the low carbon transition. He joined BNEF and has been based in Asia since 2007. A leading expert on renewable energy, corporate sustainability and environment policy in Asia, Justin has been quoted extensively in international media and has previously testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He is also a regular contributor on Asian energy issues for Bloomberg radio and television. Justin holds a MS in Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and a BS in International Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.

 

Ms. Helen Clarkson
CEO, The Climate Group

Helen joined The Climate Group in 2017 as its Chief Executive Officer. In addition to leading the growing Climate Group team, Helen sits on the board of the We Mean Business Coalition , is on the board and chairs the Finance & Audit Committee for  the SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust, and is on the Mission Council for Pukka Herbs.Prior to joining The Climate Group, Helen worked at Forum for the Future where she founded the organization’s US office. At Forum, Helen led work with large US corporations such as Target, Walmart, Nike, Gap, and Levi Strauss & Co. to solve complex sustainability challenges at both the organizational and broader systemic level. Helen joined Forum from Médecins Sans  Frontières  where she worked on humanitarian missions in countries including Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Pakistan and Nigeria.Helen qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, and has an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Cambridge University, and a master’s degree from Birkbeck College, University of London.

Moderators

Mr Simon Ng
Director – Policy & Research, Business Environment Council

Date
Time
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Venue
Webinar
Language
English
Organizer(s)
Business Environment Council
Supporting Organization(s)
HKUST Institute for the Environment
Fee
BEC Member: (Council Member $160, Corporate Member $170, General & Affiliate Member $180) / Non-BEC Member: $300 / Complementary tickets for HKUST staff/students
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