Hong Kong’s Policy Landscape: Advancing Climate Action and Biodiversity for Sustainable Urban Development

Mr. CHAN Kin Fung, Simon is an Assistant Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, overseeing nature conservation work in Hong Kong. He has been working in the Department for over 28 years and was involved in a wide range of nature conservation work, including wildlife management and protection, habitat management, biodiversity conservation, ecological surveys and environmental impact assessment etc. He led the formulation and implementation of Hong Kong’s first city-level Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to step up biodiversity conservation and support sustainable development. He is now leading the work on updating the action plan and establishing a system of Wetland Conservation Parks under the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

• Enlisting broad-based support from the society to take forward key initiatives including establishment of Sham Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and the next phase of Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Dr David Gallacher is an environmental specialist with AECOM, based primarily in Hong Kong, with experience across Shanghai, Delhi and Singapore. With an academic background in ecology and environmental management, he has contributed to hundreds of projects in 14 countries across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, partnering with government departments, private developers and multilateral banks. His expertise spans environmental planning, impact assessment and monitoring, nature-based solution design, sustainable urban planning, water-sensitive urban design and ESG reporting. David is currently the chairperson of the Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment and a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals.

He has a particular interest in biodiversity design for urban environments and has contributed to award-winning projects such as the DaShaHe Urban River Restoration in Shenzhen and the Tung Chung Eco-shoreline in Hong Kong. David also gives lectures, seminars and training courses across Asia Pacific and contributes to AECOM publications on climate and restoration.

Michael Long joined Hongkong Land as Director and Head of Sustainability in April 2025. He brings over 28 years of experience in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy and implementation across the real estate sectors in Asia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Mr Long combines technical knowledge with a commercial, results-driven approach to help organisations address complex sustainability challenges. His philosophy centers on simplifying complexity, focusing on what truly matters, and always starting with the ‘Why’—creating impactful, meaningful outcomes for businesses and stakeholders alike.

I have joined the Hong Kong Government for nearly 30 years since my first engagement as a Civil Engineering Gradate. I have been working on some major government projects in the past like Route 9 project, widening of Tuen Mun Road, Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel, Tung Chung New Town Extension projects. I joined North Development Office of CEDD in 2023 mainly to take forward various Northern Metropolis projects, such as Kwu Tung North / Fanling North New Development Area, San Tin Technopole, New Territories North New Town Development projects.