Putting Climate Change at the Heart of Education

Susannah was appointed Director of the British Council Hong Kong in August 2022. Since joining the British Council in 2014, she has worked across East Asia overseeing the development of arts and education programmes and strategic partnerships. In 2021, as part of The Climate Connection, the British Council’s global programme to mark the UK’s presidency of COP, Susannah led a series of high-level roundtables exploring the role of the Higher Education Sector in the climate Crisis. Prior to joining the British Council Susannah had a career in Higher Education in the UK and Australia.

Hermia is a Global Studies student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Noticing the absence of climate education in Hong Kong, she co-founded the Network of Environmental Student Societies in 2021, with an aim to provide a one-stop platform for awareness raising, capacity building and driving climate actions with a focus in the interdisciplinary nature of climate change. Hermia attended COP26 in Glasgow, the UK and SB56 in Bonn, Germany advocating for Action for Climate Empowerment internationally.

My Sustainability Goals for 2022:

I hope to see climate change being mainstreamed in education in Hong Kong and to have more discussion and opportunities in green career.

Dr. Shauhrat S. Chopra received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, USA, in 2015. His data-driven research is focused on guiding the sustainable design of future transformative emerging technologies. Dr. Chopra’s transdisciplinary collaborations with industrial partners enable actionable research toward sustainability and resilience of critical sectors, including energy, transportation, finance, textile, and food systems.

My Sustainability Goals for 2022:

Adoption of systematic, science-based quantitative assessments to inform sustainability decisions of the public and private sector to avoid unintended consequences.

Natalie serves as a sustainability associate at DFI Retail Group. As part of the founding team of sustainability practices, Natalie formulated the overarching sustainability and ESG framework for the leading pan-Asia retail group, covering brands such as Wellcome, Mannings, 7-Eleven, Guardian.

Natalie coordinated to publish the group’s first Sustainability Report in 2022, showcasing multi-faceted sustainability initiatives across different geographies and businesses. There is continuous engagement and progress tracking with business units across North and Southeast Asia to steer positive action towards serving our communities, sustaining the planet and sourcing responsibly.

Outside of the day job, Natalie is a co-founder of environmental education organisation V’air Hong Kong, and serves as a member at the Council for Sustainable Development and the Green Tech Fund Assessment Committee of the HKSAR Government.

My Sustainability Goals for 2022:

My sustainability goal is to stimulate green recovery post COVID-19, ensuring that resources are dedicated to building more resilient socioeconomic systems that are equitable and stay within environmental thresholds. I also wish to contribute in constructing urban circular bioeconomy and enhancing climate adaptation plans for vulnerable communities.