Change Makers Stage
Youth-Led, Senior-Supported: Co-creating Sustainable Solutions Through Transformative Leadership
Day 2 : 16:30 – 17:20
Our next generation are the beneficiaries of the sustainability agenda that we are pursuing today. Transformative leadership from youth and industry leaders creates a collaborative platform to exchange ideas, share experiences and co-create solutions. The collective action not only helps to build bridges between generations and sectors, but also motivates business leaders of today to be more accountable and proactive in driving progress towards meeting sustainability goals.
Learnings
- What are the barriers to implementation, and how can they be overcome? What role can young people play in maintaining momentum and driving progress in and outside of a company?
- What expectations do they have of current leaders in terms of youth empowerment opportunities? What opportunities exist for companies to create space for young people to receive the support and knowledge that they need to engage in the realisation of sustainability goals?
- How can companies and organizations effectively collaborate with young people to co-create sustainable solutions?
- What is the importance of challenging conventional thinking and approaches in creating sustainable change?
- What are the key skills and knowledge areas that young people need to possess to be effective change makers for a sustainable future, and how can companies and organizations support their development in these areas?
Post-Event Actions
- Consider how your company and industry can better engage and empower the next generation to take the baton for our sustainability agenda.
- Gain insights on how you can challenge conventional thinking and approaches in your work towards sustainability, and create opportunities for people to receive the support and knowledge that they need to engage in the realisation of the city’s sustainability goals.
Speakers
Moderator
Sunnie Lau
Director, Head of Sustainability Research and Industry Collaboration
Sunnie Lau
Director, Head of Sustainability Research and Industry Collaboration
Sunnie believes that human-centric design promotes inclusive communities with innovative sustainable design strategies and urban designers & architects play important roles within the built environment. As a Registered Architect, she has been a regular design critic and instructor at architecture and urban design programmes.
Taking up the roles of both practitioner and educator, she has been promoting architecture by designing, exhibiting, writing as outreach, and engaging communities. The endeavors included publicizing ongoing research topic on “Kowloon East Inclusive Innovation & Growth”, urban research-oriented design seminar on “Urban Mobility and Smart Infrastructure”, “Urban Resilience by Design – Adaptive Landscapes for PRD” , and facilitating dialogue between professionals, academia and young members at various cross disciplinary platforms and institutions. She was Co-Curator & Exhibitor of the Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale Of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) 2017, 2019, Venice Biennale (HK) 2020-2021.
She has initiated the Smart City and Sustainability initiatives at the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node since 2019, co-taught and led the “Hacking Kowloon East” 2021 IAP Workshop and Spring course with Prof. Brent Ryan (MIT) ; and “Beyond Smart Cities- 10 min self-sustainable neighbourhoods in Island South” 2022 IAP Workshop with Prof. Kent Larson (City Science Group, Media Lab, MIT) ; Urban Technology Week 2023-2024 with MITDesignX, Morningside Academy for Design, MIT.
Kelvin Chan
Head of UAS
Kelvin Chan
Head of UAS
Kelvin is the Head of Urban Access Solutions (UAS), a startup evolved from a team of tech enthusiasts within MTR. UAS is currently a subsidiary of MTR Lab offering total-solution access control services. It pioneered in the use of Octopus Cards for access control and is now developing smart parking solutions.
Kelvin is passionate about using technology to improve urban mobility and access. Through his customer-centric approach and drive for innovation, he has led the transformation of an internal business unit of MTR into a thriving proptech startup. Under his leadership, UAS solutions now serve 300+ clients, including residential and commercial buildings, car parks, and more across Hong Kong.
My sustainability goals for 2023:
- Establish a citizen-led smart city ecosystem
- Enhance awareness and understanding of smart city and green technology in Hong Kong
Belinda Francis
Senior Sustainability Designer
Belinda Francis
Senior Sustainability Designer
Belinda Francis is a Sustainability Designer, enthusiastic about creating positive change and impact through sustainable design practices. A creative and curious mind eager to explore and experiment with novel ideas. Her current role at Techtronic Industries involves working with multidisciplinary teams globally to research and develop sustainable products.
Christie Lai
Co-founder
Christie Lai
Co-founder
Christie is an Ecology and Biodiversity student at HKU and aspires to become a marine biologist. At the age of 21, Christie embarked on an international climate change expedition to Antarctica. Inspired by her prior experience in conservation, education and innovation, she is committed to creating tangible changes with an interdisciplinary approach. Christie co-founded 2041 Hong Kong with the aim to promote youth uptake in sustainability through solution-based projects and innovative education.
My sustainability goals for 2023:
To promote youth capacity building and to co-create impact-driven projects that address climate change mitigation and adaptation with peers, institutions and businesses.
Caitlin Shem
Regional Environmental Sustainability Lead
Caitlin Shem
Regional Environmental Sustainability Lead
Caitlin Shem is an environment and sustainability professional with experience working on projects in the Energy, Waste, Education, and Real Estate sectors across Asia Pacific.
She specialises in the development and implementation of decarbonisation targets and strategies for operational carbon, collaborating with grassroots organisations to corporations to drive sustainability agendas.
Caitlin’s work with the education sector has inspired her to actively promote youth engagement in sustainability and the built environment to nurture meaningful systemic change.
Supported by
2041 Hong Kong
2041 Hong Kong is a youth-led organisation that strives to build a community seeking to inspire, advocate, and catalyse change for sustainability and climate action. We aspire to promote and uphold the #AntarcticSpirit by building a more resilient and sustainable Hong Kong.
Our sustainability goals for 2023:
- Increase youth uptake and education in sustainability
- Collaborate with education and business institutions
- Promote the #AntarcticSpirit
Our initiative in accelerating sustainable development in Hong Kong
We are edging towards a sustainable future for Hong Kong through the power of youths in our community. Our efforts are coordinated by our three branches: Consulting, Communications, and Community.
The Consulting Branch helps corporations and institutions address ESG and sustainability opportunities, and engage with critical stakeholders. The Communications Branch looks to share 2041 Hong Kong’s story with the rest of the world, with the aim to inspire more global climate action. And finally, our Community Branch partners with schools and institutions to organise events and solutions-based projects advocating for programs of environmental education to promote youth uptake in sustainability.