As we approach the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this session will take a critical look at the progress made toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the SDGs have provided a universal framework for addressing global challenges, their adoption and integration into business strategies, government policies, and community actions have been uneven.
This discussion will explore whether the SDGs are at the point of falling short of their ambitious targets or if there is still an opportunity to catalyse meaningful impact. Panellists will examine the barriers to effective implementation, such as lack of alignment, insufficient funding, and limited accountability, while also highlighting success stories and innovative approaches that demonstrate the potential for accelerated progress.
Learnings:
Post-Event Actions:
Moderator
Ada Chan
Head of Communications and Engagement / SDSN Hong Kong Network Manager
SDSN Hong Kong
SDSN Hong Kong
Head of Communications and Engagement / SDSN Hong Kong Network Manager
Ada is a committed strategist and educator with expertise in planning and sustainable development. She obtained her PhD from the University of Melbourne, where her dissertation examined the role of creative arts spaces as cultural capital in Hong Kong and their contribution to urban sustainability. With substantial experience in academia and project management, Ada has served as the Head of Communications and Engagement in the Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Office, as well as the Network Manager for the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Hong Kong at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In these roles, she successfully led initiatives focused on social impact and sustainability. Additionally, she has held the position of Project Manager at the University of Hong Kong, where she managed community outreach projects pertaining to water sustainability.
Anders Siegumfeldt
Deputy Head of Mission, Minister
Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing
Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing
Deputy Head of Mission, Minister
MFA career
2009-10: Head of Section (South Caucasus), Department for European Neighbourhood 2010-12: Head of Section, European Policy Department
2012-15: First Secretary, Royal Danish Embassy in Moscow
2015-2017: Team leader (North East Asia), Department for Asia, Latin America and Oceania 2017-2021: Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Danish Embassy in Ankara
2021-2024: Deputy Director, Department for Asia, Latin America and Oceania
2024 -: Deputy Head of Mission, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing
Yvonne Leung
Global Strategic Engagement Lead
World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
Global Strategic Engagement Lead
Yvonne has a proven track record in high calibre stakeholder management, addressing sustainable development issues within international context. She is an experienced communicator and certified project management professional with exposures in diversified industries.
Having dedicated over a decade to advance the decarbonization agenda of hard-to-abate industries (particularly with the cement & concrete sector), Yvonne is well-versed in tackling critical sustainability issues such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, health and safety, responsible sourcing, biodiversity, water, to name a few.
Yvonne is now focusing on cultivating a collaborative environment towards co-creation of an effective public-private-philanthropy partnership (4P) framework to catalyse climate & nature actions. Apart from leading the community engagement at GAEA (Giving the Amplify Earth Action) of the World Economic Forum, she is in-charge of its events and programming of various regional activities.
My Sustainability Goals for 2025:
By prioritizing public-private-philanthropy partnerships (4P), Hong Kong can unlock greater impact and become a global model for sustainable, inclusive growth.
Patrick Lee
Professor
School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong
School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong
Professor
Patrick Lee is a Professor in the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong. He earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada in 2001, followed by his MS and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2002 and 2007, respectively. From 2008 to 2010, he conducted postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley. Prof. Lee has received several awards, including the World Cultural Council Special Recognition Award. His research group addresses biologically related energy and environmental challenges, working at the intersection of fundamental and applied sciences. Through their research efforts, Prof. Lee and his team aim to contribute to a healthier, greener, and more sustainable future for all.
My Sustainability Goals for 2025
Co-hosted by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (‘SDSN Hong Kong’) leverages their long-lasting partnership on various social and sustainable development issues to mobilise expertise and resources to address SDGs locally and support the continual development of the network.
Our sustainability goals for 2025:
General Enquiry Email Address: sdsn@cuhk.edu.hk