The Power of Language to Drive Climate Action

Mark founded Reputation Works to help businesses of all sizes build and enhance their reputations through storytelling with a particular focus on the complex challenge of communicating around sustainability.

Mark has more than 30 years’ experience of working with some of the world’s most renowned brands – including Google, Microsoft, Apple and American Express.

He is fluent in all aspects of communications: media relations, content creation, executive comms, employer branding and internal communications, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, activation and sponsorship.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

Climate change has been an accepted scientific fact for nearly sixty years. Despite this, we seem to be making little progress on climate change goals, or the wider Sustainable Development Goals. Some of this is the way organisations communicate and my goal for 2025 is to help them understand how to drive action, rather than fear.

Robin has lived and worked in Asia Pacific since 2006, in Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. He has 20 years’ experience in journalism, writing about media, government, technology and sustainability.

Robin is the associate editor of Eco-Business, where he reports on the latest trends in sustainability in Asia Pacific, and manages a network of writers across the region. He has a particular interest in biodiversity conservation, plastic pollution, the palm oil trade, and Southeast Asia’s energy transition.

Robin has a degree in zoology from the University of Bristol, and spends his weekends rescuing snakes, birds, monkeys, and lizards as a volunteer for Singapore animal welfare charity ACRES.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

I hope to see Hong Kong’s artificial islands project cancelled, legal protections for Hong Kong’s remaining wild buffalo, and Lamma Power Station switched from coal to wind/solar.

Johanna Levy joined GIA in July 2022 as VP ESG to develop strategic programs that strengthen the Institute’s mission. Levy came to GIA from Firmenich, the largest privately owned company in the flavor and fragrance industry. As senior director of global environmental excellence and previously director of sustainability for North America, she built ambitious programs focused on supply chain transparency and net positive impact. Before Firmenich, she worked in-house and as a consultant for Google, Nestlé and the World Gold Council. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts in the field of environmental sciences from Harvard University, a Master of Science in sustainability from Columbia University and a Master’s degree in management from ESCP in France.

Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the City University of Hong Kong, Esterina holds joint appointments in the Department of English and the Department of Marketing. She is also the Associate Director of the Institute of Global Governance and Innovation for a Shared Future, Co-director of the New Frontiers in Professional Communication Lab (NFPC), and the Associate Director of the Sales and Marketing Consulting Unit (SMCU). Her academic contributions span across BA and MBA courses, focusing on business and professional communication, including specialized courses like Communicating Fashion Culture and The Language of Sustainability. Esterina’s role extends beyond the classroom as she fosters valuable industry relationships for research, student internships, and career development.

Esterina’s international academic involvement is extensive. She is a Junior Adjunct Professor of Intercultural Communication and Language Variation at the Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia in Italy, an International Research Fellow at SEGi University in Malaysia, and an invited External Member of the Research Centre for Professional Communication in English at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her PhD in Applied Linguistics from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which focused on digital transformation in the luxury sector, underscores her expertise in this field. Her research interests are diverse, encompassing social semiotics, multimodality, business communication, luxury studies, sustainability, and city branding, with a particular focus on arts and culture and social impact. She has recently also engaged in projects about AI and applications in communication and marketing.

Esterina’s leadership in executive education and her involvement in RGC-funded research and consulting projects highlight her commitment to advancing the luxury sector’s social responsibility. Her active participation in organizing cultural talks and her committee memberships across various sectors in Asia and Europe reflect her dedication to fostering cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue.

She holds a M.A. in Foreign Languages for Business Communication from the Universita’ degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy), a B.A. in Language Mediation from the Universita’ degli Studi della Calabria (Italy), an Executive Education Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from INSEAD (Singapore), and a certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge (here she was later a Visiting Researcher). During her B.A. and M.A., she spent semesters at University of Cambridge and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University respectively.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

Fostering cross-sector collaboration
Build bridges between stakeholders in the public and private to share knowledge and best practices and co-create solutions that address sustainability challenges and maximize collective impact.

Raising awareness through education

Facilitate workshops, talks, and community projects in Hong Kong and beyond to inspire individuals and organizations to take actionable steps toward sustainability.

Promote the social dimension of sustainability

Focus on fostering inclusivity, equity, and community empowerment by supporting initiatives that enhance social well-being. This ensures that sustainability efforts address not only environmental challenges but also the needs of diverse communities, building a more equitable and resilient society.

Ms. Kalina Tsang is a seasoned social worker with over 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector. As CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, she leads the organisation in delivering excellence across humanitarian aid, child protection, health & mental wellbeing and education. Her work is deeply rooted in the mission to create a brighter future for children in need, engaging stakeholders across sectors to drive meaningful change.

Prior to this role, Ms. Tsang served as Director General of an international charity, spearheading initiatives in poverty alleviation, climate actions, global citizenship education, and humanitarian relief especially across Greater China and Asia. She is also recognised for her pioneering contributions to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) research and policy advocacy, with a focus on supporting disadvantaged communities.

Ms. Tsang holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Social Work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

As a passionate advocate for children’s rights and social equity, I hope to see the following changes in Hong Kong by 2025.

Strengthened Child Protection System
Enhanced community and cross-sector efforts to safeguard and protect children, including advocating for child safeguarding and child-friendly policies across various settings, empowering children, and fostering support for families and caregivers.

Inclusive ESG Practices Across Sectors
Broader adoption of ESG principles in both corporate and public sectors, with a focus on uplifting disadvantaged communities and ensuring no one is left behind.

Empowering Children for Climate Action
Increased empowerment of children and communities in global climate resilience initiatives, promoting sustainable living and environmental stewardship from the ground up.