Nature-Positive Development: How Can Cities Integrate Biodiversity, Climate Resilience and Urban Growth?

As a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and sustainability practitioner, I lead the development and scaling of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to address climate resilience across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area in my role as Project Manager at The Nature Conservancy. My work focuses on shaping how NbS is integrated into policy, planning, and investment decisions, working at the intersection of government, finance, and on-the-ground implementation.

I specialise in translating science into action at scale—designing and delivering flagship NbS pilots, influencing regional strategies, and convening cross-sector partnerships to drive adoption. This includes working closely with government agencies, local communities, and international partners to embed NbS into real-world projects with measurable biodiversity and climate outcomes.

My strengths lie in strategic positioning, stakeholder alignment, and execution under complexity, with a strong focus on moving from concept to implementation. I am particularly passionate about advancing NbS financing and delivery models, and enabling ecosystems where public, private, and community actors can collaborate effectively to scale impact.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Mainstream nature-based solutions in Hong Kong’s climate resilience and development projects

Success looks like: More hectares of wetlands, rivers, and coastal habitats restored; increased public and private investment in NbS; and clear integration of NbS into government planning, infrastructure, and development projects.

2. Foster stronger public-private-community partnerships for sustainability action

Success looks like: More cross-sector partnerships established, greater co-investment in sustainability initiatives, and more collaborative projects progressing from planning to implementation.

3. Build a culture of stewardship where more people actively care for and restore nature

Success looks like: Higher participation in conservation and restoration activities, more community-led stewardship programs, and stronger public awareness and support for nature-positive solutions.

Patrick is responsible for formulating and executing the Sustainable Development 2030 Strategy for Swire Properties’ global operations across Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and U.S.A. portfolios. Through engaging stakeholders, setting science-based targets and developing action plans, he leads a team to manage the full spectrum of the Company’s environmental, social and economic impact and to integrate ESG considerations into every facet of the Company’s business.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026: 

• Guided by the Sustainable Development 2030 Strategy, continue to pioneer sustainable business practices, adopt innovative technologies, and actively share best practices with the business community.
• Engage actively with stakeholders in HK and the broader region to foster partnerships and develop collective solutions for the net-zero and nature-positive transitions.

Dr Michael Lau is now working as an independent ecological consultant and is the Founder of Hong Kong Wetlands Conservation Association. Previously, he had worked for World Wide Fund for Nature – Hong Kong as the Wetlands Conservation Director and for Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden as the Department Head of the South China Biodiversity Programme. He has wide experience on studying the threats to the natural world, formulating conservation and sustainable development strategy and implementing projects in the region.

He pursued his Ph.D. research in the University of Hong Kong on the habitat use of Hong Kong amphibians and the conservation of the Romer’s Tree Frog and took part in the Hong Kong Biodiversity Survey that covered all the terrestrial and aquatic habitats in the SAR.

He is a member of the Government’s Advisory Committee on Countryside Conservation and had sat in a number of other committees including Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Steering Committee, Advisory Council on the Environment, Lantau Development Committee and Country and Marine Parks Board. He is also a member of several IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups and has contributed to the Red List assessment of various threatened wildlife.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:
Hong Kong embraces Ecological Civilization thinking and adopts a holistic approach that include nature as infrastructures of future developments. This would ensure the ecosystems will be conserved or restored for climate resilience, biodiversity, and people’s enjoyment.

Benni is the Vice President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA) and Deputy Chair of the Executive Organizing Committee for International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) World and Asia-Pacific Regional Congress 2026.

He is a Registered Landscape Architect who received his Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) with distinction from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Master in Design Studies (MDes) from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD).

He has 17 years of practising experience in landscape architecture and involved in a number of awarded projects. His professional practice has ranged from public space design to urban design and landscape planning of major developments incorporating nature-based solutions, blue-green infrastructure and resilient design initiatives. His works have been featured in the 2022 Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale Urbanism \ Architecture and 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exposition. Recent design awards include the International Design Award (IDA), Architizer A+ Award, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) Special Award and HKILA Awards.

His researches examine and experiment spontaneous landscape, urban ecology, perception of space, cultural landscape and design anthropology and are published and presented in Landscape Review, HKIA Journal, HKILA Journal Yuan Lin, Landscape Architecture Frontier (LAF), Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) Annual Conference 2026 and 60th IFLA World Congress 2024.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Foster Interdisciplinary collaborations and strategic partnerships to mainstream and scale up Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
2. Strengthen capacity building and enhance public awareness of the interconnection between nature and culture, with a particular focus on advocating for cultural landscapes and the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL).
3. Advance advocacy for urban nature and promote ecological and landscape design in development projects to enhance biodiversity and improve human well-being.

Global Head of Emerging Sustainability Issues at JPMorgan Chase, coordinating across global business lines to provide strategic insight on topics including nature and biodiversity, climate resilience, and other frontier sustainability challenges. Previous roles include Head of Nature and Biodiversity for JPMorgan Chase, Structurer in the firm’s Global Markets Sustainability Center, and Head of Sustainable Business Strategy and Innovation at BNP Paribas.

A contributor to international policy efforts, served as a member and workstream lead on the European Commission’s Platform on Sustainable Finance and played a founding role in the setup of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Also lectures on sustainable finance at several universities and has co-authored publications on sustainability and derivatives.

Experience spans strategy development, product design and integration, with a focus on sustainable finance, natural capital, policy and impact.

Has worked across Europe, North America, and Asia, speaks five languages, and is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.