On 13 October 2017, the Department of Asian and International Studies (AIS) organised a major panel on sustainability entitled ‘How To Strive for a More Sustainable World: Generating Ideas from Different Fields’. The panel brought together a green celebrity (Maggie Q), an academic (Professor Johnny CHAN), an NGO leader (Edwin LAU) and a sustainability practitioner in the private sector (Jeanne NG) to find common approaches and solutions for the global environment. Over 300 audience members, including 250 students, attended the event.
 
The event was the second in the CityU Sustainability Lecture Series, which the AIS launched earlier this year. This lecture series aims to focus the attention of the university and the broader community on the concepts and data needed to better comprehend sustainability and design sustainability initiatives. The four panelists focused on climate change, corporate social responsibility, food choices and waste. The speakers called for individual action to provide an impetus for much-needed corporate and regulatory change.
 
The series aims to inspire students to become more engaged in environmental questions, research, networks and action. As part of training the next generation of environmental leaders, a number of secondary school students were also invited to join the event.
 
The backing of the private sector (CLP), the Hong Kong government (the Environment and Conservation Fund) and the university (the Student Residence) for this lecture series signals support for CLASS’s efforts to promote a sustainability agenda.

Cover photo: The event was the second part of the CityU Sustainability Lecture Series organised by the Department of Asian and International Studies.

Photo 2: Hollywood actress Maggie Q indicated that carbon emissions from animal farming are ‘the real issue driving climate change.’