SEE Colloquium Explores Sustainability Pathways for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

The School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) successfully hosted an insightful colloquium titled “Transitioning to Sustainability in SMEs: Opportunities and Challenges” on 16 April 2026. The session featured distinguished guest speaker Dr. Brenda Lee, an independent consultant specializing in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Prof. Fatwa Abdi, Associate Professor of SEE, moderated the session, guiding the proceedings and facilitating the academic dialogue.

The colloquium highlighted the growing importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in advancing global sustainability and CSR initiatives. As regulatory requirements tighten and stakeholder expectations continue to rise, SMEs are increasingly expected to adopt environmentally responsible practices and integrate sustainability into their business strategies.

In her presentation, Dr. Lee emphasized that SMEs constitute the vast majority of businesses in Hong Kong. Their collective commitment to sustainability – particularly in areas such as decarbonisation and the adoption of sustainable frameworks – is therefore critical to enhancing the city’s environmental resilience and supporting the HKSAR Government’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Drawing on her extensive experience in management and consultancy, Dr. Lee outlined key opportunities and challenges faced by SMEs in their sustainability transition. She also presented a series of practical and actionable recommendations to help businesses overcome resource constraints while advancing their sustainability objectives.

The presentation was followed by an engaging Q&A session, where students actively participated in lively discussions, raising thoughtful questions about the real-world implementation of sustainable practices and the evolving role of corporate responsibility in smaller firms.

The School of Energy and Environment extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Lee for delivering such an inspiring and insightful presentation, and for sharing her invaluable expertise with our faculty, students, and community members.

Dr. Brenda Lee (right) received SEE souvenir from Prof. Fatwa Abdi (left), following the colloquium.