The inaugural One Earth Summit, convened by the Institute of Sustainability and Technology (IST), concluded successfully on March 25 at the Regala Skycity Hotel in Hong Kong. The premier global gathering of international sustainability leaders attracted more than 1,000 influential leaders and changemakers from global corporations, the financial sector, start-ups, foundations, media, civil society, and academia, who engaged in action-oriented dialogues during the Summit to achieve a net-zero, nature-positive transition for the world. As a philanthropic partner, we fully supported the event with our Chairman and several Vice Chairmen, Vice Presidents, and members participating in the forum.

 

The theme of this global gathering – “Planetary Crossroads: Investing in Innovations for a Sustainable Future” – highlighted the importance of the challenges we faced. This was crucial for each of us, our families, companies, institutions, the economies and countries we called home, and for the world at large. Following the day-long Summit, our Council Members gathered at the Gala Dinner for an evening dedicated to investing in Asia’s future leaders in climate change and sustainability. The gala dinner aimed at showcasing the hands-on solutions and best practices for the global climate challenge and fostering collective efforts for the net-zero transition in Asia.

The opening ceremony of the Summit was officiated by Mr John LEE Ka Chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who highlighted Hong Kong’s strengths as an ideal nexus for building partnerships and driving innovative solutions for sustainability.
Ms Poman Lo, Founder of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology and convenor of the One Earth Summit, and Vice President of the CCF emphasized the importance of uniting the world to save Mother Earth and transforming dialogue into action.
Mr Chavalit Frederick Tsao, Chairman of IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group and Founder of OCTAVE Institute, and Vice President of the CCF said, “We need the leadership of institutions to restore our inner human nature of LOVE, fuelling action to protect the outer environment, which is our home, our only ONE EARTH. This is our one choice, our shared destiny, and our legacy.”
Dr Peter Lee Ka-kit, Chairman of Henderson Land Group and The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, Chairman of the CCF said, “As the name of this important summit vividly reminds us, we only have one Planet Earth, and our precious Earth is teetering on the edge of an abyss. The future of our planet will depend largely upon climate technologies and our collective ability to innovate and implement them. At this One Earth Summit, let us find the vision and resolve to guide us towards a brighter, greener tomorrow.”

(From sixth left) Dr Peter Lee Ka-kit (Chairman of Henderson Land Group and The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited), Ms Gim Huay Neo (Managing Director, World Economic Forum), Prof Poman Lo (Founder of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology), The Hon John Lee (Chief Executive, HKSAR), Mr Yin Zonghua (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), H.S.H. Prince Maximilian von und zu Liechtenstein (Member of the House of Liechtenstein), Mr Chavalit Fredrick Tsao (Chairman of IMC Pan Asia Alliance Group and Founder of OCTAVE Institute), with other guests at the forum.

Group Discussion:

Ms. Alice Ho, Chief Youth Officer at the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate and Vice Chairman of CCF, participated in a forum with industry leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss Circular Economy, Materials, and Industrial Decarbonisation. The summit focused on enhancing material efficiency, which has the potential to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions by 2060. Specifically, there is the potential to decrease total emissions by around 20% for steel, 70% for cement, and 30% for aluminum. Additionally, there is high potential to accelerate the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industrial sectors through regional cooperation, while also maximizing job creation and economic competitiveness through Industrial Clusters.

(From left to right) Dr Dimitrios Tsivrikos (Associate Professor, University College London); Ms Alice Ho (Chief Youth Officer, Global Alliance of Universities on Climate); Prof Charles Ng (Vice President, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou); Mr Chandran Nair (Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Global Institute for Tomorrow); Ar Clarence Leung (Chairperson-to-be, CIC Committee on Environment; General Manager (Project Management), Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited); and Mr Mark Cheng (Founder and Managing Partner, Social Innovation Circle)