A Definite Trend - Greening Facilities and Events in Hong Kong

Ms. Christine Loh, JP

Under Secretary for the Environment, Environment Bureau

Speaker Profile:

Ms Christine Loh was the Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit public policy think tank Civic Exchange prior to joining the HKSAR Government in September 2012. Prior to founding Civic Exchange in 2000, Ms Loh had spent nearly a decade as a politician and member of the Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000).

Before joining the Legislative Council, Ms Loh held senior regional positions in commodities trading, as well as in project negotiation. Having been very active in public affairs since 1980, she had founded or served on boards of a wide range of non-governmental organisations in Hong Kong and overseas concerning a variety of issues including environmental protection, urban planning and design, and equal opportunity. Ms Loh is a lawyer by training.

Abstract :

People need to get together for all kinds of reasons. Gatherings may be small, large or even very large. People gather to work, learn, exhibit, play, deliberate, debate, commiserate - you name it, they do it. Events may be held in many types of places - open air venues, sports venues, hotels, community halls, museums, churches and temples, exhibition spaces, malls, offices, streets, markets, gardens and even homes. Where people gather, especially when the crowd is sizable, there is a need to use all kinds of resources. Giving thought to reducing resource wastage in events planning and management is good for clients and also the environment. It should be a part of the capabilities of events designers, planners and presenters to provide services in a way that reduce resource wastage. As new waste legislation come into force all around the world, resource managers and venue providers will need to consider how events can be environmentally sustainable. Examples from Hong Kong will be given to illustrate what can be done.