Hong Kong Set to Host International Sustainability Summit to Drive Tangible Action on Net Zero
Hong Kong is gearing up to host the inaugural One Earth Summit later this month, serving as a pivotal platform for corporate leaders worldwide to showcase their progress in achieving climate goals and exchange strategies to advance towards net-zero emissions.
Scheduled for March 25, the landmark event aims to forge an alliance among sustainability leaders across various sectors to accelerate the transition to net zero. Poman Lo, founder of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology (IST), one of the event’s organizers, emphasized the significance of unity in addressing the climate crisis, highlighting Hong Kong’s strategic position as a bridge between the East and the West.
The summit marks the beginning of an ongoing collaborative effort, with plans for annual gatherings to reinforce accountability and transparency in sustainability commitments. Participants will be required to not only pledge ambitious targets but also provide concrete pathways to achieve net zero, tracking and reporting their progress annually.
In addition to IST, key organizers include the World Economic Forum’s Giving to Amplify Earth Action initiative, the Hong Kong government’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, and InvestHK. Joseph Chan Ho-lim, Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, underscored Hong Kong’s commitment to becoming a leading green and sustainable financial center in Asia, highlighting the city’s role as a conduit between East and West.
The summit, part of the government’s Financial Mega Event Week, aligns with Hong Kong’s broader ambitions to promote sustainability and contribute to global efforts towards carbon neutrality. Alongside the One Earth Summit, the week will feature other significant financial events, including the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit and the Global Investors Symposium by the Milken Institute.
With attendance limited to 500 individuals representing national and subnational governments, private sector executives, and philanthropic organizations, the summit will focus on key themes such as water and nature-based solutions, infrastructure and urban development, food and agriculture, energy transition, and materials and industrial decarbonization.
The One Earth Summit seeks to go beyond rhetoric, translating words into actionable solutions to drive meaningful progress towards the net-zero transition. By convening leaders from diverse sectors and geographies, the summit aims to catalyze transformative change and propel the world towards a sustainable future.
