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The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change (the Museum) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) celebrated its 5th anniversary and held the launch ceremony of The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth Hong Kong (‘SDSN Youth Hong Kong’) today (15 December).

Officiating at the 5th anniversary celebration and launch ceremony were Mr Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, Dr Rebecca Lee, Founder of the Polar Museum Foundation, Professor Fok Tai-fai, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President of CUHK, and Chairman of the Steering Committee for Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, and Mr Dan Chan, Senior Advisor of SDSN Youth.

In his welcome address, Professor Tuan said, ‘CUHK has put extensive effort into promoting a low-carbon lifestyle and sustainable development. We were also the first tertiary institution in Hong Kong to launch a pioneering carbon emissions reduction scheme. In December 2013, with the generous support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, CUHK established The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, the first museum of its kind in the world. The Museum has attracted over 370,000 visitors in the past five years. Today, we are delightful to launch “SDSN Youth Hong Kong” to enhance young people’s, especially university students’, understanding of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to provide them with opportunities to exchange ideas with a wide spectrum of experts and professionals, and to help them champion the cause of sustainable development through innovative solutions.’

Mr Cheung said The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust was one of the world’s top ten charity donors and had long been supporting environmental conservation. For example, the Club encouraged the public to build environment-friendly habits into their daily lives through applying technology, and supported innovative proposals initiated by different sectors to tackle climate change for the sustainable development of society. In addition, the Club had supported various activities organised by The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, which was aimed at disseminating information on climate change and showing its impact on the earth, as well as promoting environmental conservation throughout the community. The Club was also looking forward to more young people joining the SDSN Youth Hong Kong, he said, and coming up with innovative ways to promote the sustainability of Hong Kong.

Mr Wong said, ‘Collaboration at the regional, national and international levels is essential for combating climate change, but individual participation is equally important. Effective and sustainable reduction of carbon emissions hinges on changing people’s attitude and habit to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle. In April this year, the Environment Bureau launched the “Low Carbon Living Calculator” to help the public assess their own carbon emissions in respect of clothing, food, living and travel in the past year. The Calculator also provides them with green tips for adopting a low-carbon lifestyle.’

At the ceremony, Mr Toby Lau, Youth Network Coordinator of SDSN Hong Kong, gave an introduction to ‘SDSN Youth Hong Kong’ and its future development. He also invited student representatives of a pilot project supported by the SDG Action Fund to share their insights and experience in promoting SDGs in Hong Kong.

All the guests were invited to join a guided tour of the Climate History Gallery of the Museum after the ceremony. The Climate History Gallery has been newly designed to illustrate the history and latest developments related to climate change through interactive Augmented Reality (AR) technology.

More details of the Museum can be found at www.mocc.cuhk.edu.hk. 

The Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network
The Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Hong Kong), co-hosted by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was officially launched in January 2018. SDSN Hong Kong encourages expertise, information and resources from academic, philanthropy, government, business and non-profits to address the most pressing environmental, social and economic issues in Hong Kong and advance sustainable development.