Igniting Change: Civic Exchange Launches 'Learning for a Greener Future' to Reshape Hong Kong's Climate Education

Civic Exchange proudly announces the official launch of its latest report, ‘Learning for a Greener Future’. The report, unveiled at a dynamic event on 26 May 2025, charts a clear course for strengthening climate and biodiversity education across Hong Kong through systemic change and robust cross-sector collaboration.

At the launch, Ms Kitty Tam, our Programme Lead, presented the report's key findings. She underscored the urgent need to embed comprehensive environmental education within the city's learning frameworks to empower the next generation to tackle the escalating climate and biodiversity crises.

Voices for Action: Insights from the Expert Panel

The launch event was further enriched by a lively panel discussion featuring a diverse group of experts: Hon Chu Kwok Keung (Member of the Legislative Council), Prof Arthur Lau (Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Education, Division of Environment and Sustainability of HKUST), Mr Yamme Leung (Director of Education of WWF-Hong Kong), Dr Xoni Ma (Founder and Education Director of OWLHK), Dr Hui Chi Kuen (Principal of Sing Yin Secondary School), Ms Lok Yuen Kwan (Chairperson of Environmental Education Committee, Panel Head of Geography Department of Sing Yin Secondary School), Mr Siu Tsz Hin Eric (Head Environmental Prefect of Sing Yin Secondary School), and Ms Charlie Yip (Participant of the first edition of Young Environment Ambassador programme and Community Empowerment Assistant at Civic Exchange). The discussion delved deep into how education and empowerment can accelerate crucial climate and biodiversity action. 

The urgency of this mission was powerfully framed by Prof Arthur Lau, who shared a thought-provoking question he often poses to students: "How old will you be in 2030 or 2050? For secondary school students, the answer is often around 40 years old. At that age, they will be living through the far-reaching consequences of global temperatures rising by more than 2.5°C. It won’t matter whether you're a business leader, a financial expert, or a teacher—no one will be immune to these challenges. So the real question is: how will you respond? And from another angle, if sustainable development is so deeply relevant to all of us, isn’t it all the more urgent to prioritise and strengthen education in this area—so we can better prepare future generations to face what’s ahead?" 

A recurring theme was the necessity of decisive leadership and unified efforts. Hon Chu Kwok Keung emphasised this critical point, stating, "Indeed, the Education Bureau (EDB) should play a leading role—whether it is in policy formulation or curriculum design, it should step up and emphasise the importance of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). EDB should take the initiative. Of course, the Environment and Ecology Bureau also plays a significant part, and both departments have many responsibilities. However, there should be more cross-departmental collaboration, with both sides coming together to discuss how we can improve further." 

Key Takeaways: A Roadmap for Transformation

The panel discussion crystallised into several actionable recommendations: 

 1.  Establish a centralised core task force on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

• This task force should integrate climate and biodiversity education into Hong Kong’s 12 values education and 7 learning goals.  

• It must coordinate policy efforts across bureaux, focusing on promotion and education.  

• Crucially, it needs to identify strategies to shift from mere knowledge acquisition to fostering genuine attitude change. Dr Xoni Ma passionately articulated the importance of moving beyond traditional classroom learning to achieve this: "Why aren’t more people taking meaningful action on environmental protection? A key reason is that our education system hasn’t nurtured the right mindset—most importantly, a genuine love for nature. But can this love be developed by sitting in a classroom? The answer is no. It requires stepping outside, experiencing nature firsthand, and forming a personal connection with it. As Kitty mentioned earlier, most schools today rarely take students beyond the classroom or give them the chance to engage with the natural world. And yet, Hong Kong is home to incredibly rich biodiversity—this is a true treasure. So why aren’t we making better use of it?" 

• The task force should include representatives from the EDB, EEB, AFCD, EMSD, LCSD, and more, with vital input from green groups and professional bodies serving as advisory bodies. Recalling a past successful model, Mr Yamme Leung shared, "I recall that more than twenty years ago, there was a group called the Hong Kong Environmental Education Group. Some of you might remember it. The group included representatives from the government—such as the Education Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department—as well as various green groups. Every three months, everyone would sit down together and discuss various topics. They covered aspects such as teacher training, how to jointly organise training activities and events for teachers and schools, and how to integrate resources across organisations. For example, we might use a centralised approach to publish educational booklets or conduct online publicity, with all groups promoting the same issue together to maximise impact. This could serve as a valuable case study." 

• Encouraging school-based actions, such as peer-to-peer learning, is also paramount. Ms Lok Yuen Kwan offered practical examples for schools: "If other schools want to promote sustainable practices even with limited resources, I have two suggestions. First, set up small-scale weather monitoring stations. With the support of our school’s environmental prefects and teachers, we can use the data to identify ways to save energy. Second, we have been implementing food waste management measures that do not require significant funding." 

2.  Explore synergy between technology education and ESD through STEAM pathways

Dr Hui Chi Kuen highlighted this connection: "The government has also placed strong emphasis on STEAM education, and environmental policy and education are often closely tied to technology. That’s why I believe we should take the opportunity to integrate and reinforce concepts and values related to sustainability within the broader framework of STEAM education." 

3.  Provide more educator training to equip teachers with the tools for delivering climate and biodiversity content

The youth perspective on fostering environmental consciousness was represented by Mr Siu Tsz Hin Eric, who noted, "I believe adults should lead by example by incorporating environmental protection into their daily lives. Adults play a crucial role in creating a more environmentally friendly environment for children and youth, helping them to develop environmental awareness through subtle and ongoing influence." 

A Model for Empowerment: The Young Environment Ambassador (YEA) Programme

Our Hong Kong 2050 is Now Young Environment Ambassador (YEA) programme was spotlighted as a successful model. Ms Charlie Yip, a YEA alumna and now Community Empowerment Assistant at Civic Exchange, shared her transformative experience: "Back in 2021, I participated in the first Young Environment Ambassador Programme (YEA) while I was in F.4. Through the programme, I learnt about topics such as decarbonisation and sustainable consumption—subjects that were not covered at all in my school. Therefore, I hope every secondary school can learn from the YEA programme and organise environmental activities, teaching their students about climate and biodiversity. This would lighten our workload and allow everyone to expand their knowledge." The programme's potential to be "copy-and-paste ready" for Hong Kong schools was a significant point of discussion. 

The Path Forward: Collaboration and Sustained Action

The overarching conclusion from the launch is the undeniable need for greater collaboration – across government departments (especially within the EDB), and critically, between the government and green groups who offer impactful materials and programmes. 

As Ms Kitty Tam articulated, the work of Civic Exchange does not end with this launch: "Completing a report shouldn’t just end with a press conference. That’s not our goal. We want to follow through with concrete actions—for example, by continuing our engagement with the Education Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. We hope to explore how civil society can help bridge the gap between knowledge and action. We also sincerely hope to see stronger collaboration among these three departments moving forward." 

The sentiment that education is a cornerstone of progress was echoed by our Executive Director, Lawrence Iu, who remarked, "Education is indeed a powerful tool. It allows young people--and the broader public in Hong Kong--to experiment with and apply the knowledge they have acquired." 

Let’s work together to build a more sustainable, empowered generation – one classroom at a time. 

Our sincere gratitude goes to all who supported the publication of ‘Learning for a Greener Future’ and to the guests who attended and enriched our launch event.