The Expert Report on the Fifth National Assessment Report on Climate Change Hong Kong and Macao Special Report, co-hosted by Lingnan University, is held on Lingnan campus.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, delivers a speech.
In his opening speech, Vice President Lan Yujie of NSFC noted that since 2002, China has compiled and released four editions of the National Assessment Report on Climate Change. Climate change scientific assessment has become a cyclical and institutionalised effort supporting major national strategic decisions, providing a solid scientific foundation for China’s climate change policies, guiding technological innovation, and serving as a crucial support for active participation in global climate governance.
Vice President Lan emphasised that "The special study on climate change response in Hong Kong and Macao carries a unique mission. Therefore, the Fifth National Assessment Report on Climate Change will continue to include a dedicated section on Hong Kong and Macao, showcasing their achievements and distinctive approaches in addressing climate change, and offering an example of regional collaboration for the nation. This seminar aims to foster in-depth exchanges and cooperation among scientists from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, encouraging the sharing of ideas and experiences to promote coordinated climate governance and explore innovative solutions."
President S. Joe Qin expressed the university’s honour in hosting this significant discussion in his remarks. He highlighted Lingnan’s commitment to advancing sustainable development and climate action through academic programmes in green finance, ESG investment, and energy transition, equipping students with expertise in low-carbon transformation while driving research and technological innovation to support regional climate governance.
"As an academic pioneer in sustainability and climate change, Lingnan University upholds a strong sense of social responsibility. We cultivate students' professional capabilities in low-carbon transition through courses on green finance, ESG investment, and energy transformation, while promoting the application of research outcomes and technological innovations to bolster regional climate governance and inject practical momentum into societal low-carbon development," said President Qin.
The Fifth National Assessment Report on Climate Change is jointly led by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the China Meteorological Administration, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and NSFC with coordination by 11 ministries and the ACCA21 serving as the organising office. The seminar focused on the latest climate research, clarifying the scope and priorities of the Hong Kong and Macao special report while strengthening collaboration among experts to explore innovative solutions.
During the keynote presentation session, multiple experts and scholars shared their research findings. Prof Shao Min from Jinan University systematically analysed the facts, impacts, risks, and adaptation strategies of climate change in Hong Kong and Macao based on the key contents of the Fourth National Assessment Report on Climate Change (Hong Kong and Macao Special Report), providing scientific guidance for the regions in addressing climate challenges. Prof Gong Peng, Vice-President of HKU, focused on achieving carbon neutrality in Hong Kong's power sector, proposing multiple innovative solutions to support the transition toward a carbon-neutral electricity system.
Prof Chen Wenying from Tsinghua University’s Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy introduced the synergistic effects of energy transition in carbon neutrality, presenting a comprehensive assessment of low-carbon energy transformation through multi-scale spatiotemporal modeling. Her research offers a robust foundation for formulating scientifically sound carbon-neutral pathways.
Prof Dong Wenjie from Sun Yat-sen University provided a systematic analysis of current climate change trends in the Greater Bay Area, proposing urban climate system solutions in four key areas: extreme weather prediction, disaster prevention and mitigation, energy optimisation, and micro-scale urban environmental regulation.
Prof Chen Xi, Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS) from Lingnan University, shared advancements in decentralised carbon-neutral technologies based on the "Carbon Balance" theory, highlighting practical applications and demonstration outcomes.
Researcher Chen Weiqiang from the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences examined the submersion risks faced by coastal cities under climate change, constructing a high-resolution 3D spatiotemporal urban model combined with economic assessments to identify high-risk areas.
Mr Kenneth Leung, Director of HKUST’s Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, systematically outlined Hong Kong’s emission reduction measures and achievements in electricity, road transport, and maritime sectors.
The roundtable discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in climate research featured in-depth dialogues among experts, including Prof Xin Yao, Lingnan University’s Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning, Prof Yan Jinyue from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and Prof Chen Fei and Prof Su Hui from HKUST. They explored cutting-edge AI technologies in climate science, innovative approaches for early warning systems, AI-driven typhoon prediction models, and optimisation algorithms for energy system decarbonisation. Their discussions provided forward-looking and actionable insights into interdisciplinary integration and technology implementation.
Additionally, Researcher Wu Shaohong from the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (CAS), Prof Song Chunshan, Dean of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and Associate Professor Li Fung, Associate Professor Shang Jin from City University of Hong Kong, and Associate Professor Lyu Haitao from Hong Kong Baptist University engaged in profound discussions on topics such as building sustainable CO₂ supply chains for carbon neutrality, the necessity of climate adaptation, novel carbon capture adsorption-separation systems, and interdisciplinary health-climate science applications. By integrating frontier research with regional development needs, they conducted analyses from technological, policy, and industrial collaboration perspectives, offering valuable new directions for the Greater Bay Area in tackling climate challenges and establishing a green, low-carbon development model.
Finally, Deputy Director Zhang Yongtao concluded that as key participants in global climate governance and core engines of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong and Macao play a pivotal role in climate change assessment research. This work is not only a critical step in implementing the nation's "dual carbon" strategy but also provides scientific support for regional climate governance. He pointed out that the compilation of the special reports on Hong Kong and Macao must define clear objectives and positioning, focus on their key sectors and unique characteristics, construct a logically coherent framework, fully integrate the research strengths of the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, foster cross-regional and cross-disciplinary synergy, advance the compilation process in an orderly manner, and ensure that the high-quality outcomes can effectively serve climate governance practices.
This seminar brought together cutting-edge insights from mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao experts in climate change assessment. Through in-depth keynote presentations and dynamic roundtable discussions, it provided critical research support and practical insights for the Fifth National Assessment Report on Climate Change (Hong Kong and Macao Special Report). The ACCA21 will continue to foster high-level academic exchange platforms, integrate cross-regional and interdisciplinary research strengths, promote the deep integration of assessment outcomes into the global climate governance system, and support China in further enhancing its leading role in international climate cooperation—contributing Chinese solutions to building a fair, reasonable, and win-win global climate governance framework.
