Adaptation-Mitigation
the Twin Challenges

Climate change presents many complex challenges. There are multilateral, national, and local level efforts being made. At COP26 in 2021, countries reaffirmed the need to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach, which requires countries to develop plans to decarbonize at speed and scale in the coming decade.

The latest IPCC science reports highlighted that the world is not on track to deal with current climate impacts and is not prepared to deal with the increasing number and magnitude of climate change-induced impacts. Hence, adaptation and mitigation are twin challenges that need to be addressed concurrently.

At HKUST, we have tracked and contributed to the understanding of climate science, as well as climate-related policies over many years. Four years ago, we presented CARE2018 focussing on climate adaptation because it was a relatively neglected topic in Hong Kong, and it was a topic that HKUST had a significant scholarship to share. CARE2022 follows from that vein. COP27, which was held in Egypt from 6-18 November 2022, had adaptation and resilience as one of its key focuses.

CARE2022
Focus

CARE2022 is scheduled to take place very soon after COP27 to provide a platform for us to discuss THREE interrelated areas:

  • Hong Kong’s adaptation planning and projects, and regional resilience
  • Nexus between adaptation and mitigation
  • Climate risks, resilience and emergencies, finance, and green talent

The design of CARE2022 includes a comprehensive presentation of Hong Kong’s adaptation plans and projects, followed by in-depth discussions in two concurrent workshops and another policy session that are wide-ranging, thereby highlighting the magnitude of issues involved in building resilience.

Who Should Join?

Various Bureaux, Departments and Agencies of the HKSAR Government, as well as public bodies, are CARE2022 Supporting Organizations – adaptation is like a ‘public good’ since extreme weather risks, such as flooding, severe storms, landslides, and heat spells, require whole of society approaches.

The conference has engaged people and institutions that are working on climate change issues ranging from top-level decision-making to regulatory, managerial, finance, scientific, academic, professional, philanthropic, education, communication, and community positions. The conference design and structure have enabled participation where their respective expertise and interests are most relevant. The discussion and results will be published in a policy-relevant report. 

Read CARE2022 Summary Report & Policy Recommendations

Read CARE2018 Summary Report & Policy Recommendations