Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with far-reaching impacts on our environment, economy, and communities. As the frequency and severity of climate-related events increase, it is crucial that we come together to understand the potential risks and develop effective strategies for climate risk management.
Co-organised by Business Environment Council, Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, and The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, and supported by the Development Bureau, “The Second Climate Risk Management Forum 2025” brought together government speakers as well as representatives from the real estate and insurance sectors to share their insights and initiatives in tackling climate risks. An overseas expert shared international best practices on city-wide flood management. Government representatives also presented findings from the Strategic Planning Study on Flood Management and the Study on Shoreline Management Plan. Through expert presentations and panel discussion, participants gained valuable knowledge and practical tools to navigate the complexities of climate risk management.
Programme
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Time |
Activity |
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2:00 – 2:30p.m. |
Registration |
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2:30 – 2:35p.m. |
Opening Remarks Mr Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Business Environment Council |
| 2:35 – 2:50p.m. |
Integrated Shoreline Management Strategy to Cope with Climate Change
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| 2:50 – 3:05p.m. |
Integrated Flood Management Strategy to Cope with Climate Change
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| 3:05 – 3:20p.m. |
Approaches to Overseas Climate Change Adaptation in Flood and Coast Management
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| 3:20 – 4:15p.m. |
Panel Discussion Moderator: Mr Merlin Lao, Head – Policy & Research, Business Environment Council
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| 4:15 – 4:45p.m. |
Q&A Session |
| 4:45 – 7:00p.m. |
Networking Session (with refreshments) |
Speakers *arranged in order of appearance
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Mr Simon Ng Mr Simon Ng is Chief Executive Officer of Business Environment Council. He has over 25 years of experience in academic and policy research, project management and stakeholder engagement. In particular, Mr Ng is known for his ground-breaking work on ship emissions inventory and evidence-based control policy in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, and his instrumental role in the Fair Winds Charter – a voluntary business initiative to reduce ship emissions. Before taking the CEO position, Mr Ng was BEC’s Director of Policy & Research for 3 years. Prior to joining BEC, he was Chief Research Officer of a Hong Kong based think tank, and held teaching and research positions in several local universities. Currently, Mr Ng is a Member of the Advisory Council on the Environment, the Harbourfront Commission, the Lantau Development Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Committee on the Northern Metropolis of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Internationally, Mr Ng has been an Expert Member of the UNCRD Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia since 2006.
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Mr Ricky Wong, JP Ir Ricky Wong Chi-pan, a civil engineer by profession, has over 30 years of experience in Hong Kong in both the design and practical aspects of various engineering fields, including civil, coastal, and building engineering. His expertise spans project management, feasibility studies, design and construction supervision for urban development, environmental protection, site formation, drainage, sewerage, roads, and historic building revitalisation. Ir Wong was the Chief Engineer of Port Works Division, overseeing the construction and maintenance of port facilities and technical studies related to reclamation projects. While in this role, he was also involved in research and development aimed at enhancing marine structure design standards and maintenance, and their resilience under the effects of climate change. Ir Wong is currently working as Head of the CEDD’s Civil Engineering Office.
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Mr Michael Long Michael Long joined Hongkong Land as Director and Head of Sustainability in April 2025. He brings over 28 years of experience in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy and implementation across the real estate sectors in Asia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
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Mr Stanley Liu Ir Stanley Tsuen Kit Liu is a highly experienced Coastal Engineer with over 23 years of expertise in leading large-scale maritime, land reclamation and climate resilience projects across Asia and beyond. As a recognised specialist in ports and marine infrastructure, he has played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of marine structures, seawalls, dredging and reclamation works. His leadership extends to climate resilience, having pioneered innovative nature-based shoreline solutions, such as the award-winning eco-shoreline design for Tung Chung (East) in Hong Kong. With a strong focus on integrated coastal protection and flood management, Stanley delivers strategic engineering solutions that enhance sustainability and climate adaptability for coastal developments.
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Mr Peter Chui Mr Peter Chui is a Senior System Advisor at the Drainage Services Department (DSD), where he leads the formulation of Integrated Flood Management Strategy and oversees drainage improvement projects. His career began 30 years ago with the design and construction of drainage and sewerage systems, as well as operations and maintenance at DSD. He contributed to the first generation of drainage master plans for Northern Hong Kong Island, Yuen Long, and the North District. In 2007, Peter joined the Civil Engineering and Development Department, where he worked on several New Development Area projects, including the Kai Tak Development and the Northern Metropolis. He rejoined DSD in 2021 as Deputy Director, a position he held until his retirement in 2024. Since then, he has continued his work as a Senior System Advisor at DSD.
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Mr Alex Wu Mr Alex Wu is a chartered civil engineer with over 22 years of experience, specializing in flood management, hydraulics, and modelling. He has played a significant role in various strategic planning studies and design and construction projects, leading teams to develop flood management strategies and design drainage infrastructures with consideration for climate change effects. He is adept at conducting flood risk assessments and setting up hydrological and hydraulic models. Over the years, he has made numerous visits to study overseas projects with Climate Resilience and Blue-Green initiatives, meeting local experts specializing in climate change, river revitalization and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). These trips have broadened his knowledge and helped him develop new insights for implementing flood resilience and adaptation strategies in Hong Kong projects.
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Mr David Ramsbottom Mr David Ramsbottom is a Floods Specialist at HR Wallingford. He has over 35 years’ experience in flood management and has been involved in a wide range of consultancy and research projects including flood management planning, flood modelling and mapping, flood risk assessments and the development of flood alleviation schemes. He has experience of a wide range of structural and non-structural measures to reduce flood risk including Natural Flood Management (NFM) and Property Flood Resilience (PFR). He has led the development of flood management plans including London and the Thames Estuary (the “TE2100 Plan”) and national plans for Bulgaria and Moldova. He is a specialist advisor on flooding and undertakes expert witness work on flood related matters. He also shares his knowledge and experience including teaching on university degree courses.
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Mr Merlin Lao Mr Merlin Lao is Head – Policy & Research at BEC. He leads the team to develop clear policy positions on pressing climate and environmental topics in Hong Kong, through undertaking research on latest domestic and international trends, engaging with the Hong Kong SAR Government and connecting insights of the local business sector. He is keen on net-zero transition that not only looks at decarbonisation, but also a more equal and liveable built environment. Mr Lao is a programme management professional with over 10 years of climate change and environment career experience across private, public and non-profit sectors in East Asia, with major exposure in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. Prior to joining BEC, he was the senior programme manager at an international non-governmental organisation driving sustainable cities agenda in China, Japan, Mongolia and South Korea, covering topics such as air quality, low-emission development, urban resilience, circular economy and nature-based solutions.
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Mr Clement Hau Clement Hau is the Chief Underwriting Officer at Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong), where he oversees the underwriting and governance of general insurance products. With over 20 years of extensive experience in the insurance industry, his expertise spans from underwriting, insurance operations, sales and distribution, to risk and analytics. Before his promotion to Chief Underwriting Officer in 2024, Clement held several senior positions within Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong). He served as the Head of Retail Services, where he was responsible for the retail property and casualty (P&C) businesses. Prior to that, he led the Retail Business Center, Distribution Hong Kong, focusing on enhancing the company’s distribution models and developing go-to-market strategies for various lines of retail general insurance. As an industry veteran, Clement actively contributes to the insurance community. He has held multiple public posts, including Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers’ Fire Insurance Association and a member of the General Insurance Council since 2019. Additionally, he has been a Committee Member of the Insurance Industry Training Advisory Committee (ITAC) hosted by the Education Bureau since 2020. Clement holds three master’s degrees: a Master of Applied Business Research, a Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering and a Master of Science in Actuarial and In-vestment Science.
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