Past Event
2026-06-27
Forging Ahead in the Rain, Youth Climate Pioneers Gather—Local Conference of Youth Hong Kong 2026 Concludes Successfully
Organised by CarbonCare InnoLab and funded by the HKEX Foundation, the Local Conference of Youth Hong Kong 2026 (LCOY HK) concluded successfully on June 27 and 28. Under the theme "Resilient Cities: Navigating Climate and Health Recovery," this year's summit revolved around three main pillars: Physical Vitality, Mental Fortitude, and Urban Synthesis. It positioned climate action as a crucial form of "preventive medicine," aiming to construct a climate blueprint that strengthens the social and structural immunity of our communities. Although the weather was unsettled during the event, it was inspiring to see over 200 youths fearlessly braving the wind and rain to participate actively.
The summit's opening ceremony invited Mr. Sammy Yeung, JP, Commissioner for Climate Change at the Environment and Ecology Bureau, who shared the challenges faced by Hong Kong and the world under climate change, as well as a series of policies introduced by the HKSAR Government to promote the transformation of the city's development model. He encouraged young people to achieve "unity of knowledge and action" (知行合一), translating knowledge into practical actions to jointly improve climate issues.
Ms. Ivy Leung, Executive Director of CarbonCare InnoLab, pointed out in her speech that this year's theme returns to "every individual living amidst climate change," exploring how people's physical and mental health are impacted under extreme weather conditions, and the roles Hong Kong youth can play in this issue. She hoped that every participating youth could find their own positioning through the Conference, seize the present to drive change, and fulfill their responsibilities as global citizens.
This year's local Youth Climate Champion (YCC), Ms. Karis Chung, shared her practical experience participating in the "Climate Advocacy Training for Youth" program and her profound insights from attending the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil and the 64th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies - Bonn Climate Change Conference. She specifically mentioned that COP30's vision, "Global Mutirão," means "gathering collective power," calling on more young people to transform their thoughts and emotions regarding climate change into the power of collective action to drive social change.
Climate, Gender, and Mental Health
In the panel discussion, the organisers invited Dr. Sam Lau, Principal Lecturer at the School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Ms. Si-si Liu, Director of the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, to explore the impact of the climate crisis on everyone from the perspectives of gender and health.
Dr. Lau pointed out that with the development of information technology, the flood of climate disaster information on social media, coupled with the personal experience of extreme weather impacts, can easily bring intangible survival-related stress to modern urbanites, ultimately triggering "Climate Anxiety." Citing research, he noted that establishing an equal and inclusive relationship with nature and strengthening a sense of connection with it can effectively alleviate this psychological burden and enhance mental resilience.
Ms. Liu mentioned that extreme weather severely disrupts the daily routines of grassroots families and increases living costs. In Hong Kong society, where women are predominantly the primary caregivers, grassroots women often bear immense pressure and even sacrifice their own needs to support their families, thereby exacerbating social gender inequality. She shared a successful case of the association collaborating with a local farm in Tai Po, arranging for women and their families to farm together and enjoy relaxing time, which effectively relieved the psychological stress brought by caregiving duties. Both speakers agreed that public awareness regarding climate-related mental health and gender injustice still has significant room for improvement, and they hoped participants would be willing to take the first step toward change.
Combining Art and Climate Advocacy
The Conference also invited Ms. Annabelle Ho, founder of "ClimateXArt" and a graduate of "Climate Advocacy Training for Youth" (CATY) programme. As a violinist, she shared how she combines her beloved music with climate advocacy.
Ms. Ho stated that, inspired by a young female advocate overseas, she began contemplating what changes she could bring to society. After participating in CATY, she decided to start with her expertise, beginning with a café performance to awaken public attention to climate issues through art. To date, she has held over 25 climate concerts, attracting more than a thousand listeners. She admitted that she faced various doubts along the way, the most memorable being when a close music mentor questioned her, "Will playing music drop the Earth's temperature by a few degrees?" Despite this, she remained steadfast in her conviction, insisting on every performance, hoping to use music as an entry point to connect with the public and attract more people to join climate action.
Youth Advocacy Showcase
The climate advocacy projects prepared by the trainees of the 7th CATY programme were also officially presented at the Conference. Although the four youth teams focused on different areas, they all shared the common vision of "uniting social power, driving policy and lifestyle changes, and practising climate justice":
The "Agents of Change" team focused on frontline outdoor workers in Hong Kong. They advocated that the government should use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) as an indicator to improve the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work," suggested incorporating heatstroke prevention guidelines into government tender contracts, and set a long-term goal of elevating this to a statutory protection scope.
The "Battery rEVolution" team focused on the recycling status and fire safety hazards of retired electric vehicle batteries in Hong Kong. They suggested that the government establish statutory requirements for the storage and transportation of high-voltage lithium batteries. They advocated setting up a "Battery Digital ID" to ensure the government can track battery flow end-to-end, regulate the second-hand battery market, crack down on illegal modifications, and implement an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in the long run to promote a circular economy.
The "Cooling Neighbours" team focused on how to increase the climate resilience of older districts against extreme weather events throughNature-based Solutions (NbS). They advocated starting a pilot scheme to improve public spaces like "pocket parks," incorporating NbS into Hong Kong's planning standards and environmental impact assessment systems, having the government take the lead in adopting NbS designs, and eventually establishing a comprehensive NbS certification system.
The "Mindspace" team focused on the impact of extremely hot weather on mental health, particularly the situation of individuals recovering from mental health issues. They emphasised that mental health is a crucial part of the climate crisis, urging the government to incorporate the aspect of mental health into climate policies, prioritise the adaptation needs of vulnerable groups during extreme weather, and formulate relevant work guidelines for frontline social workers.
Climate-focused Workshops
This year's Conference also invited a series of co-organisers and guests to host various workshops and guided tours. Through games, interactions, and practical exercises, these activities deconstructed the impact of climate change on daily life from different angles. They covered topics such as urban planning, mental health, gender roles and sustainable development, while collaborating with participants to research ways to enhance urban resilience. The organisers hoped that through these activities, young people would deepen their interest in climate issues and reflect on how to integrate climate action into their personal lives in the future.
Building a Future of Climate Justice Driven by Youth: Co-authoring the Hong Kong Youth Statement
At the end of the Conference, as in previous years, participants were invited to draft the "Hong Kong Youth Statement" in groups. This year's advocacy discussions revolved around eight core thematic agendas: “Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)”, “Climate Finance”, “Climate Justice and Human Rights”, “Energy Transition”, “Just Transition (Adaptation, NDCs, GST)”, ”Nature and Biodiversity”, “Food, Agriculture and Health”, and “Women and Gender”.
This outcome, pooling the hard work and wisdom of local youth, will be submitted to the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO) and incorporated into the discussions at the 21st UN Conference of Youth (COY21) and the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31). The Conference hopes that by starting with local climate issues and staying attentive to global climate developments, it can successfully bring the voices of Hong Kong youth to the international stage, pushing global climate commitments and actions forward.