Community Dialogue & Just Transition

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Past Event

2022-10-17

Getting Inspiration and Motivation from the Climate Community Dialogue

On 17 November 2022, CCIL held the last community dialogue at the Breakthrough Center, themed on Getting Inspiration and Motivation from the Climate Community Dialogue.  This community dialogue is the concluding dialogue following a series of 9 dialogues starting in 2020. The series of community dialogues draws inspiration from the Talanoa Dialogue which took place in Hong Kong in 2018, in response to the call from Fiji who chaired the 2017 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Talanoa is a Fiji's word and means a process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue. In Hong Kong, CarbonCare InnoLab organized the Talanoa Dialogue in September 2018 on the day before the super typhoon Mankhut hit Hong Kong. The Dialogue’s attended by people from NGOs, businesses and academia, to address the question of what Hong Kong should do to address the challenges of climate change. The report was submitted to the United Nations. From 2020 to 2022, 9 dialogues were organized, which covered (1) residents of subdivided flats, (2) welfare sector, (3) health sector, (4) outdoor workers, (5) people with disabilities, (6) people with mental illness, (7) women, (8) renewable energy and (9) climate resilient smart city. On that day, the participants from the previous dialogue came together to draw conclusions and reflect on the next steps.

First of all, Mr. Chong Chan Yau, co-founder and CEO of Carbon Care InnoLab invited participants to share their follow-up actions at the individual and organizational level after attending climate community dialogue. For instance, cross-sector collaboration and new projects are established which can be attributed to the climate community dialogue. Then Mr. Chong inspired participants to think that the threats of climate disasters to the groups they are working for and caring about and support they are asking for when Hong Kong has not reached carbon neutrality in 2030. In the meantime, the climate policies are not aggressive and effective to solve climate and social issues, thereby failing to keep the temperature rise within 1.5℃, and climate disasters are happening. Participants shared their concerns about the impact of climate disasters on vulnerable groups in 2030, and their demands for climate justice. They also created news headlines to set out their vision for the just transition in Hong Kong in 2030. 

After that, participants shared their views on how the Hong Kong government and the business sector can lead the just transition, and explored the barrier which hurdles the promotion of just transition. In the following discussion session, they set the policies and strategies of promoting justice transition, from the angles of the Hong Kong government, business sector, and social welfare sector. They explored the relevant collaboration partners, indifferent groups and opposing parties, thereby exploring the methods of advocacy, their demands and the message that they want to convey to them. Participants also pointed out that climate change is the root of social problems. They underlined the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation, and all sectors of society should face up to the obstacles and propose solutions to the corresponding targets.

Finally, participants expressed that they are glad to join the climate community dialogues. They have met fellows from diverse backgrounds but shared the same passions and aspirations. The climate community dialogues induced cross sectors collaborations and new projects. CarbonCare InnoLab would express our sincere gratitude for the active participation of the participants, and glad to see that the participants will continue to encourage and educate all sectors to face up to the relationship between climate change and social issues in their positions, and embrace justice transition and promote the sustainable development future in Hong Kong. Following is the name list of participating organizations (Order in alphabetical and the nature of service)

Community Support:

  • Hong Kong Red Cross
  • Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lady MacLehose Centre
  • Center for Community Center

Environmental Protection Organisation:

  • 350 Hong Kong
  • World Wide Fund for Nature 

Government:

  • Council for Sustainable Development Strategy Sub-committee

Policies Research/ Funding sector:

  • Internet Society Hong Kong Chapter Open Data Committee
  • Globalization Monitor 
  • Urban Acupuncture Hong Kong

Social Enterprise:

  • EatALL
  • Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs

Trade Union:

  • Hong Kong Food & Environment Hygiene Department Staff Rights Union

 
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