Post Date: 29 March 2025

Sustainability Careers Unlocked: Insights from Industry Leaders & EVMT Alumni has concluded a huge success

Sustainability Careers Unlocked: Insights from Industry Leaders & EVMT Alumni has concluded a huge success with over 120 participants joining us on 29 March, 2025. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the distinguished guests, moderators, panellists, alumni and students.

Throughout the forum, we engaged in insightful discussions and networking opportunities, exploring various career paths in sustainability, including roles in environmental consulting, sustainability management, and finance. We are honoured to have esteemed industry leaders -- Prof. Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist and Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), HKUST; Mr. Freeman Cheung, Senior Vice President, Environment, Hong Kong, AECOM & President of HKIQEP; Ms. Michelle Au, Director of Sustainability, China State Construction Engineering (HK) Ltd. and Mr. Patrick Ho, Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties, who shared invaluable insights into this fast- growing industry. They discussed current trends and future opportunities, helping us understand what kind of employees the industry is seeking.

We would also like to express our special gratitude to our alumni who returned "home" to share their experiences and insights with our current EVMT students.

Prof. Alexis LAU delivered a warm opening remark to all participants.

Prof. Alexis LAU, Head and Chair Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability remarked, “Over the past 15 years, we have built a community of graduates who are not just professionals but also change makers. To deliver environmental sustainability solutions, there are a lot of things we need to change. Last year, the HKIQEP has officially become the only statutory professional body for environmental practitioners in Hong Kong. This marks an important turning point for our graduates. It really laid out a clear career path if you want to push on this profession. We have three significant capstone projects: the 2014-15 project, which proposed the development of a Professional Environmental Qualification in Hong Kong; the 2016-17 project, which benchmarks professional qualifications across different countries and places; and the 2019-20 project, which focuses on the program accreditation framework of different institutions in Hong Kong. These capstone projects laid the foundation for the qualification process as well as the accreditation process which are currently in use in HKIQEP. I am proud of our students for their contributions to shaping the profession in Hong Kong.”

We are pleased to have Prof. Christine Loh to be one of our moderators.

Prof. Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist and Adjunct Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability expressed her enthusiasm about the recognition of HKIQEP, “HKIQEP, this is the world innovation to have a title attached to people who are in this field. Hong Kong is the first place to actually pass a law. This is something that you need to be proud of in Hong Kong."

Mr. Freeman Cheung mentioned the industry's trend.

Mr. Freeman Cheung, Senior Vice President, Environment, Hong Kong, AECOM & President of HKIQEP highlighted, “The whole industry is changing. Time is money, and leveraging any technology to save time will enhance the competitiveness, like exploring using AI in ecological surveys or environmental database to save time to get information, etc.”

Ms. Michelle Au emphasized the importance of “engagement”.

Ms. Michelle Au, Director of Sustainability, China State Construction Engineering (HK) Ltd., emphasized the importance of “engagement”, “Engagement is very important. While I was working in government, I understood environmental protection is not only about regulations and infrastructure, I need support from legislative councillors and the public. You must let them understand and support you.”

Mr. Patrick Ho, Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties shared his views on the EVMT program.

Mr. Patrick Ho, Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties said, "In terms of quality and technical knowledge, I believe graduates from EVMT take most of the boxes. EVMT courses give you cross-disciplinary knowledge across business, science, ESG, and sustainability. It is very relevant for our department and hugely impactful. And I really want to see candidates with passion in sustainability. If you don’t end up in an ESG or sustainability role, there are still a lot opportunities to your daily job to integrate the knowledge and technical expertise that you have learnt in these few years into your future job. It is much broader than you think of."

Stay connected, and we look forward to seeing you at our future events!

EVMT alumni and students engaged in vibrant discussions, sharing insights and experiences at the as well as building connections for future opportunities.

EVMT alumni and faculty members gathered for a dinner following the event.

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