Bridging the gap

With climate change movements sweeping across the world in recent years, more Hong Kong young people are joining the ranks of climate advocates, among them Carly Leung Pui-yee.

Leung joined thousands of policymakers, experts and activists in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November, negotiating collaborative efforts at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) to tackle climate challenges. Leung, as a young Hong Kong delegate, voiced the concerns and appeals of young people from the special administrative region.

"I talked to a lot of negotiators (who have been) trying to speak to community leaders," says the 25-year-old, who also served as a member of the coordination team for the first-ever Children and Youth Pavilion at COP27. "I think there are some problems and challenges they are facing."

Leung says many places, including Hong Kong, seem to lack effective communication channels between their governments and the grassroots community. "Sometimes, when the government tries to engage with the community, it often can't find the channels to do so. Communities are doing a lot of things, but the government doesn't know. Young people can actually help bridge the gap."

Before going to Egypt, Leung and other delegates to COP27 co-hosted three climate change dialogue sessions at Hong Kong universities to convey their views to the city's environment chief. With the goal of amplifying young voices, she is now serving as a mentor to a climate advocacy training program for young people run by local nongovernmental organization CarbonCare InnoLab.