On 8 July 2025 the caption report was jointly released by The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, Civic Exchange, and The University of Hong Kong (School of Biological Science), Generation Climate Hong Kong, and Legislative Council Member Hon Chu Kwok Keung.
Stemming from insights gained from the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Post COP16 Forum hosted in HK during Jan 2025, the report stands to urge for collaboration among policymakers, practitioners, and civil society to address the implementation gaps hindering biodiversity efforts. Hong Kong, despite its status as a biodiversity hotspot, has significant challenges, notably with less than 6% of its coastal waters designated as protection zones. The report emphasizes the necessity of recognizing biodiversity as a critical societal concern, tied to overall well-being and suggests four strategic areas for action: Climate and Nature, Monitoring Framework, Mainstreaming Biodiversity, and Financing Mechanism. A key recommendation includes establishing a Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Hub by 2026 to foster capacity building and explore financing opportunities, alongside enhancing biodiversity indicators and integrating nature into urban planning.
HKILA president Paul Chan joined the COP16 Biodiversity 2024 in Cali as a delegate and contributed to the report, attended as one of the panelists alongside Professor Christine Loh (HKUST, Civic Exchange founder), Mr Chu Kwok Keung (Legislative Council member) and Ms Joanne Chu (Generation Climate Hong Kong co-founder) and the event’s host Kitty Tam (Civic Exchange Programme Leader, co-author of the caption report). The panel exchange thoughts and advocated for a comprehensive societal approach to revamp the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) in Hong Kong.
Highlights and the full launch recording can be revisited via Civic Exchange’s YouTube channel: @CivicExchange2000.