Campus World | Huangren Alumni Guo Guoquan: Climate change is imminent, and sustainable development must be focused

Alumni Guo Guoquan, honorary consultant of the Queen’s Association of Old Students and Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Institute of Finance, officiated at the 2021 anniversary awards ceremony on the afternoon of December 3, and pointed out that the dangers of climate change are imminent with the theme of "Green Opportunities in the Countdown of the Climate Clock" , Urged students to care about and serve the community from a "green perspective" no matter what industry they are engaged in.

(The content is provided by the Royal Club of Old Students)

Guo Guoquan, honorary consultant of the Imperial College of Old Students and Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Institute of Finance.

(Provided by Huangren Old Student Association)

Alumni Guo Guoquan, who took the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination in 1971, recalled that half a century ago, he also sat in the auditorium to participate in the annual awards ceremony. He never thought that one day he would deliver a speech on the podium. It is a great honor at this moment.

He said: "Although everything in the auditorium remains the same, the world, the country, and even Hong Kong have undergone tremendous changes in the past 50 years. As an economist, I hope that students can learn from the past and understand the present and grasp the opportunities for the future."

Alumni Guo Guoquan believes that the past few decades have been a very special period in human history.

Local policies have shifted from planned economy and government intervention to belief in market order and competition. Together with technological advances in information technology and medicine, the economy has developed rapidly, billions of people have been lifted out of poverty, and basic living and educational opportunities have been significantly improved. .

Countries benefited from this. Last year they announced their successful solution to the problem of absolute poverty. Many developing countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa have also made significant progress.

At the same time, the quality of life in many developed countries has significantly improved, and wealth has accumulated. Millions and billionaires are not uncommon.

However, in the process of vigorous development, the world has not fully understood the various potential problems brought about by economic growth.

Countries need to work together to solve a series of serious challenges before development can be sustained.

Guo Guoquan’s speech focused on climate change and extreme weather, reminding alumni to seize opportunities for green and sustainable development.

(The content is provided by the Royal Club of Old Students)

In his speech, he focused on climate change and extreme weather, as well as how countries should cooperate to reform energy systems, including switching to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower.

"Renewable energy involves huge investment, and the ensuing question is who and how to bear it. On the one hand, the resources of developing countries are not enough to invest; on the other hand, it is necessary to lobby the developed countries with higher per capita greenhouse gas emissions. The country has to undertake more commitments. In the process of coal and oil withdrawal, it is necessary to strive for fairness and justice. Therefore, it is a big political problem to require countries to transform as soon as possible."

Guo Guoquan alumni mentioned the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow early last month, which aims to bring together leaders of various countries to discuss further reduction of carbon emissions.

Although most countries have agreed to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, depending on the measures promised by governments, global temperature may be heading for more than two degrees of increase, reflecting the growing problem.

Back in Hong Kong, Guo Guoquan’s alumni said: “You may have learned climate change from the liberal arts and have seen a lot of publicity about carbon neutrality, but many people in Hong Kong still seem to feel too abstract and irrelevant. However, The fact is that climate change is coming faster and more personally than expected."

(The content is provided by the Royal Club of Old Students)

For example, he pointed out that there have been more and more hot nights and hot days in Hong Kong in recent years, and September this year was the hottest September on record.

In view of the rising average temperature and rising sea water, the Hong Kong Observatory has long warned that the risks brought by super typhoons, heavy rains and storm surges will become higher and higher.

Once the storm surge hits the astronomical tide, the consequences will be more serious.

"The severe flooding in the underground parking lot of Xinghua Village in 2017 is just one example. I believe many families can still remember it. Just imagine that if the seawater rises further by 0.5 to 1 meter, more places in Hong Kong will be affected by the storm surge."

Alumni Guo Guoquan later talked about green finance, "The wave of green and sustainable development is rapidly emerging in the business world. More and more financial institutions have indicated that they will stop financing non-environmental projects and gradually withdraw from supporting non-green economy companies. Regardless of regulatory agencies Or customers, business partners and even shareholders, companies are now required to submit environmental, social and governance reports to report on sustainable development strategies. Therefore, the market now needs a large number of talents with professional knowledge of green and sustainable development. This is Huangren classmate Bring huge opportunities. Net zero emissions will be a new global trend. No matter what industry you are in, you need to use innovative thinking to solve problems and create new opportunities."

As long as we increase our awareness of environmental protection, we can contribute to the fight against climate change in our daily lives, and energy conservation and waste reduction are an important part of the green lifestyle.

This will not only contribute to a green world and reduce the carbon footprint, but also gradually build awareness and sensitivity to climate issues, and even care for the disadvantaged, because the poor and the disadvantaged are often the most affected by social problems.

Guo Guoquan

Guo Guoquan alumni said to his classmates: “When everyone is sitting on the lawn and a lot of green plants in your alma mater, it is the time to think about climate and sustainable development. No matter what industry you will be engaged in in the future, such as a doctor, keep in mind that climate change will affect the natural ecology. This affects the chances of disease and disease, and the air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels is also one of the world’s major environmental factors. Reinforcement to withstand more frequent severe typhoons and heavy rains. The society will also pay more attention to green buildings, circular economy and green transportation systems in the future."

Before concluding his speech, Guo Guoquan alumni described that human beings have relied on the extraction and use of fossil fuels to achieve civilization and progress in the past 200 years. He believes that the next stage of development will focus on ecology and sustainable development.

Finally, he pointed out: "Huang Yan College has cultivated a large number of leaders from all walks of life over the years. Everyone will achieve success in learning. I hope that students will think more about the responsibility and deeds of leaders. Serving the alma mater and serving the community has always been our responsibility. The annual awards ceremony also reminded everyone that this responsibility is getting closer. In the future, when you have the opportunity to address the next generation of imperial students from this podium, I hope you can bring good news and share how you can make the world a better place."

(The content is provided by the Royal Club of Old Students)

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