Behind the Scenes: An Expert’s Lens on Assessing Breakthrough Green Tech

Welcome to the August edition of Carbonless Futures, marking our thirteenth issue.

This month, we share the insights of one of our expert panelists at the Hong Kong Green Tech Challenge - Green Building Edition. Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and former Under Secretary for the Environment of Hong Kong SAR. As the Green Tech Innovators who have been selected move on to share how their solutions would target each Opportunity Statement this week, Christine’s insights shed light on the judging process.

As always, we bring you a curated selection of the latest decarbonisation news from Asia, focusing on our three core pillars: Innovation, Investment, and Opportunity. We invite your feedback and encourage you to connect with us on LinkedIn, where you can share news tips, comments, or topics you'd like to see covered in future editions.

Innovation | Investment | Opportunity

Innovation:

• Singapore’s Beep raises $3.3M Pre-Series A
• The vision for water production from air in an arid world?

Investment:

• Asian investors push for the adoption of carbon pricing mechanisms?
• Indonesian clean energy projects attract billions in investment

Opportunity:

• China expands nuclear energy investment by US$ 28bn
• Southeast Asia sees US$ 800m channelled into energy and environmental projects

Behind the Scenes: An Expert’s Lens on Assessing Breakthrough Green Tech

Interview with Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

At the Hong Kong Green Tech Challenge, we've been inspired by the remarkable innovations shared with us and the exciting journeys of the participants. With the Challenge closing its doors to further applications, we have now embarked on the judging process. Our community lead, ?? Fangqin Chuah (蔡枋芩) , recently interviewed one of the Challenge’s expert panelists - Christine Loh , Chief Development Strategist at Institute for the Environment, 香港科技大学 , and former Under Secretary for the Environment in the Hong Kong SAR Government.

It is great to have you on our Expert Panel in the Green Tech Challenge. Could you share more about your background??

Thank you. I don’t see myself as a “green tech person” - I am a policy wonk with government and legislative experience in the environment.? Having said that, I don’t think anyone can do policy work without having some understanding of “tech”, as the realms of “green” and “tech” are intrinsically linked.?

At HKUST, our teams work extensively with science and climate data, which inherently involves Big Data and digital technologies.

I have always thought that climate solutions should be grounded in solid evidence and focus on developing practical solutions for implementation in the short term, while also paying attention to longer term impacts.

What drew you to participate in the Challenge, and what do you hope to bring to the process?

The Carbonless Asia approach is interesting as it is rooted in collaboration.? What sets this challenge apart is the active involvement of companies and institutions willing to test and implement the new technologies, including on the HKUST campus.? This sounds fun and interesting.

I am eager to see innovative solutions emerge and to engage in the exchange of ideas. In addition to the technologies from overseas we will be able to review, Hong Kong has made its own tech innovations, and I look forward to contributing insights from these advancements.

This challenge offers a unique platform not only to evaluate cutting edge technologies but also to foster a collaborative environment among companies and institutions in Hong Kong, in which we can all learn from each other and drive meaningful change. I think this could be very exciting.

As a judge, what key criteria will you focus on when evaluating the startups in the Challenge? Are there any specific qualities or innovations you're particularly excited to see?

My focus will be on three critical criteria: the clarity and significance of the problem which the technology aims to solve; the ease and speed of implementation; and the cost effectiveness of the solution

The green tech sector is rapidly evolving. What aspects of innovation are you most looking forward to from the participating startups?

My experience is not confined to a single commercial area, so I am interested in multiple industries and sectors.? I have also seen how technology developed for one specific usage can be repurposed in innovative ways not anticipated by the original developers. Different stakeholders can sometimes identify alternative applications that align with their own needs and perspectives.

From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing green tech startups today, especially those aiming to enter the Hong Kong market? How would the Challenge help alleviate these challenges?

Assuming the technology is both functional and cost effective, the primary challenges often lie in creating opportunities to showcase it to a broad audience of potential users. It’s also crucial to ensure that these demonstrations reach the right people. The idea is to optimise time and get potential solutions to the right people.

Can you share a success story from your experience where a green tech initiative made a significant impact? How can such stories inspire the participants of the Challenge?

Sure. The technology in question was a high speed imaging camera. Originally developed for another purpose, it was later adapted for use in airport maintenance. Where previously, runway lights embedded in the ground had to be inspected every day on foot by airport workers, the camera was mounted on a roller and moved mechanically along the runway.? This significantly reduced the time and cost of the inspection job.

Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of green technology in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region? Are there any emerging trends that particularly excite you?

Hong Kong's dense urban environment creates valuable opportunities to scale up solutions that work, particularly in energy saving technologies for buildings. Retrofitting the city's existing building stock to make it greener and healthier for occupants is a terrific area. Success in Hong Kong could pave the way for similar applications across other densely populated, high-rise cities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Lastly, how do you see the relationship between green tech innovations and broader sustainability goals evolving over the next decade? How can initiatives like the Hong Kong Green Tech Challenge drive this evolution?

Achieving broader goals requires a range of technologies, from simple and cheap to complex and high end. Let’s see what innovators have in their magic bags. In demonstrating their solutions, new ideas will also arise and the collaborative attitude among the partners in Hong Kong will hopefully be extra meaningful for everyone.

Carbonless Research

Rapid decarbonisation in Asia is a must, but availability of high quality data and analysis of the related challenges and opportunities tends to be limited, especially in emerging markets - which restricts capital flows and technology deployment. Carbonless Research addresses these information gaps by creating customised research projects for policy makers, investors, corporates and more.

We develop analysis, tools, market scoping and policy briefings, incorporating unique insights from our work on decarbonisation across the Carbonless platform.? Contact us to learn more: [email protected]