Sustainable Energy | Theme Overview Webinar

This insightful session, hosted by ​Dr Kenneth Leung - Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (‪@hkust‬), provides students participants of the Challenge with a detailed overview of the critical need for energy transformation and innovative solutions as well as important information about the 2025-26 inaugural edition of the Challenge.

🔥 The Urgency of Energy Transformation

The session highlights the major drivers for energy transformation, noting that global temperatures have been rising consistently since 1920, with the rate speeding up since the 1960s. By 2023, the world had already reached the 1.5°C increase goal set by the Paris Agreement.

This rise causes escalating climate change impacts worldwide, including stronger typhoons (especially in the Asia region/Hong Kong), droughts, extreme heat, and rising sea levels. This crisis is directly linked to the tremendous use of fossil fuels, which provide 85% of the world's energy consumption and account for close to 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

This session featured Dr. Kenneth Leung, Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Dr. Leung joined HKUST in January 2025. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London and has over 30 years of professional experience covering combustion science, air quality management, climate change, electric vehicles, and new energy applications.