Climate change has gone from textbooks to sci-fi to mainstream, and it is refreshing to see the discussion take center stage as countries around the world gathered at COP26 to announce their renewed commitments to keep the hope of a 1.5oC future alive. However, despite the inspirational efforts of our government’s Climate Action Plan 2050, or China’s dual carbon aspirations, we should also be preparing for more extreme weather and changes in our climate under less optimistic scenarios. The reality is that climate change is happening now, and can affect every industry bringing about costly disruptions. Becoming aware and fluent in climate resilience will bring value to any discussion, regardless of career path.
Justin Cheung is a manager at EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team, leading a team of professionals on ESG consulting for corporates in Hong Kong and around the world. Prior to this role, Justin was at the global engineering consultancy Arup, leading projects across a range of fields from climate resilience, smart city planning and design, to infrastructure and construction management. Justin is a chartered engineer, being a member of the HKIE, CIHT and APM. He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering and a LLB in Law.