Albert Lai
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Albert Lai (Lai Kwong-tak, traditional Chinese: 黎廣德) is the current chairman of The Professional Commons
and the founding chairman of the Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development. He is also the Vice-chairman of the Civic Party
, a member of the Strategy Sub-Committee, Council for Sustainable Development, HKSAR Government.
Lai has played an active role in the engineering
sector and in the environmental movement
for over thirty years. Having led the Hong Kong
NGO delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, he has taken a leading role in advocating the implementation of sustainable development
strategies in Hong Kong.
He is a primary mover in a range of civil society initiatives in the fields of environmental protection
, urban planning
, heritage conservation, poverty alleviation and sustainability reporting
.
He also led the Hong Kong NGO Delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali
in December 2007.
Lai is a chartered engineer by profession. He co-founded the China Water Company, an infrastructure investment firm backed by international investors, in 1996 and served as its Managing Director until 2004.
Lai received a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree in 1980 and a Master of Social Science degree in Urban Studies in 1984 from the University of Hong Kong.
(2003 to 2008)； Councillor (since 2008)
Committee (since 2004) and Member of Executive Committee (since 2007)
Government, Member (since 2003)
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
Albert Lai (Lai Kwong-tak, traditional Chinese: 黎廣德) is the current chairman of The Professional Commons
The Professional Commons
The Professional Commons - a policy think tank by professionals. It is an independent, membership-based, non-profit organisation and think tank established in Hong Kong in June 2007. It is open to all professionals who share the same values.It adopts a network-based governance model and operate...
and the founding chairman of the Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development. He is also the Vice-chairman of the Civic Party
Civic Party
Civic Party is a liberal democratic political party in Hong Kong.The Civic Party is currently the third largest political party in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, with five members securing seats in the 2008 Hong Kong Legislative Council elections...
, a member of the Strategy Sub-Committee, Council for Sustainable Development, HKSAR Government.
Lai has played an active role in the engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
sector and in the environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
for over thirty years. Having led the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
NGO delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, he has taken a leading role in advocating the implementation of sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
strategies in Hong Kong.
He is a primary mover in a range of civil society initiatives in the fields of environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
, urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, heritage conservation, poverty alleviation and sustainability reporting
Sustainability Reporting
Corporate sustainability reporting has a long history going back to environmental reporting. The first environmental reports were published in the late 1980s by companies in the chemical industry which had serious image problems...
.
He also led the Hong Kong NGO Delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
in December 2007.
Lai is a chartered engineer by profession. He co-founded the China Water Company, an infrastructure investment firm backed by international investors, in 1996 and served as its Managing Director until 2004.
Lai received a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) degree in 1980 and a Master of Social Science degree in Urban Studies in 1984 from the University of Hong Kong.
Current public positions
- The Professional Commons, Founding Chairman (since 2007)
- Civic Party, Vice-chairman (since 2006)
- Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development, Founding Chairman
(2003 to 2008)； Councillor (since 2008)
- Engineers Without Borders HK, Convenor and Founding Chairman (since June 2008)
- Conservancy Association, Chairman (2000 to 2004); Director (since 2005)
- Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Vice-chairman, Policy Research & Advocacy
Committee (since 2004) and Member of Executive Committee (since 2007)
- Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage, Founding Chairman (2004 to 2006)；Director (since 2007)
- Hong Kong Core Values Declaration, one of the three Initiators (2004)
- Strategy Sub-Committee, Council for Sustainable Development, HKSAR
Government, Member (since 2003)
- People’s Panel for West Kowloon, Core Member (since 2004).
Past public positions
- Commission on Strategic Development, HKSAR, Member (2005 to 2007)
- Stakeholder Council of Global Reporting Initiative, Amsterdam, Member (2004 to 2007)
- Policy & Public Education Committee, Oxfam Hong Kong, Member (2006 to 2007)
- Citizen Envisioning @ Harbour, Convenor (2004 to 2007)
- HKU Court, Member (2004 to 2005)
- HKU Convocation Standing Committee, Member (2002 to 2005)