About Natalie

Biography

Natalie Chung Sum Yue is a climate advocate and social entrepreneur born and raised in Hong Kong. Inspired by a polar explorer since young, Natalie has devoted her life to climate action. At the age of 18, she co-founded social enterprise “V’air” to promote transformative sustainable tourism as means to educate and empower the public on climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. As an impactful sustainability leader in Asia Pacific, she has been awarded the Tatler Gen.T List, Eco-Business Youth A-List, Prestige 40 Under 40 and was recognised by China Daily and The Japan Times as a female climate advocate driving change in Asia.

At the policy level, Natalie is committed to advancing the carbon neutrality agenda of Hong Kong and mainland China.  She represented Hong Kong at the UN COP25 Climate Change Conference, and subsequently established Hong Kong Youth for Climate Action to empower youths in international climate negotiations. Working as World Bank consultant, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Coordinator, World Economic Forum Global Shaper expanded Natalie’s capacity in youth empowerment, corporate sustainability and impact assessment.

In 2023, Natalie was selected as the sole Hong Kong representative at the Antarctic Climate Expedition, led by renowned marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle. Together with 116 experts on board including Joanna Ruxton, Tom Gruber, Craig Leeson, Dan Laffoley, Laura Turner Seydel, David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes, the group proposed 8 pathways to unleash the potential of oceans in achieving carbon neutrality. As the Key Opinion Ambassador on board, Natalie championed for ocean innovations and technologies in Asia to shape a sustainable blue economy.

Natalie has been appointed to serve at advisory councils of the Hong Kong Government, including the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, and the Green Tech Fund Assessment Committee, offering youth perspectives to facilitate public engagement exercises and funding approval for decarbonisation. She has published research on the climate resilience of Hong Kong’s electricity grid and completed an MPhil research on sensitive intervention points to accelerate energy decarbonisation in Beijing and Hong Kong.

Natalie holds a Master of Philosophy in Environmental Change and Management (Distinction) at University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Social Science in Geography and Resource Management (First Class Honours) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She was awarded a full scholarship for her postgraduate studies at Oxford as the 2019 Esther Yewpick Lee Millennium Scholar.

Academic Qualifications

  • University of Oxford, 2019-2021 | Master of Philosophy in Environmental Change and Management, Distinction
  • The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015-2019 | Bachelor in Social Sciences, Major in Geography and Resource Management, First Class Honours
  • Diocesan Girls’ School, 2009-2015 | DSE 5** in Mathematics, Chemistry, Liberal Studies

HKSAR Government Committees

  • Member, Country and Marine Parks Board (2023-2025)
  • Member, Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development (2023-2025)
  • Member, Council for Sustainable Development (2019-2021, 2021-2023)
  • Member, Green Tech Fund Assessment Committee (2021-2023)
  • Co-opt Member, Environmental Campaign Committee (2020-2022)

Publications

  • Doorga, J. R., Rughooputh, S. D., Chung, S. Y., & McGivern, A. (2021). A geospatial approach for addressing long-term solid waste management issues: Extracting value from waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 130282.
  • Chung, S. Y., & Xu, Y. (2020). Reliability and resilience in a regulated electricity market: Hong Kong under Typhoon Mangkhut. Utilities Policy, 67, 101134.
  • 《山野漫遊——女生行山指南（Roaming the Mountains: Yama Girls’ Hiking Guide）》，ISBN：9789621472045，出版社：萬里機構，作者：鍾芯豫、楊樂陶，出版日期：2020/08/07，頁數：240
  • 《低碳。好行（Low Carbon Tours）》，ISBN：9789621464309，出版社：萬里機構，作者：V’air低碳本地遊，出版日期：2017/10/01，頁數：144

Volunteering

  • Global Shaper, World Economic Forum Global Shapers (Hong Kong Hub, 2022 – Present; Oxford Hub, 2020-2022)
  • Founder, Lead for Sustainability Mentorship Programme, Oxford (2020-2022)
  • Voluntary Chinese Tutor, Ethnic Minority Tutoring Class, WEDO Global (2020-2021)
  • External Vice President, Rotaract Club (Wu Yee Sun College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) (2016-2017)

Thought Leadership and Consulting

  • 嘉賓主持，香港電台第一台《大氣候（Climate Watcher）》 (2023)
  • Consultant on ESG and Career Development, Hong Kong Baptist University (2023)
  • Weekly Sustainability Columnist on ESG trends, ACOO Media (2022)
  • Contributor, SCMP (2020 – Present)
  • Contributor, China Water Risk (2020)
  • Consultant on Pacific Island Countries Environmental Impact Assessment Capabilities (STT), The World Bank (2019)

Portfolio Highlights

  • 26-year-old Climate Advocate and Social Entrepreneur Awarded Eco-Business Youth A-List 2020, Tatler Gen.T 2021, Prestige 40 Under 40 2023
  • Graduated from MPhil in Environmental Change and Management (Distinction) at the University of Oxford as Esther Yewpick Lee Millennium Scholar
  • Co-founded environmental organisation V’air to promote sustainable local tourism as means to mitigate climate change.
  • Appointed as member at the Council for Sustainable Development and contributed to the long-term decarbonisation plan for Hong Kong
  • Participated in COP25 Climate Change Conference in the capacity of YOUNGO and subsequently co-founded Hong Kong Youth for Climate Action (HKYCA)
  • Co-authored two books on local tourism and hiking in 2017 and 2020 respectively
  • Published two peer reviewed journal articles on geospatial analysis on waste management  in Mauritius on Journal of Cleaner Production, and electricity resilience in Hong Kong under Typhoon Mangkhut on Utilities Policy respectively

Media Reports and Interviews

2023

2022

2021

2020