Christine Loh Kung-wai, SBS, OBE, JP, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (born 1 February 1956), is a former

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Legislative Councillor, founder and CEO of

Civic Exchange Civic Exchange is a Hong Kong-based public policy think tank and registered charity. It was founded in 2000 by politician Christine Loh (陸恭蕙), and environmental researcher Lisa Hopkinson (何麗莎). Past CEOs include Loh, Yan-yan Yip, ...

, founder of the Citizens Party, and founder of

Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor (HKHRM) () is a local non-governmental organisation which was established in April 1995. It aims to promote better human rights protection in Hong Kong. The organisation is concerned about issues like Nationa ...

. From 2012 to 2017, she was Under Secretary for the

Environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

in the government of

CY Leung Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...

. From April 2019 to March 2020, she was Special Consultant to the HKSAR Chief Executive of

Ecological Civilization Ecological civilization is the hypothetical concept that describes the alleged final goal of social and environmental reform within a given society. It implies that the changes required in response to global climate disruption and social injustices ...

and the Greater Bay Area, attached to the

Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office The Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO) was a creation in Carrie Lam's Policy Address in 2017 to revamp the Central Policy Unit. It has commenced operation since 1 April 2018, and ceased operation from 1 July 2022. The Policy I ...

. Until her appointment as Undersecretary for the Environment, Loh was CEO of Civic Exchange, the Hong Kong

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

that she co-founded in 2000. She received many awards, including "Stars of Asia" in 1998 and again in 2000 by BusinessWeek, "Hero of the Environment 2007" by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' and "Woman Who Makes a Difference 2009" by RBS Coutts/FT in Women of Asia Awards. She has worked in many areas, including law, business, politics, media and the

non-profit sector The voluntary sector, independent sector, or civic sector is the realm of social activity undertaken by organizations that are non-governmental nonprofit organizations. This sector is also called the third sector, community sector, and nonprofit s ...

, but is best known as a leading voice in public policy in Hong Kong, particularly in environmental protection, sustainable finance, and governance reform. In 2017, following the end of her official role, she became an adjunct professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability at the

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a public research university in Clear Water Bay Peninsula, New Territories, Hong Kong. Founded in 1991 by the British Hong Kong Government, it was the territory's third institution ...

, and is also Chief Development Strategist at its Institute for the Environment. In 2019 Loh released the second edition of her book ''Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong'', first published in 2010. Starting in 2018, Loh has been teaching a course on non

market risk Market risk is the risk of losses in positions arising from movements in market variables like prices and volatility. There is no unique classification as each classification may refer to different aspects of market risk. Nevertheless, the most ...

s at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Education and professional career

Loh attended St. Paul's Convent School in Causeway Bay, and later

Island School Island School ( Chinese: 港島中學) is a co-educational international school located in Hong Kong. It is the founding school of the English Schools Foundation, and is still a member. The school has been accredited by international organisatio ...

in Mid-levels, Hong Kong. She then went to Bedford High School in the UK. She later attended the

University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull ...

, and

City University of Hong Kong City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a world-class public research university located in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. Currently, CityU is ...

(Masters of Law in Chinese & Comparative Law) and the

(Doctor of Law, honoris causa). Loh worked for 12 years as a commodities trader (1980–1991), rising to become managing director at Philipp Brothers and

Phibro Phibro is a global low-carbon commodity company, focused on renewable asstets' development, acquisitions, optimizations and related contract structuring. Phibro's strategy is based on a proven track record of combining market insight, disciplin ...

Energy — the physical commodities trading arms of US multinational Salomon, Inc. (now Citicorp) — before joining a Hong Kong company (CIM Co.), where she headed the special projects division between 1992 and 1994. In April 2006, she was elected by shareholders of the

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX; , also 香港交易所 or 港交所 ) operates a range of equity, commodity, fixed income and currency markets through its wholly owned subsidiaries The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK ...

(HKEx) to be a director of the company and served till 2009.

Political career

Loh was appointed to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 1992. In

1995 Hong Kong legislative election The 1995 Hong Kong Legislative Council election for members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) was held on 17 September 1995. It was the first, and only, fully elected legislative election in the colonial period before transferrin ...

and 1998 Hong Kong legislative election she ran in two direct elections and won by large margins. She co-founded, in 1995, the

Society for Protection of the Harbour Society for Protection of the Harbour (SPH) () is a Hong-Kong-based organisation founded in November 1995. It is a charitable, non-political and non-profit making green group. The objectives of the organisation are to protect the Victoria Harbo ...

and was responsible for creating and sponsoring the historic

Protection of the Harbour Ordinance The Protection of the Harbour Ordinance, Cap. 531 () is an ordinance in Hong Kong Law that aims to limit land reclamation in the surviving waters of Victoria Harbour. Content In section 3, the ordinance states that: *"The harbour is to be pro ...

. While part of the democratic camp in LegCo, she took a less confrontational approach than some, preferring to keep open lines of communication with all sides. She has been described as Hong Kong's "reasonable radical". In 2000, she and Lisa Hopkinson co-founded a Hong Kong-based non-profit

, and once again entered the political spotlight, but outside of the LegCo. She resigned as its chief executive on 11 September 2012 upon her appointment as Undersecretary for the Environment in the administration of CY Leung, taking up her new post the following day. At the same time, she resigned from all her positions in other non-profit organizations, academic affiliations, and non-executive directorships in commercial firms. As Undersecretary for the Environment, Loh was responsible for drafting policy documents, including on air quality, energy, and climate change. She was responsible for stakeholder engagement in such matters as biodiversity and energy saving in buildings. Loh was also responsible for changing Hong Kong's shipping emissions regulation, which resulted in mainland China changing its policy, as well as playing a crucial role in ending the local trading of ivory. She left the government at the end of

's term, on 30 June 2017.

Other activities

From the 1980s, Loh is a published author of many academic and popular works, she hosted a public affairs radio program at one time, and is an Op-Ed writer and presenter and speaker on the environment, climate change, green finance, as well as geopolitics, such as US-China relations.

Affiliations

* Chairperson, Hong Kong Observers, 1980s * Chairperson,

Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split with ...

(HK), 1991–1992; 1993–1994 * Chairperson, Citizens Party (HK), 1997–2000 * Chairperson,

, 2003-200? * Council Member,

, 1999–2005 * Honorary Research Fellow, Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management,

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...

, 2001–2005 * Member, Advisory Committee,

Securities and Futures Commission The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong is the independent statutory body charged with regulating the securities and futures markets in Hong Kong. The SFC is responsible for fostering an orderly securities and futures market ...

, 2001–2005 * Chief Executive,

, 2000–2012 *Chairperson,

, 2003–2012 * Co-Chair,

Human Rights in China Human rights in mainland China are periodically reviewed by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), on which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and various foreign governments and h ...

, 2005–2012

Publications

* ''At the Epicentre: Hong Kong and the SARS Outbreak'' (book), Hong Kong University Press, 2004. *''Underground Front: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong'' (book),

Hong Kong University Press Hong Kong University Press is the university press of the University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine ...

, 2010, 1st edition; and 2nd edition (2018). *''No Third Person: Rewriting the Hong Kong Story'' (book, co-written with Richard Cullen), Abbreviated Press, 2018. An extended version of the book (“Hong Kong in China” has been published in Chinese by City University of Hong Kong Press in 2021).

Awards

* Outstanding Young Person’s Award 1988 * Communicator of the Year, 1994 * Stars of Asia, ''

Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...

'', 1998 * Stars of Asia, ''

'', 2000 * Entrepreneur of the Year (Women of Influence Award, The American Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, 2003) * Honorary degree from

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

(15 July 2016), for her contribution to environmental protection *

Silver Bauhinia Star The Silver Bauhinia Star (, SBS) is the second Bauhinia Star rank in the honours system of Hong Kong, awarded to people who have taken a leading part in public affairs or voluntary work over a long period. The award was created in 1997 to repla ...

by the Hong Kong SAR Government (1 July 2017)

References

External links

Christine Loh's profile
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loh, Christine Alumni of the University of Hull People educated at Island School Alumni of the City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong businesspeople Leaders of political parties 1956 births Living people Citizens Party (Hong Kong) politicians HK LegCo Members 1991–1995 HK LegCo Members 1995–1997 HK LegCo Members 1998–2000 Recipients of the Silver Bauhinia Star Officers of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century Hong Kong women politicians 21st-century Hong Kong women politicians