Hong Kong could be world leader in green energy and technology if the government invests, extreme explorer says

You could say Canadian explorer, television presenter and sustainability advocate Ryan Pyle is living the dream.

As he touches down in Hong Kong, one of many cities he visits regularly, to give a talk on environmentalism at City University, he is already thinking about where his next adventure will take him. That, and how Hong Kong has the potential to be the world’s greenest city, if it plays its cards right.

“You know, things can actually get done here. An example is the new airport and the new high-speed train. All these things get done,” he says. “So instead of expanding the harbour or doing [other] things, why don’t they [the government] just invest in making Hong Kong a leader in green energy, green technology and renewables. It’s a huge opportunity.

Once known for his rambunctious motorcycle rides across Asia, Pyle now spends his time taking on extreme treks into the wilderness, facing wild weather, and remote, and at times, hairy terrains. He and his crew once nearly got struck in an electrical storm in Russia, in what Pyle recalls as his most frightening misadventure.

But despite being regularly subjected to mother nature’s wrath, his respect for the environments he gets to explore runs deep.

“I’m the second host of my television show. The first host is nature. I love to play up the natural elements. I love to film the beautiful places. And I want to educate people about some of the amazing places around the world,” he says. “My goal is to show people how fun and beautiful these parts of the world can be … and that it does need to be taken care of.”