Christian Masset
Having just stepped down as chairman of local environmentalist NGO “Clear the Air” after eight years, Paris native Christian Masset speaks to Leanne Mirandilla about his path to becoming chairman, the books that inspired him, and the changes he’d most like to see within Hong Kong.
I [got my Master’s in] international trade and my Bachelor’s in Chinese studies from the Oriental Language Institute [INALCO Paris], which is a very old institution. They are associated with the Sorbonne.
In Paris, I was working in the logistics industry. What attracted me to Hong Kong was the boom of Asia, and that was in the late 80s.
I have my own company called Coastline Consulting. [We perform] two main activities: promotion of renewable energy, and education for younger people—teenagers and young adults—in communication.
Oral communication is what drives personal growth, and I think not enough is done in this respect for teenagers and young adults. It is important for them to not only express their ideas, but to express who they are.
I think that when young people are able to express themselves and who they are, it changes everything. It changes the image they have of themselves and society.
I always had an interest in environmental issues back when I was living in France, but I had never been a member of a group, I never volunteered.