Towards Our Perpetual Planet event spotlights sustainability
Thought leaders and innovators came together in Hong Kong to highlight initiatives that seek to protect the natural world
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Towards Our Perpetual Planet event spotlights efforts to protect the natural world
The health of the Earth is deteriorating, and fast. Around the world, explorers were among the first to warn us about the effects that climate change was having on the environment.
Rolex – the Swiss watchmaker that for nearly a century has been equipping explorers with timepieces – has learned about these rising threats first-hand.
While climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are pressing issues, the future of our planet depends on people who have committed themselves to finding solutions that perpetuate, preserve and protect it.
From conserving wildlife to reinventing the fashion industry and tackling the plastic waste crisis, Rolex now strives to support the work of individuals and organisations that seek to safeguard our home. Through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, the brand is championing solutions that address global challenges in the oceans, across all landscapes and for humanity as a whole.
The Perpetual Planet Initiative launched in 2019 following Rolex’s commitment to supporting those protecting the Earth, improving lives and building a better future. The projects it supports include satellites that track endangered camels, regenerative clothing supply chains and chemical plastic-recycling technology, to name a few.
In 1976, the brand created the Rolex Awards to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its first waterproof watch, the Rolex Oyster. The winning Laureates are selected by an independent jury of international experts with the brand’s values in mind: quality, ingenuity, determination and, above all, a spirit of enterprise.
In the 48 years since its creation, Rolex has recognised 160 of these inspirational individuals, whose projects have made a profound impact in 65 countries across the globe.
Three of these Rolex Laureates were brought together at the Towards Our Perpetual Planet event, organised by SCMP Live in partnership with Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative and held September 26 at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.
Under the event’s theme of “Venture, Exploration and Innovation”, Liu Shaochuang, Denica Riadini-Flesch and Miranda Wang took to the stage to discuss innovative solutions and alternative approaches that can help enhance our daily interactions with nature.
Kicking off the event was Christine Loh, chief development strategist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who served on the 2023 Rolex Awards jury that selected two of the day’s featured Laureates.
“What struck me [about them] was a passion that came through. They were all very different. But one thing that united them was commitment and energy,” she said of the Rolex Laureates. “Believing in their work was, for me, totally energising.”
In her keynote address, Loh also applauded Rolex for “investing its profits into doing many good things in the world, including the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative”.
A fireside chat followed, moderated by sustainable finance professional Deng Manshu and featuring Liu, a Chinese remote-sensing specialist working to save critically endangered camels in the Gobi Desert. Liu explained the challenges presented in wildlife preservation, specifically with his own conservation project.
“The protection of wild camels is a long-term commitment that we must promote,” the 2023 Laureate said. “The dangers and challenges faced often go unnoticed. As researchers, we must conduct in-depth studies to identify these problems. If we know what the issues are, we can propose solutions for future challenges.”
Calling for support from urban communities, he explained, is crucial to finding alternative solutions. “We shouldn’t limit ourselves to local efforts. Collaborative projects between universities in Hong Kong and mainland China are essential for wildlife research and conservation, such as monitoring in coastal areas.”
Up next was a panel discussion spotlighting individual and collective efforts towards sustainability in the fashion industry. Moderated by Natalie Chan, managing director and principal sustainability consultant for PIE Strategy, the panel featured Riadini-Flesch, founder and CEO of the farm-to-closet clothing brand SukkhaCitta and a 2023 Laureate, and Wang, co-founder and CEO of plastic recycling company Novoloop and a 2019 Laureate.
Joining them on stage were Devana Ng, co-founder of sustainable packaging maker Invisible Company; Edwin Keh, CEO of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel; and Walden Lam, co-founder and CEO of sustainable fashion company Unspun.
The panel emphasised the importance of making conscious, informed choices that consider environmental and social impacts. “Every purchasing decision we make in the textile and fashion industry is discretionary. So we should be much more intentional and informed about our decisions,” Wang said. “When you step out of your comfort zone, you realise how interconnected we all are.”
Riadini-Flesch agreed, adding: “I also challenge sustainability consultants. We must not only help clients solve problems, but also encourage them to do things differently and innovate. We should aim for genuine impact, not just project completion.”
The panellists also underlined the need for a shift in perspective. “Sustainability isn’t about saving the world, it’s a personal transformation that recognises our part in it,” Riadini-Flesch said.
Wang pointed out the need for individual responsibility along with collaborative efforts, saying: “The challenge I pose for all those innovations in the pipeline is to keep pushing forward, and to demonstrate these technologies at an industrial scale.”
Riadini-Flesch added: “We’re all here because we recognise the need for change. How can we be part of this?”
Guests came away from the event with new insights into the collective understanding of the world around us and new ideas about how to help it thrive, as well as deeper knowledge about how we can sustain and celebrate the world as we know it.