Researchers from across Asia, North America, and beyond will gather in Hong Kong on Thursday, March 26, 2026, for a full-day academic workshop examining the intersection of climate risk, sustainability, and real estate. Co-organized by Lu Han and Chris Timmins of the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB) and Mengze Shi of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the event will be held at HKUST Business School Central, Room 1501-02, 15/F Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road.
The workshop brings together scholars from leading institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, National University of Singapore, Fudan University, and several Hong Kong universities to present and discuss cutting-edge research on the economic dimensions of climate change.
Program Highlights
The program opens at 7:55 AM with remarks from Dean Frederik Anseel of HKUST Business School and Dean Vallabh Sambamurthy of Wisconsin School of Business. Four research sessions will follow throughout the day:
Session 1: Green Finance, ESG, and Capital Markets (Chaired by Chu Zhang, HKUST)
Papers explore how investors decode green preferences using NLP, whether the “greenium” in bond markets reflects inflation risk, the household finance implications of EV infrastructure expansion, and how ESG performance shapes liquidity in REITs.
Session 2: Green Transitions: Disclosing, Pricing, and Insuring Climate Risk (Chaired by Justin Sydnor, WSB)
This session addresses the fiscal and financial consequences of climate events, including how floods affect Chinese local government debt, who bears the cost of catastrophes in homeowners insurance markets, the real-world impact of ESG disclosure mandates, and unintended consequences of green premiums on utility consumption.
Session 3: Extreme Weather, Urban Infrastructure, and Economic Resilience (Chaired by Abdullah Yavas, WSB)
Presentations examine how temperature extremes affect housing supply, how climate shocks disrupt power grids during energy transition, the microclimate impacts on household wealth, and the long-run climate consequences of land development.
Session 4: Green Technology, Digital Platforms, and Sustainable Development (Chaired by Lu Han, WSB)
The final session covers solar expansion in China and tech-driven comparative advantage, how digital platforms shape green premiums in hospitality, urban commuting behavior and location adaptability, and the effects of farmland regulation reform.
Emerging Scholars Spotlight
During the midday lunch break, HKUST’s ENVR program will feature short presentations by early-career researchers Jiayue (Joanne) Huang and Keith Chan, offering a platform for emerging voices in environmental and sustainability research.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
Location: HKUST Business School Central, Rm 1501-02, 15/F Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Hong Kong
Registration: Opens 7:00 AM; Breakfast served from 7:30 AM
Organizers: Lu Han (WSB), Mengze Shi (HKUST), Chris Timmins (WSB)
Concludes: 4:45 PM, followed by networking and a group dinner at 6:00 PM