Open with style. Two days ago, on the auspicious 8th November, The Regent Hong Kong officially re-opened, and the great and the good of Hong Kong and beyond were there. The Gaw family, who have put it al together, were there in force, led by Mrs Rossana Wang Gaw and her sons Goodwin and Kenny, and also on the stage were investors, designer Chi Wing Lo and MD Michel Chertouh. There was Champagne and caviar galore, and entertainment included ballet, musicians and an updated lion dancer, above.
The same evening, in Singapore, HRH The Prince of Wales presented the 2023 Earthshot prizes, each worth US$1.2 million, to further development of the projects. Judges included HM Queen Rania of Jordan and Jack Ma. Categories and winners were:
• Protect and Restore Nature: Acción Andina, from Peru. The grassroots project is working in South America to protect native forest ecosystems across the Andes.
• Clean Our Air: GRST, from Hong Kong. The start-up has developed a new process for making and recycling lithium-ion batteries, paving the way “to make the electric cars of the future even cleaner.”
• Revive Our Oceans: WildAid Marine Program, a global organization with US-based headquarters. The non-profit combines “partnership building and knowledge sharing” to support the planet’s ocean conservation needs.
• Build a Waste-Free World: S4S Technologies from India. The agritech start-up uses its solar-powered dehydration equipment to cut food waste and help farmers process excess crops into products with a longer shelf life.
• Fix Our Climate: Boomitra, a global organization with US-based headquarters. The company is “removing emissions and boosting farmer profits by incentivizing land restoration” through the creation of its soil carbon marketplace.
It is indeed a week of events.
