Climate change is arguably the defining global challenge of this century — and it is arriving just as collective action is in crisis. The United States has vacillated between commitment and retreat. Across several major economies, climate policy has become more polarized, and “net zero” is no longer an easy campaign promise. Temperature records, however, continue to be broken. The World Meteorological Organization reports that 2015 to 2025 were the hottest 11 years on record, with 2025 itself among the three warmest years. Coral reef systems across the Pacific are experiencing widespread bleaching, and extreme weather events — including stronger typhoons and heavier rainfall — are becoming more frequent in many regions. How that global picture translates into local action is a more practical question. In Hong Kong, answers increasingly lie in cooperation with European partners. Over the past few years, much of the focus has been on standards, financing tools and technical exchange. This shift is evident in the evolving relationship between Hong Kong and European institutions. It centers less on declarations and more on technical standards, research collaboration and regulatory alignment. The recent Greenway 2026 forum — the fifth edition of the EU’s flagship sustainability event in the city — was a bellwether for how far that relationship has evolved. Themed “Driving Sustainability Through Innovation”, it brought together more than 300 figures from government, business and civil society to discuss not whether to decarbonize, but how. Panels ranged from green smart cities and future mobility to the standards shaping green finance and digital innovation. Paul Lam Ting-kwok, acting chief executive, opened the proceedings; three secretaries delivered keynote addresses; and the event concluded with business leaders presenting a set of recommendations covering everything from whole life-cycle carbon assessments in construction to hydrogen fuels and green talent pipelines. As global