Dr. Kevin Lo is Assistant Professor of Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Associate Director of David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies (LEWI), and Distinguished Overseas Professor at the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Kevin is a human geographer with expertise in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental studies, energy studies, development studies, urban studies, rural studies, regional studies, and China studies. He has won several major competitive grants from the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, including the Early Career Scheme (ECS) and the General Research Fund (GRF), and has published in many leading journals, including Global Environmental Change, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Energy Policy, Energy for Sustainable Development, Environmental Science & Policy, Cities, Habitat International, and Journal of Rural Studies. In 2017, he found the Journal of Asian Energy Studies, an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to interdisciplinary research on all aspects of energy studies in Asia. In 2019, he established HEAVEN (Health, Environment and Vulnerability Exploration Network), a collective of world-leading researchers aiming to conduct transdisciplinary research on environmental health. In 2020, he founded SustainLab Asia, a research group that focuses on socio-technical innovation as a driver for sustainable development in Asia.
Education
| 2014 | PhD in Geography and Resource Management, University of Melbourne |
| 2010 | MEnv, University of Melbourne |
| 2003 | MSc in Multimedia Information System, Brunel University London |
| 2002 | BSc (Hons) in Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Hong Kong |
Employment
| From 2018 | Associate Director, David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University |
| From 2015 | Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University |
| 2014-2015 | Lecturer, Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University |
| 2011-2014 | Casual Lecturer and Tutor, University of Melbourne |
Research Grants
| 2019 | PI, Dr. Hung Hin Shiu Development Fund, Institute of Creativity. HEAVEN: Transdisciplinary research on complex environmental health problems (HKD 100,000). |
| 2018 | PI, General Research Fund (GRF), Research Grants Council. Decentralized climate governance and policy implementation in China: Unraveling a paradox (HKD 757,920). |
| 2018 | Co-I, Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (PPR), Central Policy Unit. Engaging the community to develop a model for sustainable energy futures: A case study of two prospective solar communities in Hong Kong (HKD 630,000). |
| 2018 | Co-I, Ford Foundation, China’s urban future: Policy, people, and social change (USD 206,000). |
| 2018 | Co-I, Faculty Research Grant, Hong Kong Baptist University. An exploratory energy study of the Smart Grid and Smart City data from Australia (HKD 50,000). |
| 2017 | PI, Early Career Scheme (ECS), Research Grants Council. China’s low-carbon city initiative: Authoritarian environmentalism and climate policy experimentation (HKD 820,000). |
| 2017 | Co-I, Faculty Research Grant, Hong Kong Baptist University. Environmental attitudes, sense of place and energy consumption behaviour in Hong Kong (HKD 50,000). |
| 2016 | PI, Talent Introduction Project, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CNY 400,000). |
| 2016 | PI, Digital Scholarship Grant, Hong Kong Baptist University. HK Solar Map: A GIS web application for rooftop photovoltaics (HKD 80,000). |
| 2016 | Co-I, Bartlett Synergy Grant, University College London. Urban energy innovation and transitions in China: Typologies, spatial patterns, and causal mechanisms (GBP 10,000). |
| 2015 | PI, Faculty Research Grant, Hong Kong Baptist University. Local climate governance in China: A systematic national survey of local low-carbon responses (HKD 49,000). |
Awards and Honours
| 2020 | Associate, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Melbourne |
| 2017 | Best Conference Paper Award, RSA Australasia Conference, Regional Studies Association |
| 2016 | Distinguished Overseas Professor, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| 2014 | Postgraduate Publishing Award, Melbourne School of Land and Environment |
| 2013 | Postgraduate Publishing Award, Melbourne School of Land and Environment |
| 2009 | Melbourne Global Scholars Award, University of Melbourne |
Publications
Journal Articles and Book Chapters
| 2020 | Castán Broto, V, Mah, D, Zhang, F, Huang, P, Lo, K and Westman, L. Spatiotemporal perspectives on urban energy transitions: a comparative study of three cities in China. Urban Transformations, 2, 11. (download) |
| 2020 | Lo, K. Ecological civilization, authoritarian environmentalism, and the eco-politics of extractive governance in China. The Extractive Industries and Society, 7, 1029-1035. (download) |
| 2020 | Lo, K. COVID-19 and sustainable energy development: Agendas for future research. Journal of Asian Energy Studies, 4, 20-25. (download) |
| 2020 | Rogers, S, Li, J, Lo, K, Guo, H and Li, C. China’s rapidly evolving practice of poverty resettlement: Moving millions to eliminate poverty. Development Policy Review, 38, 541-554. (download) |
| 2020 | Liu, M and Lo, K. Pathways to international cooperation on climate governance in China: A comparative analysis. Journal of Chinese Governance. Online first. |
| 2020 | Lo, K. Governing energy consumption in China: a comprehensive assessment of the energy conservation target responsibility system. Energy Transitions, 4, 57-67. (download) |
| 2020 | Li, L, Zhang, P, Lo, K, Liu, W and Li, J. The evolution of regional economic resilience in the old industrial bases in China: A case study of Liaoning Province, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 30, 340-351. (download) |
| 2020 | Tong, W, Lo, K and Zhang, P. Land consolidation in rural China: Life satisfaction among resettlers and its determinants. Land, 9, 118. |
| 2020 | Lo, K, Li, H and Chen, K. Climate experimentation and the limits of top-down control: Local variation of climate pilots in China. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 63, 109-126. (download) |
| 2020 | Li, H, Lo, K and Zhang, P. Population shrinkage in resource-dependent cities in China: Processes, patterns and drivers. Chinese Geographical Science, 30, 1-15. (download) |
| 2020 | Tan, J, Lo, K, Qiu, F, Zhang, X and Zhao, H. Regional economic resilience of resource‐based cities and influential factors during economic crises in China. Growth and Change, 51, 362-381. () |
| 2019 | Lo, K and Castán Broto, V. Co-benefits, contradictions, and multi-level governance of low-carbon experimentation: Leveraging solar energy for sustainable development in China. Global Environmental Change. 59, 101993. (download) |
| 2019 | Tong, W, Zhu, L and Lo, K. Livelihood adaptation and life satisfaction among land-lost farmers: Critiquing China’s urbanisation-driven land appropriation. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 46, 149-161. (download) |
| 2019 | Lo, K, Li, J, Wang, M, Li, C, Li S and Li, Y. A comparative analysis of participating and non-participating households in pro-poor tourism in southern Shaanxi, China. Tourism Planning & Development, 16, 318-333. (download) |
| 2019 | Yang, Y and Lo, K. Experimentation under hierarchy and China’s low-carbon city development. Journal of Low Carbon Economy, 8, 71-81. |
| 2019 | Li, J, Guo, M and Lo, K. Estimating housing vacancy rates in rural China using power consumption data. Sustainability, 11, 5722. |
| 2018 | Li, J, Lo, K and Guo, M. What influences the choice between private car and public transport for shopping trips? Impact of socio-economic and built environment factors. Journal of Asian Energy Studies, 2, 29-43. |
| 2018 | Guan, H, Liu, W, Zhang, P, Lo, K, Li J and Li L. Analyzing industrial structure evolution of old industrial cities using evolutionary resilience theory: A case study in Shenyang of China. Chinese Geographical Science, 28, 516-528. |
| 2018 | Mah, DNY, Wang, G, Lo, K, Leung, KHM, Hills, P and Lo, AY. Barriers and policy enablers for solar PV in cities: Perspectives of potential adopters in Hong Kong. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 92, 921-936. |
| 2018 | Li, J, Lo, K and Zhang, P. Shopping mobility and travel carbon emissions among suburban residents: lessons from Shenyang city, China. Journal of Spatial Science, 63, 311-323. |
| 2018 | Yang, S, Cao, D and Lo, K. Analyzing and optimizing the impact of economic restructuring on Shanghai’s carbon emissions using STIRPAT and NSGA-II. Sustainable Cities and Society, 40, 44-53. |
| 2018 | Li, J, Lo, K and Guo, M. Do socio-economic characteristics affect travel behavior? A comparative study of low-carbon and non-low-carbon shopping travel in Shenyang City, China. International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health, 15, 1346. |
| 2018 | Lo, K, Mah, DNY, Wang, G, Leung, KHM, Lo, AY and Hills, P (2018). Barriers to adopting solar photovoltaic systems in Hong Kong. Energy & Environment, 29, 649–663. |
| 2018 | Lo, K and Wang, M (2018). How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China? Habitat International, 73, 34-42. |
| 2017 | Lo, K. Energy efficiency programs in China, in Solomon, B and Calvert, K (eds), Handbook of the Geographies of Energy, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 211-219. |
| 2017 | Tan, J, Lo, K, Qiu, F, Liu, W, Li, J and Zhang, P. Regional economic resilience: Resistance and recoverability of resource-based cities during economic crises in Northeast China. Sustainability, 9, 2136. |
| 2017 | Liu, D, Lo, K, Song, W and Xie, C. Spatial patterns of car sales and their socio-economic attributes in China. Chinese Geographical Science, 27, 684-696. |
| 2017 | Li, J, Lo, K, Zhang, P and Guo, M. Relationship between built environment, socio-economic factors and carbon emissions from shopping trip in Shenyang City, China. Chinese Geographical Science, 27, 722-734. |
| 2017 | Lo, K and Wang, M. Low-carbon (re-)industrialization: Lessons from China, in Nawratek, K (eds), Urban Re-Industrialization, Punctum Books, Brooklyn, 149-158. |
| 2017 | Tan, J, Zhang P, Lo, K, Li, J and Liu, S. Conceptualizing and measuring economic resilience of resource-based cities: Case study of Northeast China. Chinese Geographical Science, 27, 471-481. |
| 2017 | Tong, W, Zhang, P, Lo, K, Chen, T and Gao, R. Age-differentiated impact of land appropriation and resettlement on landless farmers: A case study of Xinghua village, China. Geographical Research, 55, 293-304. |
| 2017 | Lo, K. Renewable energy development in Hong Kong: Potential, progress, and barriers. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 4, 50-55. |
| 2017 | Lo, K. Grassroots environmentalism and low-carbon cities, in Dhakal, S and Ruth, M (eds.), Creating Low Carbon Cities, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 43-50. |
| 2017 | Lo, K. Asian energy challenges in the Asian century. Journal of Asian Energy Studies, 1, 1-6. |
| 2016 | Guo, F, Lo, K and Tong, L. Eco-efficiency analysis of industrial systems in the Songhua River basin: A decomposition model approach. Sustainability, 8, 1271. |
| 2016 | Tan, J, Zhang, P, Lo, K, Li, J and Liu, S. The urban transition performance of resource-based cities in Northeast China. Sustainability, 8, 1022. |
| 2016 | Li, J, Lo, K, Zhang, P, Guo, M. Consumer travel behaviors and transport carbon emissions: A comparative study of commercial centers in Shenyang, China. Energies, 9, 765. |
| 2016 | Lo, K, Xue, L, Wang, M. Spatial restructuring through poverty alleviation resettlement in rural China. Journal of Rural Studies, 47, 496–505. |
| 2016 | Li, H, Lo, K, Wang, M, Zhang, P, Xue, L. Industrial energy consumption in Northeast China under the revitalisation strategy: A decomposition and policy analysis. Energies, 9, 549. |
| 2015 | Li, J, Zhang, P, Lo, K, Guo, M, Wang, M. Reducing carbon emissions from shopping trips: Evidence from China. Energies, 8, 10043-10057. |
| 2015 | Wang, M and Lo, K. Displacement and resettlement with Chinese characteristics: An editorial introduction. Geography Research Forum, 35, 1-9. |
| 2015 | Lo, K. Governing China’s clean energy transition: Policy reforms, flexible implementation and the need for empirical investigation. Energies, 8, 13255-13264. |
| 2015 | Lo, K. How authoritarian is the environmental governance of China? Environmental Science and Policy, 54, 152-159. (download) |
| 2015 | Lo, K, Li, H and Wang, M. Energy conservation in China’s energy-intensive enterprises: An empirical study of the Ten-Thousand Enterprises Program. Energy for Sustainable Development, 27, 105-111. |
| 2015 | Li, H, Lo, K and Wang, M. Economic transformation of mining cities in transition economies: Lessons from Daqing, Northeast China. International Development Planning Review, 37, 311-328. |
| 2015 | Yang, S, Wang, C, Lo, K, Wang, M and Liu, L. Quantifying and mapping spatial variability of Shanghai household carbon footprints. Frontiers in Energy, 9, 115-124. |
| 2015 | Lo, K. The “Warm Houses” program: Insulating existing buildings through compulsory retrofits. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 9, 63-67. |
| 2015 | Lo, K. Campus sustainability in Chinese higher education institutions: Focuses, motivation and challenges. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16, 34-43. |
| 2015 | Lo, K, Wang, M, Qin, B and Han, S. Low carbon city development in China, in Han, S, Green, R and Wang, M (eds.), Towards Low Carbon Cities in China: Urban Forms and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Routledge, Oxon, 21-50. |
| 2015 | Lo, K and Wang, M. Low carbon policies and programs in China, in Han, S, Green, R and Wang, M (eds.), Towards Low Carbon Cities in China: Urban Forms and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Routledge, Oxon, 51-75. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. Urban carbon governance and the transition towards low-carbon urbanism: Review of a global phenomenon. Carbon Management, 5, 269-283. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. China’s low-carbon city initiatives: The implementation gap and the limits of the target responsibility system. Habitat International, 42, 236-244. |
| 2014 | Liu, S, Zhang, P and Lo, K. Urbanization in remote areas: A case study of the Heilongjiang Reclamation Area, Northeast China. Habitat International, 42, 103-110. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. A critical review of China’s rapidly developing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 29, 508-516. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. Low carbon governance in China: Barriers and solutions. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 34, 265-271. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. Energy-related carbon emissions of China’s model environmental cities. Geography Journal, 2014, 1-7. |
| 2014 | Tong, W, Yang, Q, Zhang, P, Lo, K and Han, R. The impact of economic development on the environment and the applicability of the environmental Kuznets curve in Jilin province. Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering, 7, 732-737. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Deliberating on the energy cap in China: The key to a low-carbon future? Carbon Management, 4, 365-367. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Energy conservation in China’s higher education institutions. Energy Policy, 56, 703-710. |
| 2013 | Lo, K and Wang, M. Energy Conservation in China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan Period: Continuation or Paradigm Shift? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 18, 499-507. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Approaching neighborhood democracy from a longitudinal perspective: An eighteen-year case study of a homeowner association in Beijing. Urban Studies Research, 2013, 1-10. |
| 2013 | Lo, K and Wang, M. The development and localisation of a foreign gated community in Beijing. Cities, 30, 186-192. |
| 2013 | Liu, S, Zhang, P, Jiang, X and Lo, K. Measuring sustainable urbanization in China: A case study of the coastal Liaoning Area. Sustainability Science, 8, 585-594. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Interested but unsure: Public attitudes toward electric vehicles in China. Electronic Green Journal, 36, 1-12. |
Edited Journal Issues
| 2017 | Lo, K. Regional renewable energy (China). Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 4. |
| 2015 | Wang, M and Lo, K. Special issue: Displacement and resettlement with Chinese characteristics. Geography Research Forum, 35. |
Book Reviews
| 2019 | Lo, K. Politics of renewable energy in China. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 59, 1-3. |
| 2015 | Lo, K. Energy efficiency: The definitive guide to the cheapest, cleanest, fastest source of energy. Energy Technology, 3, 667. |
| 2014 | Lo, K. Chinese perspectives on the environment and sustainable development. Asian Studies Review, 38, 695-696. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Small, gritty, and green: The promise of America’s smaller industrial cities in a low-carbon world. Electronic Green Journal, 36, 1-2. |
| 2013 | Lo, K. Cities and climate change. Traffic, 13, 199-201. |
Other Publications
| 2016 | Lo, K and Lo, A. China’s plan to increase coal power by 20% is not the climate disaster it seems. The Conversation. |
Presentations
Invited Talks
| 2018 | Rethinking environmental authoritarianism in China’s climate governance. Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Melbourne, April 12. |
| 2017 | Spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution of urban energy transition: Foshan’s distributed solar energy development. School of Geographical Science, Northeast Normal University, June 15. |
| 2017 | Towards a spatio-evolutionary perspective of urban energy transition: Case study of distributed PV in Foshan. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, June 12. |
| 2016 | Publishing in SCI/SSCI journals: The importance of linking to larger theoretical questions. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, July 18. |
Conference Presentations
| 2019 | Climate experimentation and the limits of top-down control: local variation of climate pilots in China. The Third Asian Energy Conference: Diversity in Urban Energy Transitions in Asia: Trajectories, Governance and Policy Innovations, Hong Kong, 3 July. |
| 2019 | How Voluntary is Poverty Alleviation Resettlement in China? RSA Annual Conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 5-7 June. |
| 2017 | HK Solar Map as a tool for facilitating the adoption of PV systems in Hong Kong. Fall Symposium on Digital Humanities 2017, Hong Kong, October 27. |
| 2017 | China’s photovoltaics poverty alleviation initiative: Can renewable energy be pro-poor? Governance for Sustainable Energy Transitions: The Perspectives of the Asian-Pacific Region, Hong Kong, July 16. |
| 2017 | The dynamic balance (no net loss) of arable land policy and linked urbanization in China. Institute of Australian Geographers Conference, Brisbane, July 11-14. |
| 2017 | Poverty alleviation resettlement and spatio-economic restructuring in rural China. Regional Studies Association 2nd Australasia Conference, Sydney, July 3-5. |
| 2016 | How authoritarian is China’s low-carbon governance? A local perspective. 33rd International Geographical Congress, Beijing, August 21-25. |
| 2014 | China’s low-carbon governance: authoritarian or neoliberal? 2nd Young Scholars’ Conference on China Studies, Hong Kong, December 15-16. |
| 2014 | Authoritarian environmentalism and China’s climate governance. Hong Kong Geography Day 2014, Hong Kong, November 22. |
| 2013 | Who does what in the low-carbon transformation of Chinese cities? International Conference of China’s Urban Transformation and Restructuring, Guangzhou, December 13-15. |
| 2013 | Decarbonisation of industry in China: Key local actors and challenges. 2013 Melbourne-Renda International Conference, Melbourne, August 12-13. |
| 2013 | Learning from abroad: Policy transfer in China’s climate change policy. Chinese Studies Association of Australia Conference, Hobart, July 9-11. |
| 2013 | Uneven actions and conflicting incentives: The roles of local government in China’s climate change governance. Institute of Australian Geographers Conference, Perth, July 1-3. |
Departmental Talks
| 2020 | Climate change, policy innovation, and Chinese environmental authoritarianism: Involving local governments in exploratory and incremental experimentation. Department of Geography Public Seminar, Hong Kong Baptist University, March 17. |
| 2016 | Comparing two types of involuntary resettlement in rural China: the cases of Xinghuacun and Chenjiadiancun. Faculty Research Colloquium, Hong Kong Baptist University, December 5. |
| 2015 | The localisation of global climate governance. Department of Geography Public Seminar, Hong Kong Baptist University, February 26. |
| 2013 | Sustainability in Chinese higher education institutions. Chinese Studies Research Group Seminar, University of Melbourne, November 1. |
Teaching
Courses Taught
| 2020- | Sustainable Community Energy Planning |
| 2014- | Energy Audit and Carbon Management |
| 2014- | Renewable Energy System and Technology |
| 2014- | Research Methods and Statistics |
| 2014-2019 | Global Energy Development |
| 2011-2014 | China in Transition |
| 2014 | China Field Class |
| 2011 | Reshaping Environments |
| 2011 | Understanding Asia |
Research Student Supervision
| 2018- | Zhu Liyuan, PhD Candidate |
| 2018- | Liu Minsi, PhD Candidate |
| 2019- | Geng Qingge, PhD Candidate |
| 2020- | Yang Yiqun, PhD Candidate |
| 2020- | Wang Xinxin, PhD Candidate |
Service
Journal Editorship
| 2017- | Founding Editor, Journal of Asian Energy Studies. |
| 2016- | Section Editor, Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports. |
| 2015- | Review Editor, Frontiers in Energy Research. |
| 2013- | Editorial Board Member, AIMS Energy. |
| 2014 | Guest Editor, Geography Research Forum. |
Journal Review
Agricultural Economics, Asian Geographer, Atmospheric Pollution Research, Carbon Management, Cities, Energies, Energy Policy, Energy Research & Social Science, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Environment, Development and Sustainability, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Global Environmental Change, Habitat International, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications, Journal of Urbanism, Land Use Policy, Landscape and Urban Planning, Policy Studies, Review of Policy Research, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review, Sustainability, Sustainable Cities and Society, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Urban Studies Research, Research of Agricultural Modernization.
Conference Organization
HEAVEN Symposium: Transdisciplinary Research on Complex Environmental Health Problems, Hong Kong Baptist University, October 21-22, 2019.
The Third Asian Energy Conference: Diversity in Urban Energy Transitions in Asia: Trajectories, Governance and Policy Innovations, Hong Kong Baptist University, July 3, 2019.
Transdisciplinary symposium on environmental health and social sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, May 24-25, 2019.
The Second Asian Energy Conference: Governance for Sustainable Energy Transitions: The Perspectives of the Asian-Pacific Region, Hong Kong Baptist University, July 17, 2017.
The First Asian Energy Conference: Smart Grids, Sustainability Transition, and Innovation in Governance, Hong Kong Baptist University, November 2, 2015.
Grant Review
Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
Media Appearance
| 2020 | Pearl Magazine, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) |
| 2019 | Pearl Magazine, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) |
| 2019 | News Magazine, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) |
| 2018 | News Magazine, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) |
| 2018 | Backchat, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) |
| 2017 | The Pearl Report, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) |
| 2017 | The Pulse, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) |