Professor Laurence L. Delina (羅維仁) is an Associate Professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), where he leads the Delina Research Group. His research explores the intersections of climate change, energy, sustainability, development, governance, and public policy, with a particular focus on just energy transitions, climate adaptation and resilience, energy insecurity, environmental justice, and the social dimensions of environmental change.
Working across disciplinary boundaries, Professor Delina examines how societies can accelerate equitable responses to climate change while strengthening resilience among vulnerable communities. His scholarship spans topics including climate-development risks, adaptation finance, extreme heat, sustainable livelihoods, Indigenous resilience, climate fragility, energy justice, and sustainability transitions, with much of his work grounded in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Delina is widely recognised for bridging rigorous academic research with practical policy engagement. His research has attracted substantial competitive funding from national and international organisations, supporting projects on climate resilience, adaptation finance, energy insecurity, climate-fragility risks, sustainable development, and renewable energy transitions. He has collaborated with governments, international organisations, civil society groups, philanthropic foundations, and academic institutions to develop evidence-based approaches to some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time.
An active leader in the international research community, Professor Delina serves as Associate Editor of Energy Research & Social Science and the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, and as Academic Editor of PLOS Climate. His publications have appeared in leading journals and books across the fields of sustainability, energy studies, climate policy, development studies, environmental governance, and social sciences. His expertise has informed policy discussions and public debates on climate change, energy transitions, resilience, and sustainable development throughout Asia and beyond.
Beyond academia, Professor Delina is a sought-after speaker, lecturer, commentator, and adviser on issues relating to climate change, energy transition, sustainability, resilience, environmental justice, and climate-development governance. He has delivered keynote addresses, invited lectures, and expert presentations for universities, governments, international organisations, research institutes, and professional networks across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. His work and insights have been featured in international and regional media outlets, and he has contributed public-facing commentary to make scholarship more accessible and relevant to broader audiences.
Professor Delina has been recognised internationally for the impact of his scholarship, including being listed among the world’s most highly cited scientists. He has received academic awards and research fellowships from leading institutions and has held visiting and research appointments in Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America.
Originally from Mindanao in the southern Philippines, Professor Delina brings to his work a longstanding commitment to understanding how communities navigate environmental change, inequality, and uncertainty. His research is driven by a simple but urgent question: how can societies confront escalating climate risks while advancing justice, dignity, and human well-being? Through scholarship, teaching, public engagement, and policy collaboration, he seeks to contribute to more equitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient futures.
Our recent publications and other updates are announced on LinkedIn.
Current Postgraduate Students
Ms Johanne Rei CASTRO
PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management candidate
Extreme heat policy and AI-assisted technology use in Hong Kong and Manila
Co-Principal supervisor: Prof. Kira MATUS (HKUST)
Ms Sharon Feliza Ann P. MACAGBA
PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management candidate
Extreme urban heat, mental well-being, and informal settlement vulnerability in Southeast Asia: Evidence from Quezon City and Bangkok
Co-Principal supervisor: Prof. Kira MATUS (HKUST)
Mr Ryan MEINTJES
PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (part-time) candidate
Bridging the ambition–action gap: A multi-level analysis of Science-Based Target adoption among apparel and footwear suppliers in Bangladesh and China
Co-Principal supervisor: Prof. Kira MATUS (HKUST)
Alumni
Postgraduate Students
Dr Agnes Kit Ying TAI
PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2022).
Thesis: Do carbon risks matter for Hong Kong equity prices?
Co-supervisor: Adj. Assoc. Prof. Calvin KWAN (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: Director at Greater Glory Investment Corporation. LinkedIn
Dr Xinyi WANG
PhD in Innovation, Policy and Entrepreneurship (2024)
Thesis: Closing energy poverty in China’s ageing society Co-Principal supervisor: Prof. Kira MATUS (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: Postdoctoral Associate at HKUST Division of Public Policy. LinkedIn
Dr Ivee FUERZAS
PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2025)
Resilience in the Philippine coffee supply chain: Challenges and opportunities.
Co-supervisor: Prof. Kevin Kim-Pong TAM (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: Assistant Professor at the University of Southeastern Philippines. LinkedIn
Ms Dane Ellice ANCHETA
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2022). Asian Future Leaders Fellow.
Thesis: Towards a sustainable and low-carbon waste management in Hong Kong: An assessment of emissions pathways and waste management strategies. Co-supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Maria Obiminda CAMBALIZA (Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines)
Post-Delina Research Group: Consultant at IBIS Consulting. LinkedIn
Ms Olivia Anne PEREZ
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2023). Asian Future Leaders Fellow and a Belt and Road Scholar
Thesis: Environmental behavioural changes among Hongkongers during the COVID pandemic
Co-supervisor: Dr. Benjamin STEUER (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: Multilateral Governance Intern at the Green Climate Fund. LinkedIn
Ms Chloe CHAN
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2024)
Thesis: Energy insecurity in Hong Kong’s vulnerable populations.
Co-supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Daphne MAH (Hong Kong Baptist University).
Post-Delina Research Group: Research Associate at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. LinkedIn
Ms Eireka MEREGILLANO
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2024).
Thesis: Resilient energy systems in typhoon-prone coastal communities in the Philippines. Co-supervisors: Dr. Long Seng TO (Loughborough University, UK) and Dr. Xinfang WANG (University of Birmingham, UK)
Post-Delina Research Group: Assistant Professor at Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. Linkedin
Ms. Jifei Jazmin CHEN
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2025)
Thesis: Extreme heat risks to the mental well-being of older adults in urban China.
Co-supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Xiaoming SHI (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: PhD student at the University of Maryland. LinkedIn
Ms. Rainbow Yi Hung LAM
M.Phil. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (2025)
Towards intercity collaboration on adaptation finance: resilience against extreme heat in urban Asia
Co-supervisor: Prof. Alexis LAU (HKUST)
Post-Delina Research Group: Researcher at Our Hong Kong Foundation. LinkedIn
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Lei SHI
Postdoctoral Fellow (2024)
Ph.D. in Public Policy (HKUST, 2023)
Post-Delina Research Group: Assistant Professor at Macau University of Science and Technology. LinkedIn
Dr. Nicolo LUDOVICE
Postdoctoral Fellow (2023)
Ph.D. in History (University of Hong Kong, 2021)
Post-Delina Research Group: Research Assistant Professor at the Division of Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. LinkedIn
The Delina Research Group 