On 13 to 15 December 2013, the Geography and Resource Management Department hosted the International Conference on Adopting REDD+ for Conservation, Sustainable Community Livelihood and Climate Change Mitigation.

The conference was funded by the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) and supported by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, as well as Chung Chi College and United College. Participants at the conference included delegates from the WUN partners, University of Leeds, University of York, University of Bergen; and non-WUN partners from University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry in Vietnam.

The conference hosted approximately 80 participants and presenters from all over the world.  The conference clearly had an interdisciplinary and multi-geographical focus bringing together academics, policy makers and practitioners focusing on REDD+ and climate change. The participants were foresters, biologists, political scientists, geographers, anthropologists, economists and representatives of the private sector. The conference was honored by the presence of four prominent keynotes speakers.

On 15 December 2013, a fieldtrip to Lai Chi Wo, a local bucolic forest destination, was organized for participants to see examples of local forest management in Hong Kong. The destination showcased sacred or feng shui forests, native and exotic species, local communities and forest use, and potential payment for environmental services, REDD+ or carbon sequestration schemes. The local destination served as a case-study of the themes and issues discussed during the conference.