Lucia Loposova, an Icon of Change in Hong Kong

Icons of Change International Awards 2025
Lucia Loposova
University Lecturer, The University of Hong Kong
Board Member, Royal Geographical Society
Founder & Principal Sustainability Advisor, GREEN Hospitality
Former Vice President, Erasmus Mundus Association
Former Country Representative, Indochina Research Ltd (Myanmar)
Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
Changemaker for Sustainable Hospitality and Food Systems (Hong Kong)
---
When Lucia Loposova arrived in Asia more than a decade ago, she quickly recognized both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge rapidly growing economies producing vast amounts of waste, putting immense pressure on fragile ecosystems. The opportunity the hospitality industry—one of Asia’s most visible and influential sectors—had the potential to turn sustainability from an abstract concept into a daily practice experienced by millions.
Lucia decided to seize that opportunity. As the Founder and Executive Director of GREEN Hospitality, she has built one of Hong Kong’s most dynamic sustainability platforms. Her nonprofit works with hotels, restaurants, suppliers, and innovators to reimagine how the industry consumes, produces, and delivers value. For Lucia, sustainability is not about compromise—it is about rethinking systems so that businesses thrive while the planet endures.
Her flagship initiative, “Food Waste to Good Taste,” is emblematic of her approach. Partnering with leading chefs across the region, she reframed food waste reduction as a source of creativity and community building. Instead of seeing surplus ingredients as discarded goods, she encouraged the industry to view them as a canvas for culinary innovation. The program attracted regional attention and created a ripple effect chefs, diners, and businesses began talking about food sustainability in new, exciting ways.
Yet her work extends far beyond food. Under her leadership, GREEN Hospitality now runs capacity-building workshops, employee engagement programs, and certification pathways, helping organizations integrate sustainability into their DNA. Whether it’s advising on supply chain resilience, training employees on circular practices, or mentoring startups in eco-innovation, Lucia’s interventions consistently link vision with execution.
Her career trajectory reflects both academic excellence and practical ingenuity. A graduate of the Erasmus Mundus European Master’s in Tourism Management, she studied across Spain, Denmark, and Slovenia, immersing herself in the science and policy of sustainable tourism. That foundation equipped her to navigate Asia’s diverse cultural and economic landscapes with both rigor and sensitivity.
Beyond her nonprofit leadership, Lucia also shapes the next generation of changemakers. At The University of Hong Kong, she lectures on sustainable food and beverage models and food entrepreneurship, while mentoring students in research and innovation.