Councillor HY William Chan, an architect and civic leader in Sydney's Lord Mayoral administration, is driving impactful change in citymaking and policymaking. Overseeing crucial portfolios such as urban planning, active transport, heritage, environment and sustainability, William is dedicated to steering Australia’s global city towards a more inclusive and sustainable future. As an executive of Climate Emergency Australia, he contributes significantly to the acceleration of a zero-carbon economy across more than 100 cities.
William was appointed UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Fellow in 2019 and the World Economic Forum’s Global Public Leadership Fellow in 2021. In 2009 he contributed to Global Studio in South Africa, an action-research program to improve the lives of the urban poor, and returned in 2012 as a project associate in India. He assisted the 2013-2015 CSUD-Global Studio People Building Better Cities: Participation and Inclusive Urbanization traveling exhibition, and is contributing to the CSUD project Accelerating the SDGs. As a TED-featured speaker, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and GreenBiz Young Global Sustainability Leader with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), William is a driving force in the global action on urban innovation and sustainable cities.