2028 Challenge Progress and Performance
The Operations focus of the 2020 Sustainability Challenge was primarily on energy and waste. With the announcement of the Hong Kong government of a new plan to become carbon neutral by 2050, our 2028 Sustainability Challenge energy focus will be placed within the context of carbon reductions. The new plan also includes three additional areas; Water, Landscape and Biodiversity, and Community Wellbeing.
A new Sustainable Operations Executive Committee chaired by the Vice President for Administration and Business was formed to oversee the implementation of the progress and performance of the new sustainability master plan and will review and report progress to the campus community.
Energy and GHG
Energy Goal
Using the baseline year of 2014, exceed the Hong Kong government energy target by reaching a 15% reduction by 2028.
Strategies
- Aggressively pursue energy reduction opportunities as identified
- Expand renewable energy opportunities
- Reduce campus-related GHG emissions from tracer gases and refrigerants
- Expand metering and data collection to improve analytics and predictive actions
- Expand community-based behavior campaigns to incorporate the contributions of the HKUST community
KPIs
Measurement and reporting of energy and GHG footprint
Water
Water Goal
Make substantial progress towards UN Sustainable Development goal #6 Clean Water and Sanitation by limiting potable water consumption to less than 500,000 cubic meters by 2028
Strategies
- Aggressively pursue water reduction opportunities in student and staff residences
- Identify and implement grey water recycling projects
- Identify and implement rain water capture and recycling projects
- Develop an irrigation reduction infrastructure using sensors and drip irrigation methods
KPIs
Measurement and reporting of freshwater and seawater consumption
Waste to the Landfill
Waste Goal
By 2028 reduce waste to the landfill by 75% compared to the 2014 baseline year
Strategies
- Develop and implement an on-campus composting program for biodegradable materials
- Institute strategies to eliminate disposables from the campus eating establishments
- Utilize the purchasing power of the university to motivate vendors to reduce the amount of packaging materials brought to campus
- Establish a space for repairing, trading, and loaning materials to extend their lives and avoid new purchases
KPIs
Measurement and reporting of waste to landfill, food waste, avoidance, and recycling data.
Landscape and Biodiversity
Landscape Goal
Utilize the campus landscape as an active resource for research, sustainability experimentation, and community engagement.
Strategies
- Focus on improving soil content through eco-friendly techniques such as the use of compost, biochar, and reduction of chemical fertilizers.
- Establish a metering system for measuring the amount of water used for irrigation and implement water efficiency measures to reduce consumption measurably.
- Make more areas of the campus available for formal (SSC) and informal engagement and research.
- Creation of biodiversity zones on campus that can serve as ways to create inventories of bio-activity.
KPIs
Measurement and reporting of fertilizer use, compost created and used, and campus-related projects
Community Well-Being
Well-Being Goal
Establish a framework for measuring the well-being of the campus community, and include specific measures for continuous improvement.
Strategies
- Implement campus improvements focused on their contributions to stress reduction and community enjoyment
- Revise HKUST sustainable catering policy to emphasize Food Made Good Index priority items
- Develop a measurement and evaluation framework for assessing community well-being.
- Monitor air quality, lighting, and other comfort indicators for improving campus conditions for staff and students.
KPIs
Measurement and reporting of number of betterment projects, staff and student surveys, and quantitative improvements in food and nutrition