HKUST Annual Report 2018-19

47 HKUST The HKUST 2020 Sustainability Challenge, a University-wide campaign tomakeHKUSTasustainability leader in operations, communities, research and demonstration, and education, made substantial progress in 2018-19. This brought further reductions in waste and energy, together with a host of green activities involving students and staff, the launch of a major platform to turn the campus into a “living lab” for novel sustainability projects, and the start of a sustainability-focused Common Core course. OPERATIONS Among Sustainability Challenge goals is a 50% reduction in landfill waste and 10% drop in electricity consumption compared with the 2014-15 baseline. To assist this objective in 2018-19, the Sustainable Operations Executive Committee, under the leadership of the Vice- President for Administration and Business, introduced the recycling of animal bedding from laboratories, and carried out an exhaust fan study that resulted in significant savings in energy spent on ventilation. Despite an expansion of around 41,500 sq m (8.8%) and 2,200 more campus users since 2014-15, overall energy reductions reached 3.1% by the end of 2018-19, with a total decrease of 22.5% in greenhouse gas emissions. Energy reduction focused on lights, labs, and energy systems in buildings, with particular emphasis on improving data accuracy and operational efficiency. Meanwhile, the Committee continued its aggressive drive to cut down sources of waste – such as single-use disposables – in addition to expanding traditional recycling and reuse programs. These efforts led to a decrease of 30% compared with the baseline year, eliminating 900 tons of landfill waste overall. COMMUNITIES To encourage more participation in eco-friendly endeavors, the Shanghai Commercial Bank-HKUST Sustainable Campus Leadership Program 2018-19 supported 20 student Eco-Reps in designing and implementing green campus projects. Student groups found creative ways to generate electricity via plants and explore piezoelectricity, beautify an outdoor staircase, and assist in building a green culture in labs. In addition, Green Team members, comprising staff volunteers who work in their own time to improve campus conditions, coordinated with the National Geographic Society to hold a popular “Planet or Plastic” exhibition in the Atrium. A 100% recyclable cardboard display unit showcased photographs and videos on single-use plastic and how it is damaging wildlife and the environment globally. The exhibition followed a “Meal Boxes Go Green” campaign in Fall semester, which encouraged campus members to bring reusable meal boxes for takeaways. A sub-group of the team promoted food sharing through social media. Working with student societies via Green O’Camp for freshers and Green Promotion activities also contributed to campus waste reduction. Sustainability Network representatives continued to encourage their respective departments and offices to dispense with plastic water bottles and participated in the pilot Green Office Audit Program. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium worked across Hong Kong universities to jointly organize a “UNIfy – Bring Your Own” campaign to motivate students and staff to reduce waste by bringing their own lunch boxes, water bottles, bags, and straws. DEMONSTRATION The “Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab” initiative, jointly administered by the GREAT Smart Cities Institute and HKUST Sustainability Unit, got underway to inspire students and academics to use the HKUST campus as a “living laboratory” to demonstrate “smart” projects that could contribute to solving sustainability issues. Using the campus in this way is expected to bring high visibility to such ideas as well as create learning opportunities. More than 50 project proposals were submitted over two rounds of Sustainable Smart Campus funding, with 18 underway by the end of 2018-19. The scheme’s launch during the annual Spring media gathering in February 2019 gave project teams the opportunity to explain their projects to the journalists present. An estimated 500 people took part in the event, which was well reported in local media outlets. EDUCATION In January 2019, HKUST’s Sustainability Education Community organized Hong Kong’s first workshop to help educators teach sustainability across disciplines. The one-day interactive workshop, entitled “Sustainability Across the Curriculum: The Hong Kong Context”, challenged participants to explore sustainability-related skills and competencies for learning in a Hong Kong context. Participants came from eight universities and three NGOs, and spanned diverse fields. In line with this drive to expand teaching and learning of environmental issues, the Division of Environment and Sustainability introduced a Common Core course entitled Introduction to Sustainability in Spring 2019, with a total of 176 students attending the sessions. Flipped classrooms, blended learning and activity-based teaching methods were used to boost students’ interest and awareness of issues locally and globally and enhance their ability to address them. Two members of the Elderly Academy Scheme also attended the course, giving highly positive feedback. Eco-friendly activities extended their reach with the launch of the Sustainable Smart Campus initiative