HKUST Environment , Social and Governance Report 2020-21

Environmental, Social and Governance Report 2020-21 30 31 Our Net-Zero Journey Introduction Materiality Environment, Social and Governance Sustainability initiatives ESG frameworks People Community and Employee Health is Safeguarded HKUST recognizes that staff and students are the most important assets of the University. Their knowledge, expertise, engagement and research are essential factors in securing success. Thus a range of initiatives, measures and policies are implemented to promote employee and community wellbeing. HKUST is proud to be the home of talents from many different cultural and educational backgrounds, forming a solid foundation to work together as an integrated team not only to learn, explore, and understand the world better but ourselves and others. Our goal is to embrace and value differences, to learn from each other, and to foster a mindset of diversity that promotes inclusiveness, collegiality, and respect. A key element in achieving such goals will be our implementation of next-generation business processes, information technologies, and systems. This will improve the effectiveness of our administrative framework as a whole and make it more empowering, efficient, and productive. UNICEF and Department of Health of HKSAR Government is promoting breastfeeding. A HKUST’s Mothers’ Station was established for providing mothers a comfortable and convenient environment for breast milk pumping. The SEN (Special Educational Needs) Support under the Counselling and Wellness Center provides a wide range of support services and resources to ensure that all students have equality of opportunity, that they benefit equally from university life, and that a campus culture of inclusion is cultivated. Many facilities, learning aids and equipment are accessible around the campus for students with SEN to use. HKUST’s Global Graduate Tower (GGT) has purpose-designed bedrooms for students with physical disabilities. The room is equipped with heightadjustable furniture, automatic door and motion-sensing switches for light and air-conditioning. HSEO provides on occupational health and medical surveillance program that meets regulatory requirements and professional standards to ensure a safe work environment for employees by coordinating physical examinations to assure employees are suited to their work, coordinating employee access to emergency treatment and limited medical care for occupational and nonoccupational illness or injury, and providing training and general health education. In addition, HSEO has an updated safety and environmental protection manual, used to handle different types of emergency situations such as Engineering Safety and Chemical Safety. HKUST’s Counseling Centre provides all year-round counselling services and workshops to HKUST staff and students while being in a progress of curating an online-interactive platform for HKUST members to utilize and communicate with other members or professional counselling personnel. Employees are protected by the Employment Compensation Ordinance ( Cap. 282 ). This ordinance applies to situations where an employee, during the course of employment, suffers injury or damages. Protection includes no fault compensation, where an employee is entitled to compensation without needing to prove the fault of any party. HKUST is a non-smoking campus. Any person who smokes or carries a lighted tobacco product in a statutory non-smoking area will be fined up to HK$1,500. At HKUST, all the food outlets display the calories information on the purchase display boards. Moreover, there are food outlets near to all academic buildings at HKUST serving vegan and vegetarian options. HKUST has a large indoor sports hall of 1,600 square meters floor space for badminton, basketball, volleyball, and handball. Furthermore, HKUST also has Outdoor sport facilities include an artificial turf soccer pitch, a 400-meter track with 8 lanes, hard-surface mini-soccer pitch, basketball court, lawn area and tennis courts. This is further complemented by a 50-meter outdoor pool and a 25-meter indoor pool available for swimming and aquatic activities. HKUST Staff Association also organized various sporting groups for staff members to participate. Promoting fairness and accessibility Physical safety Mental well-being Support for Lost Time Smoking Nutrition Physical activity

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