HKUST Sustainability 3 Environment Social and Governance Report 2021-22 Commitment of HKUST to Net Zero Carbon by 2050 It is an international scientific consensus that in order to prevent the worst climate damages, global human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to decline to net zero by 2050. Global leaders have recognized this target, including Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam who announced in her September 2020 policy address that Hong Kong will become carbon neutral by 2050. HKUST is committed to meeting this ambitious challenge and aims to become a net-zero carbon university by 2050, if not earlier, by taking the lead on developing solutions that demonstrates our dedication to creating a true net-zero world. Develop Net-zero Campus Solutions HKUST will enhance the connectivity of Research Institutes and prioritize cross-disciplinary collaboration for the development of net-zero campus solutions. The near term action is to accelerate cross-disciplinary efforts by defining specific net-zero roles and contributions that our globally respected Research Institutes can make towards tangible net-zero results. The campuses will serve as a platform to validate and demonstrate home-grown solutions and proofs of concept for various net-zero approaches. The long term aim is to translate these results into collaborations with government and private sector partners to transfer the useful technologies into applications that can be implemented across the GBA. Transforming Our Campuses We will identify long-term strategies that will form a roadmap to net-zero 2050. Immediate priorities include zero carbon buildings and carbon-sensitive renovations and refurbishment. Further efforts will include policy adoption on resource centralization, use of spaces, and economic incentives/disincentives (e.g., socialized cost of carbon). These strategies will be grounded in the need for stepchange solutions and guided by the belief that disruptive technologies and societal shifts that will reshape the future of living, the future of work, and the future of our buildings. Net-zero Statement
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