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Message from the 2021 Convening Institution

CUHK is honoured to take up the convenorship of the HKSCC again and chair the executive committee in 2021. Over the past decade, the consortium has become one of the major platforms to advance sustainable development in the tertiary education sector in the region.

Universities have a social responsibility for sustainable development. From installing solar panels to engaging in community projects, the eight member institutions of the HKSCC have made some amazing changes on their campuses. At CUHK, the philosophy of sustainable development is firmly embedded in all our values and aspirations and we have implemented policies and programmes that place sustainability at the centre of our university life. We look forward to working with fellow HKSCC members to explore and deliver innovative solutions and develop responsible processes that will benefit the tertiary education and school sectors in Hong Kong.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen individuals work together and make positive differences on one another’s wellbeing. The HKSCC is a community committed to building sustainable campuses where brilliant people come together to learn, work, create and prosper. We believe that our joint effort will promise a more sustainable future for those who follow in our footsteps.

Eric S. P. Ng

Co-Chair, HKSCC Executive Committee

Cecilia S.S. Lam

Co-Chair, HKSCC Executive Committee

Background

There is increasing global attention to climate change and the associated challenges of sustainable development. Asia is a region that is highly vulnerable— in which economic development, environmental degradation, and the growth of the higher education sector have been dramatic in recent decades. Public and private organisations around the world are seeking new ways to respond to these issues. Universities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) recognize that they have a responsibility to take up this challenge by contributing to solutions and strategies that will serve our community and the world.

Therefore, the Vice Chancellors and Presidents of the eight publicly- funded universities in the HKSAR signed the Hong Kong Declaration in May 2010 – a statement of principles which highlights the importance of sustainable development in light of climate change, and a commitment to provide appropriate responses to the ensuing challenges through the universities’ core missions of research, teaching and knowledge exchange.The Hong Kong Declaration also acknowledges the importance of universities to serve as models within the community and to work across communities to forge appropriate solutions.

Terms of Reference

With the signing of the Hong Kong Declaration, all the eight institutions joined hands to form the Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium (HKSCC) in 2010.

Encourage and promote the ongoing efforts of the member universities in their development and implementation of sustainability solutions through research and teaching, campus policies and operations, local and international outreach, and knowledge exchange;

Provide a vehicle for mutual support and the exchange of good practices with member universities through appropriate programs, projects and activities, and the establishment of specialist groups and/or working parties, as necessary;

Provide a platform for public discussion of these issues through regular meetings, conferences, ad hoc projects, electronic communications and other means;

Facilitate the sharing of information and resources as the member universities’ interests and activities with regard to sustainability expand in the future.

Collective GHG Reduction Target

The HKSCC supports the Government’s latest emissions target set out in the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2030+. In 2017, the consortium carried out a study to project our forthcoming emissions and set a medium‐term collective target for the tertiary education sector – aiming to reduce aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020/2021 (from the base figures of 2015/2016).

HKSCC Strategic Plan: From Sharing to Developing

One of the many positive outcomes of the HKSCC over the past eight years was the coalescing of a strong sustainability vision among the eight schools. While each school remained unique in character, the identity of the Consortium took shape as a collective force for promoting sustainability within our larger higher education community. First by sharing ideas, approaches, and data, and later by collaborating on areas of interest, the Consortium now has a solid foundation for promoting sustainability within the Hong Kong university sector. Over the next eight years, the Consortium has the potential to move beyond a platform of sharing to a platform for developing more dynamic and active collaborative sustainability solutions. This 2019-2027 Strategic Plan sets forth goals, strategies, and tactics for achieving this vision.

Convenor and Secretariat

Member universities will take turns to take up the HKSCC convenorship on a yearly basis, and the university with the convenor role will provide secretarial support to the Consortium for that year. In 2013, the HKSCC agreed to move the term of the convenorship from an academic year to a calendar year.

2021	The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2020	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
2019	The University of Hong Kong
2018	Lingnan University
2017	The Education University of Hong Kong
2016	Hong Kong Baptist University
2015	City University of Hong Kong
2014	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2012 - 2013	The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2011 - 2012	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
2010 - 2011	The University of Hong Kong

Our members

The HKSCC’s founding members are the eight publicly-funded institutions of the HKSAR. As the Consortium’s activities expand in the years ahead, other higher education institutions in the region may also be invited to participate.

List of representatives:

(as of April 2021)

City University of Hong Kong Professor Chak K. CHAN Dean of School of Energy and Environment Chair Professor of Atmospheric Environment	Ms Brenda LAI Director of Facilities Management
Hong Kong Baptist University Ms Carolin FONG Director of Estates	Dr Shan Shan CHUNG Senior Lecturer, Department of Biology
Lingnan University Professor Mark A. MCGINLEY Professor of Teaching and Head of Science Unit Director of Core Curriculum and General Education	Mr Ian WOO Comptroller
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Mr Eric S.P. NG Vice-President (Administration) and University Secretary	Mrs Cecilia S. S. LAM Chief Sustainability Officer Director, Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Office
The Education University of Hong Kong Mr Wai Tat LAU Director of Estates	Professor Eric Po Keung TSANG Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies and Student Learning), Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Professor Daniel SHEK Interim Vice President (Research and Innovation)	Mr Joseph CHAN Head, Campus Sustainability
The University of Hong Kong Mr K. L. TAM Director of Estates	Professor Kaimin SHIH Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Mr Davis BOOKHART Head of Sustainability Adjunct Assistant Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability	Professor Benjamin STEUER Assistant Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability

Membership of the Working Groups