About

Message from the 2022 Convening Institution

Universities are transformational leaders in advancing sustainability to combat climate change.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is honored to take up the convenorship of the Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium (HKSCC) again and chair the executive committee in 2022. Since the establishment in 2010, the HKSCC has continuously been engaging, informing, and empowering universities to take collective action on climate change and sustainable development.

Universities are transformational leaders who explore new approaches and develop green solutions to combat climate change in ensuring sustainable development. PolyU cherishes sustainability values, abides by sustainability practices, advances knowledge of sustainability and achieves excellence in sustainability by integrating sustainability in research and teaching, campus operations and development as well as knowledge transfer and outreach.

With the University’s commitment to playing a leading societal role in the pursuit of carbon neutrality, a task force to drive the development of a carbon neutral campus through adoption of best practices and sustainable technologies, including PolyU’s own path-breaking research and innovations has recently been established. The task force will also explore how to expand the application of PolyU’s research with a view to benefit our community and helping our city and nation achieve the carbon neutrality goal.

We look forward to working with member institutions to foster more innovative and decarbonization solutions and participate actively in climate actions to address local and regional sustainability challenges for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

Joint effort from the eight member institutions of the HKSCC to support and contribute to the carbon neutrality roadmap in our society will advance Hong Kong’s achievement of the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050.

Christopher Chao Lawrence Lau

Co-Chair, HKSCC Executive Committee 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.

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

HKSCC Strategic Plan 2019–2027

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.

HKSCC Executive Committee

Member universities take turns to take up the HKSCC convenorship on a yearly basis, with secretarial support provided by the convening institution. In 2013, the HKSCC agreed to move the term of the convenorship from an academic year to a calendar year. In 2021, the consortium established the HKSCC Executive Committee, which is chaired by the convening institution.

2022 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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