The Race to Zero: HKUST Unveils First Comprehensive Net-Zero Action Plan Among Local Universities
Investing HK$30 million in Decarbonization Innovation
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announces its Net-Zero Action Plan (Action Plan), which is the first among higher education institutions in Hong Kong to have a comprehensive framework with multi-pronged strategies aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. This plan is supported by a commitment of HK$30 million earned from renewable energy generation to further accelerate research and adoption of innovative decarbonization solutions on campus.
Following extensive consultations, HKUST sets ambitious targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, aiming for a 50% decrease by 2035 and full net-zero by 2045. This Action plan builds upon the university's previous success, having already reduced GHG emissions by 34% since the launch of its first sustainability master plan in 2014.1
A key component of the Action Plan includes stringent design and operational guidelines for new and renovated buildings. The Net-Zero Building Standards developed by HKUST exceed Hong Kong’s highest green building certification requirements. Notably, the Martin Ka Shing Lee Innovation Building set to open in 2025 will be one of the lowest embodied carbon buildings in Hong Kong, achieving less than 500 kg CO2e/m², a 30% improvement over Hong Kong Green Building Council’s baseline.2
HKUST also commits to investing HK$30 million over the next eight years to pilot new climate tech solutions under a “Living Lab” approach, using the campus as a testbed for advancing smart, sustainable, innovations. The investment is financed by Feed-in-Tariff payments from the university’s 2.5 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic system, the largest institutional system of its kind in Hong Kong.
Prof. TAM Kar-Yan, HKUST Vice-President for Administration and Business, stated, “Universities have a vital role to play in the fight against climate change. The Net-Zero Action Plan reflects a commitment to collective action and innovative problem-solving across all areas of the university. By raising the ambition to decarbonize our campus, we not only showcase efforts to implement low-carbon innovations, but also create a catalyst for further discussions among partners, local industries, and government to collaboratively tackle this significant challenge.”
Dr. Kenneth LEUNG, Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero of HKUST, added, “Achieving net zero requires clear strategies, goals, and timeline. Progress towards our goals should also be monitored from time to time so that the Action Plan can be further refined to meet the latest development needs. As many of the technologies required for moving towards net zero are still under development, the willingness to try out innovative technologies on our campus is a prerequisite to successful implementation of the Action Plan.”
The Action Plan outlines additional strategic actions to bolster the resilience of the campus against extreme weather, promote net-zero training, and establish cost-recovery mechanisms for funding decarbonization efforts. For further information on the five strategic areas of action, please refer to the full report.
HKUST will conduct regular reviews of the Net-Zero Action Plan, with updates provided regularly to ensure transparency on progress towards goals. For the most recent update, please refer to the 2024/25 Progress Update.
1 Net-zero refers to reducing carbon emissions to a residual level that can be absorbed and durably stored by nature, leaving no emissions in the atmosphere (https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/).
2 Hong Kong Green Building Council’s embodied carbon baseline for the above-ground structure of non-residential buildings is 800 kg CO2e/m².
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class university that excels in driving innovative education, research excellence, and impactful knowledge transfer. With a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy approach, HKUST was ranked 3rd in the Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2024, 19th Worldwide and No.1 in Hong Kong in Times Higher Education’s Impact Rankings. Thirteen HKUST subjects were ranked among the world’s top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” holding the 17th place, maintaining its position as first in Hong Kong. Our graduates are highly competitive, consistently ranking among the world’s top 30 most sought-after employees. In terms of research and entrepreneurship, over 80% of our work was rated “Internationally excellent” or “world leading” in the latest Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. As of November 2024, HKUST members have founded over 1,800 active start-ups, including 10 Unicorns and 16 exits (IPO or M&A).
For media enquiries, please contact:
Gloria Tang
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: gloriatang@ust.hk
Philip Kwong
Tel: 2358 6299
Email: philipkwong@ust.hk
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