HKUST Annual Report 2024-2025

54 HKUST ANNUAL REPORT 2024-25 At the Congress, HKUST also gathered partner institutions from its 2024 joint-university declaration, an initiative it launched to drive campus carbon neutrality worldwide. The meeting enabled participants to share progress on transforming campuses into “Living Labs” for sustainability innovation. The “Living Lab” approach is based on HKUST’s successful creation of a platform for co-creating and testing sustainable development innovations on campus. Since its launch in 2019, the initiative has sparked 49 homegrown projects, supporting over 20 seed projects and involving more than 1,100 students, 280 faculty members, and 1,200 external visitors. Projects funded in 2024–2025 include using of UAVs with thermographic cameras for building facade inspections to address tile aging issues and introducing a 3D-printed reef optimized for oyster growth and to enhance natural water filtration. In other national and international developments, the University signed a collaborative framework agreement with the China Meteorological Administration to drive innovation in meteorological science and education. Furthermore, UNESCO endorsed HKUST’s research-to- operation initiative on Seamless Prediction and Services for Sustainable Natural and Built Environments (SEPRESS) in 2025 to build climate resilience and sustainability. The project already has 12 partners on board, hailing from the Chinese Mainland, Nepal, Egypt, Thailand, and Pakistan, among others. FIRST LOCAL UNIVERSITY-WIDE NET-ZERO ACTION PLAN HKUST has become the first university in Hong Kong to announce a comprehensive, multi-pronged framework aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. This Ne t -Ze ro Ac t i on P l an wi l l not on l y gu i de the decarbonization of our campus through low-carbon innovations but also serve as a catalyst for collaboration with partners, local industries, and the government to tackle this critical challenge collectively. The transformative action plan encompasses five key areas: net-zero new buildings, decarbonization innovation, climate resilience, net-zero research and skill-building, and sustainable finance. It is supported by a commitment of HK$30 million over the next eight years to pilot novel climate tech solutions using a “Living Lab” approach. The investment is funded by Feed-in-Tariff payments from the University’s 2.5-megawatt solar photovoltaic system—the largest institutional system of its kind in Hong Kong. A key component of the Action Plan involves stringent design and operational guidelines for new and renovated buildings, with HKUST’s net-zero building standards exceeding Hong Kong’s highest green building certification requirements. In addition to construction, net-zero training modules have been launched for contractors and suppliers, and partnerships have been established with start-ups to pilot green technologies on campus. Alongside, the HKUST 2028 Sustainability Challenge continues to advance endeavors to reduce energy, waste, and water usage while enhancing the natural landscape of the Clear Water Bay campus. 1,100+ Students Involved in Living Lab Projects