HKUST Net-Zero 2045: A Scalable Blueprint for Institutional Decarbonization

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)’s Net-Zero Action Plan is a transformative and comprehensive roadmap that steers the entire university community towards an ambitious 2045 net-zero carbon target. This is not merely a climate pledge but an actionable framework that integrates sustainability across all university functions—governance, operations, research, teaching, and partnerships.

The plan is structured around five strategic pillars:

1. Designing all new buildings as net-zero carbon
2. Creatively funding investment in energy conservation and renewable sources
3. Enhancing climate resilience
4. Creating pathways for net-zero research and education
5. Establishing sensible cost-recovery funding mechanisms

Demonstrable Impact & Momentum

Since its launch, the Net-Zero 2045 Action Plan has released its 2024/25 Progress Update, which demonstrates the delivery of concrete, impactful outcomes to the campus and our ways-of-working:

• Pioneering Policies: Established Hong Kong’s first institutional Net-Zero Building Standards, incorporating embodied carbon requirements and a shadow carbon pricing mechanism to guide decision-making.
• Funding Innovation: Allocated HK$30 million, funded by Feed-in-Tariff revenues, to pilot cutting-edge technologies, transforming our campus into a living lab.
• Engaging a Broader Ecosystem: Launched targeted net-zero training for contractors, partnered with startups to pilot green technologies, and formed a 16-university Carbon Neutrality Collaboration to drive industry change.

Going forward, HKUST will conduct regular reviews of the Net-Zero Action Plan, with updates provided regularly to ensure transparency on progress towards goals.

Collaboration as a Core Principle

The plan was co-created and is being implemented through deep collaboration with stakeholders and external partners, ensuring alignment with real-world needs and fostering shared ownership of sustainability goals.

• Engaging Campus Operators: The Net-Zero Building Standards were developed jointly with the Campus Development Office, Campus Management Office, and building consultants to ensure practicality.
• Collaborating with Faculty: Climate resilience strategies are being designed with faculty experts to address site-specific risks.
• Partnering Industry: HKUST’s shadow carbon pricing is determined through dialogue with local corporate leaders, ensuring alignment with industry best practices. The university has partnered with initiatives like Carbonless to evaluate decarbonization technologies, collaborating with Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation to accelerate scalable solutions, and developed capacity-building modules for contractors and suppliers.

This plan redefines HKUST as a living lab for sustainability, where stakeholders contribute and mutually benefits, driving industry change.

Navigating Challenges with Innovative Solutions

HKUST is proactively addressing significant challenges to ensure the plan’s success:

1. Developing Sustainable Funding: To establish viable cost-recovery mechanisms, the university is learning from corporate partners to create a shadow carbon cost framework and a charging mechanism.
2. Accelerating Technology Adoption: With many net-zero technologies still emerging, the university is committed to creating a risk-tolerant “living lab” environment where new climate technology can be validated at scale.
3. Setting Ambitious Building Standards: The Net-Zero Building Standards surpass the highest green certifications yet remain practical through a “Comply or Explain” framework and mandatory data disclosure, balancing ambition with on-the-ground feasibility.

HKUST’s plan holistically aligns all university functions with a net-zero goal. It offers a financially innovative, technically rigorous, and collaboratively built model that is both locally relevant and globally scalable, providing a vital blueprint for institutions and organizations on the path to a net-zero future.

Learn more about HKUST’s Net-Zero Action Plan 2045.