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S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
R E S E A R C H @ H K U S
Eco-friendly
Campus Living
HKUST is not only setting out to impact
others but to live as it proposes we
should all endeavor to do. The HKUST
2020 Sustainability Challenge, launched
in 2015, provides the University with
a clear vision for eco-friendly living
by turning the campus into a vibrant
showcase for zero-carbon, zero-waste
and net-positive environmental impact.
The action plan seeks to create a
proactive Sustainability Network,
reaching across education, operations,
research and the campus population,
and serving as a model for sustainable
aspirations globally. The dynamic
initiative encompasses: development of
sustainability curricula; provision for the
systematic reduction of waste, energy
use and greenhouse gas production
in daily operations; applied research
that can demonstrate fresh ideas and
solutions; and communication and
projects to motivate campus community
involvement.
Five-year targets are in place for each
area. These objectives range from
educating graduates that have the
ability and commitment to serve as
sustainability problem-solvers, locally
and globally, to aggressive operational
goals to decrease energy and
greenhouse gases by 10% and waste
by 50%.
The figure shows
the annual mean
satellite-retrieved
PM2.5 concentrations
from HKUST’s new
aerosol optical depth
(AOD)-PM2.5 model,
with validations from
ground-based air-quality
monitoring stations.
HKUST air quality research supersite
Supersite Seeks Answers
In a landmark regional move, the
University established the first Air Quality
Research Supersite on campus in 2011 to
investigate the sources and nature of toxic
ambient particulate matter (PM) in Hong
Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Supported
by the Hong Kong University Grants
Committee and the Environment and
Conservation Fund, the Supersite is
equipped with an automatic weather
station tower and exclusive real-time
instrumentation for physical and chemical
characterization of particulates. The data
provides a basis for advanced air quality
modeling and determining the impact of
traffic-related PMs, and how such particles
affect visibility over southern China. In
parallel, an air quality monitoring station
located at the HKUST campus in Nansha,
Guangzhou, provides complementary
measurements of chemical components
of PM2.5 in the Pearl River Delta.
PROF ALEXIS LAU
Professor of Environment,
Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Director, HKUST Atmospheric Research Center
We know how to deal with air
pollution and, if we are willing
to pay the costs of controlling
it, we can improve our air
quality. It involves getting
information out to people, and
making them aware of the
effects of air pollution on their
health
Prof Alexis Lau (second from left) and
Prof Jimmy Fung (second from right)
