HKUST Environment ,Social and Governance Report 2020-21

Pollution

Graph 8 (Scope 1&2 GHG EmissionsTrend 2010/11 to 2020/21)

4.032 3.975

Greenhouse Gases Emissions Overview in 2020/21 HKUST is committed to meeting or exceeding the GHG reductions needed to stay within the bounds of the Science-Based Targets reductions over time. Further, HKUST is committed to meeting the Hong Kong goal of becoming net-carbon zero by 2050. To this end, the university has created a new Sustainability/Net Zero Office tasked with focusing on creating and implementing a Net-Zero 2050 roadmap. The roadmap will be overseen by a Net-ZeroTask Force, including members from senior leadership positions in the university to ensure that the net-zero priorities remain university priorities. All economic activities today (whether sourcing raw materials, manufacturing and using goods, or transporting things around the world) cause some degree of pollution, including an increasing concentration of GHGs in our atmosphere. HKUST is committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring that no harmful emissions escape out of HKUST’s laboratories.

4.0

60K

3.741

3.651

55K

3.5

3.521

50K

3.225 3.044

3.0

45K

Introduction Materiality Environment, Social and Governance Sustainability initiatives ESG frameworks

40K

2.723

2.537

2.5

2.565

35K

2.0

30K

MetricTons of CO2E 25K

1.720

1.5

MetricTons of CO2E Per Capita/GFA

1.344

1.293

20K

1.288

1.281

1.258

1.037

1.117

1.0

15K

0.871

0.952 0.922

10K

Measure Names

0.602

0.5

5K

Emissions Capita Emissions GFA

0.0

0K

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21

2010/11

Graph 7 (Clearwater Bay Campus Carbon Emission ProjectionTowards 2050)

Total GHG emission (tonne CO 2 ) Scope 1+2 Scinece-based target scope 1+2 emission (tonne CO 2 )

The table below shows the amount of CO2 emitted by each various type of scope over a span of 3 years from 2018 to 2021.

50,000

40,000

30,000

Table 9 (Amount of CO 2 emitted by each various type of scope)

20,000

10,000

Year

Scope 1 (metric tons)

Scope 2 (metric tons)

Scope 3 (metric tons)

Emissions per GFA (metric tons per m 2 )

-

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

2034

2036

2038

2040

2042

2044

2046

2048

2050

2018 / 19 2019 / 20 2020 / 21

0.92 0.87 0.60

1,228 971 1,019

46,254 43,879 32,886

657 242 126

With 95% of campus energy consumed as electricity, the emissions profile is based on the fuels portfolio used by our electric utility (CLP) to produce electricity. In the 2020/21 academic year, HKUST emitted 33,890 metric tons of CO 2 equivalent from sources of Scope 1 and 2, which was 27% lower than the previous year. Scope 1 Direct GHG emissions increased by 3% while Scope 2 Indirect GHG emissions showed a 25% reduction.The intensity of emissions per capita and per square meter of building area have decreased over seven straight academic years.

The main driver for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is from scope 2 electricity, which represents an improved fuel mix from CLP for electricity.

Our Net-Zero Journey

Environmental, Social and Governance Report 2020-21

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