HKU hooks up in carbon neutral push

University of Hong Kong yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with University of Sydney and Fudan University to collaborate on sustainability and carbon neutrality initiatives.

The memorandum was signed during the 27th annual presidents' meeting of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, hosted by HKU on the theme "From Invention to Implementation - Solutions for a Sustainable Future" from Sunday to today.

The memorandum seeks to formulate university-wide carbon neutrality targets and advance research and educational programs towards sustainability and carbon neutrality in the Asia-Pacific region.

Providing for joint research efforts, teaching and learning initiatives, it also includes the establishment of a steering committee to achieve these objectives.

HKU president and vice-chancellor Zhang Xiang described the memorandum as significant.

"The memorandum we are signing today serves the pivotal role in enabling all three of us in advancing university-wide carbon neutrality targets across our respective institutions, and leading research that brings sustainability and carbon neutrality throughout the (Asia-Pacific) region," Zhang said at the signing ceremony.

"Through the teaching and learning programs under this MoU, our combined impact would reach far and wide," he said, in reference to his aspiration to create a mega hub for researches.

University of Sydney president and vice-chancellor Mark Scott said he looked forward to working together to tackle climate change that he described as "the most pressing problem of our age."

"We will be looking to draw on the university's multidisciplinary strength to engage researchers from medicine and health, climate change, sustainability and other areas, and from our strategic initiatives such as the Net Zero Initiative and Sydney Environment Institute," Scott said.

Scott believed answers to the "complex problems" could not be found by a university acting alone but "the answers will come with deep collaboration and deep insights drawing in experts wherever they are, and be able to work together in a truly collaborative way around these challenges."

Fudan University vice president of Xu Lei emphasized that universities in the region should enhance cooperation with each other while striving hard to meet the goal of a greener and more balanced future.