Connecting sustainability with the University community

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to working across multiple disciplines to help address the global challenges facing the world today. The University has attained remarkable achievements in sustainable development and education over the past years. As it links its academic programmes and research to sustainability commitments, it also undertakes countless activities and works related to sustainability, and the level of activities continues to broaden. It brings about increasing opportunities to engage all students and staff with sustainability and the green culture.

The University is keen to develop a campus infrastructure that is responsible to the environment. It focuses on the environmental performance of new buildings and implements energy efficiency and resource saving strategies and facilities to bring about a sustainable and healthy campus environment for all. The Block X redevelopment project demonstrates how the University strives to incorporate green and sustainable principles into the design and planning of major building works. The campus is also a testbed for innovations as the University researchers and experts make good use of the campus infrastructure and turn it into a showroom of green technologies and ideas.

“In fact, we have an ambitious yet meaningful goal – we put our focus on people, and we want to connect sustainability with their life. We are happy with the green and well-built environment and infrastructure, but we all know sustainability means more than hardware,” suggested by the Head, Campus Sustainability Mr. Joseph Chan. “Sustainability is about driving cultural and behavioral change among our staff and students. It’s about how they put sustainable practices in their daily habits and care not only their present need but the benefits of the bigger community and our environment in the long run.” Undoubtedly, PolyU makes exceptional progress in sustainable development in the most recent three years by being proactive in mainstreaming sustainability into its plans, decisions, education, and operations. New policies, communications campaigns, green and other social good initiatives are there to motivate the University community toward sustainability.

The University integrates sustainability into its decision-making framework and introduces new policies and guidelines. In 2017, PolyU officially endorsed and announced its Paper Reduction Policy in April, which focuses on promoting paper reduction through integrating related practices into all facets of university operations. Subsequently, the University commenced a new campaign targeting to reduce paper consumption on a university-basis by an overall 10% at the end of the financial year 2017/18 on office-use printing paper. PolyU made another brilliant move in the same year. It was one among the few pioneering local institutions that decided to discontinue the sale of bottled water (non-sparkling, unflavored drinking water in any single-serving plastic bottle of less than 1 liter) in vending machines, convenience store and catering outlets on campus and hostels. Administrative measures were also in place that all departments and offices would not offer single-serving bottled water (below 1 liter) in their activities and events.

Joseph commented that these new policies are getting results. “Our new policies and guidelines communicate our sustainability values and environmental commitments. They tell how the University reacts toward the pressing global challenges. We receive genuine support from our departments and offices that soon advocate new proposals and measures to cut down their paper usage and switch to other solutions like going electronic. We also welcome new ideas from the University community to offer alternatives to bottled water in their marketing events.”

Sustainable development cannot be achieved by policies and regulations alone. It requires quality communication at all levels and in all contexts. PolyU sees the birth of a few important initiatives in recent years that define the focus of sustainability communication. It stages different community education and engagements activities that are crucial to raising awareness and influencing action to engage people in working for sustainability.

The University factors sustainable principles and measures into workplace operations by launching the campus-wide Green PolyU Awards – Green Office programme. It not only looks at developing appropriate environmental practices and recommendations to greening the workplace. It also focuses on effecting changes among the staff. This well-tailored programme features regular training sessions, workshops, assessments, awards, and opportunities for dialogues and discussion. In addition to convincing staff members across all levels to practice ‘green’ in their daily operations, this programme encourages staff to reflect how sustainability relates to them practically in their daily life. It inspires staff to bring home the green practices and share with their families and friends.

PolyU also sees the need to connect the University community with the society at large on issues of sustainability. The world is facing a plastic pollution problem, and the University believes it holds a strong responsibility to drive awareness and action toward this global crisis. It has been campaigning a dedicated Plastic Free Friday movement since May 2018, aiming to convince the University community to reflect on their daily habits. Plastics, in all forms – straws, bottles, packaging, cutleries, bags, and lunchboxes – are threatening the planet. The University, therefore, invites all staff and students to pledge to skip plastics for at least one day in a week and to reflect on how single-use plastics bring convenience and disastrous consequences at the same time. Various offices on campus have joined hands in organizing engagement activities to promote this to everyone on campus through movie screening, sharing sessions, and seminars. PolyU also partners with other local universities and concerned groups in the society in joint projects targeting to cut back on plastic straws.

The University is also looking at ways to tackle, manage and reduce waste. With findings derived from the campus-wide waste audit exercise and the responses obtained in four stakeholders engagement session, PolyU has introduced its first-ever community program on campus in March 2018 that pairs a higher bring-your-own incentive with a takeaway levy (against takeaway lunchboxes and cups) at designated catering outlets on campus and in student halls. To answer the requests from those who say they need containers to carry their takeaway meals, the EC BoZ Rental Scheme came into place in May 2018. Staff and students can get a reusable EC BoZ after paying a deposit conveniently to carry their takeaway meals and return it for the deposit refund and free from the trouble of washing. “We receive positive feedback on these new programs, and we are fueled by even stronger motivation to move forward. We have recorded a drastic increase in bringing reusable containers, and we have also witnessed an increased and in-depth discussion of the disadvantages of plastic disposables. The University is advocating and fostering a meaningful change, and I believe our message is heard by the staff and students. They will become our reliable partners to spread the words to their communities,” Joseph said.

To create a culture of sustainability, people need to understand what sustainability is and why it is important. PolyU runs numerous interesting activities to translate sustainability and ‘green’ from a formal definition to everyday thinking and practice. Workshops, carnivals, visits, and talks are staged regularly. Furthermore, its urban farming activities present good lessons for students and staff on gardening, composting and landscaping with seasonal plants and vegetables. They are then able to learn how people live in the realm of nature and interact with it and to learn how to treat the natural environment with love and respect.

The University is seeking effective solutions and opportunities to involve its staff and students to share ideas, best practices, and works on sustainability. Much work has occurred to accelerate progress in sustainable development on campus. Through activities, education, and programs, PolyU tries to engage its community to understand how they can help themselves and the planet, who will then become the agents of change. The University believes that by encouraging one’s commitment to change, it can create motivational influence in those they interact with on a daily basis – family members, fellow classmates, colleagues, and friends. Their combined efforts will contribute significantly to the achievement of a sustainable and ‘green’ society.