Sustainable OperationsProgress Report, 2017-18

Prepared by the Sustainable Operations Executive CommitteeMark Hodgson, ChairJuly 2018

BackgroundThe Sustainable Operations Executive Committee (OpCo) was formed in 2016 as a strategy foraddressing the aggressive performance targets adopted in the university’s sustainability blueprint,called the HKUST 2020 Sustainability Challenge. Specifically, two targets created a direct challenge tothe way the members of our community operate within the university, encouraging a collaborativeeffort across the campus to help meet the reduction goals.

Certainly, the Facilities Management Office (FMO) and Campus Services Office (CSO) have oversizedresponsibilities for managing energy and wastes, but the reduction targets were designed to ensurethat accountability is distributed across the campus and throughout our community. In order toachieve the goals, the OpCo relies on all campus stakeholders.

This report highlights the performance through 2017-18, and highlights some of the extraordinaryroles people around the campus are performing to help meet the challenge.

The HKUST 2020 Challenge states that using 2014 as the baseline, we will accomplish the following performance targets by 2020:

1. Cut waste going to the landfill by 50%

2. Reduce our overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 10%

2014-15Baseline

2017-18Change

(previous year)Change

(Baseline)

Electricity (kWh) 93,067,207 92,966,450 -1.6% -0.1%

Greenhouse gas (ton CO2-e) 61,233 48,857 -7.2% -20.2%

Trash (ton) 3,322 2,884 -2.6% -13.2%

Recyclables (ton) 114 549 +44% +380%

Food waste recycling (ton) 2.9 305 +64% +10,590%

Copy paper (reams) 39,320 35,940 -5.8% -8.60%

Recycled paper (as % of total) 19% 42% +29% +119%

Water (m3) 406,158 415,265 -2.6% +2.2%

Overall

performance of

key indicators

6,500,000

6,800,000

7,100,000

7,400,000

7,700,000

8,000,000

8,300,000

8,600,000

Jul-

14

No

v-1

4

Mar

-15

Jul-

15

No

v-1

5

Mar

-16

Jul-

16

No

v-1

6

Mar

-17

Jul-

17

No

v-1

7

Mar

-18

Jul-

18

No

v-1

8

Mar

-19

Jul-

19

No

v-1

9

Mar

-20

Jul-

20

No

v-2

0

Mar

-21

Jul-

21

kWh

Electricity (12-month Rolling Average)

HKUST Forecast Baseline

Business as

usual

2020 Target

Treading water

EnergyOver 95% of the energy consumed on campus is in the form of electricity. Therefore, the OpCo determined thatelectricity should be the primary focus for reductions opportunities.

The challenge of energy reductions on a growing campus is that it take significant effort just to remain at a “treadingwater” status. Seen below, the energy consumption for the campus rose in 2016 and 17 because of the addition ofthe new CYT building and Conference Lodge. However, due to aggressive energy reduction efforts, those twobuildings have been folded into the campus with no net increase in energy consumption. The result is that we haveessentially gotten those two buildings for free (energy speaking).

EffortsIn 2017, the OpCo developed aperformance scorecard approach tosteering reduction projects during theyear. With monthly meetings to assessprogress and advise on improvements,the Committee was able to advanceeach of the 13 projects to a pointwhere either the objectives wereachieved, or they are well-situated forsuccess in the new year.

Collectively the projects wereresponsible for reducing energy by1.6% compared to last year. Energyprojects included replacing over10,000 fluorescent lights with energyefficiency LED lights and sensors,recommissioning of the EnterpriseCenter, and replacement of agingequipment with higher efficiencyversions.

Energy – where to go next?The ongoing work has been successful in preventing the energy levels from risingalong with the increases in space, but in order to reach the targets, there is a need for“step change” projects that can eliminate big chunks of energy at a time. The OpCohas identified several that should generate large impacts. These include:

• Commissioning and BMS diagnostics – A commissioning study of the EnterpriseCenter in 2017 identified opportunities for energy efficiency which could provideup to 8% reduction in consumption. These opportunities will be piloted in theEnterprise Center and a roll-out plan will be developed for the whole campus ifsuccessful. A key initiative is to use advanced diagnostics on the buildingmanagement systems (BMS) across the rest of the buildings.

• Back-up cooling – originally thought of as a way to provide redundancy to theexisting air conditioning system, this new back-up system also has the capacity toreduce energy significantly by “turning off” the seawater system in the coolermonths. A savings of 1.6% of total campus electricity consumption is targeted.

• Virtual Stack Fans – these exhaust fans blow air from the labs into theatmosphere. An ongoing study suggests that the fans can be run much moreefficiently without any risk to health or safety. Savings potential is around 1% oftotal campus electricity.

• “Constant On” analysis – Investigation of peak and off-peak energy consumptionsuggests that there is a high level of energy consumed by equipment andprocesses that run 24 hours per day unnecessarily.

• Behavior change – while this is a little more subjective, recent efforts confirm thatbehavioral engagement campaigns do make an impact, while also raisingawareness of other sustainability priorities.

A note on renewablesStarting in 2018, renewable energy will bemore feasible in Hong Kong due to a changein government policy. This presents anopportunity for the university to reduceconsumption of fossil fuels from electricity.

In relation to the 2020 Challenge reductiongoals, renewables do not actually reduceelectricity. However, we count them as partof the reduction strategies since theyeliminate the most harmful grid-connectedelectricity.

Waste StrategiesThe waste reduction strategy involvesfour key areas:

1. Increasing the types of materialsthat can be recycled and the overallamounts;

2. Capturing food waste from allsources – canteens, office pantries,residence halls, and staff housing –for reprocessing into usefulresources;

3. Collecting all of the landscape andwood related products that can benaturally composted; and

4. Reducing the overall amount ofmaterials coming onto the campusin the first place.

Each of these has a performance targetthat was based on our careful analysis ofthe campus waste streams. Thecombination of these strategies, ifsuccessful should reduce the overallwaste by half compared to the baseline.

212

670

511

276.1

226305

18 3-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Recycling Food Waste Compostables Source Reduction

TON

Reduction Target

Target Current performance

WasteThe past year saw several new initiatives toreduce the amount of waste going to theHong Kong landfills. Food waste collections,representing the largest potential forreductions, was tested in several officepantries, one student hall, and one of thestaff quarters. Recycling was expanded toinclude the collection of Styrofoam, minorworks construction wood and metal waste,and household electronics.

One of the big breakthroughs of the year waspartnering with a new organization in theNew Territories to accept our landscapewaste and wood chips from the animal labs.These two together contribute an estimated500 tons per year in landfill waste.

Target 2017-18 Percentage

Recycling 212 226 107%

Food Waste 670 305 45%

Compostable 511 21 4%

Source Reduction 276.1 3 1%

Total 1,669 552 33%

Waste – where to go next?Even with the new waste reduction initiatives, there is still a lot of room forimprovement in the new year. Our food waste collections can be expandedthroughout all housing, office space, and residence halls, and performance canimprove in the canteens.

The compostable project (landscape waste and animal bedding) – which just startedat the end of last year – will now be running at full capacity. FMO is looking intoexpanding the program to include hand towels from toilets and pantries.

PTC has spent considerable time focusing on one-time use signs and banners, and isspearheading a new strategy using electronic banners for large events. The mostsignificant will be the backdrop in the 2018 Congregation.

A note on reductions at sourceThis strategy remains one of the most difficult, and relies on all membersof our community to step up. Essentially the strategy is to prevent itemsfrom coming on to the campus in the first place. This means:

• Asking vendors to reduce or eliminate packaging;

• Inserting “take-back” clauses in contracts so that retailers who sell usproducts also share the responsibility for collection;

• Reducing or eliminating one-time use banners, signs, promotionalmaterials, and retail disposables (e.g., stirrers, take-away containers);

• Purchasing in bulk instead of buying lots of smaller disposables;

• Giving, sharing, and repurposing items instead of buying new ones.

One-time use banners

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Apr-18 May-18 Jun-18

Ton

Total Diverted from Landfill

Office Operations Household

Food Waste Compostables 2016-17

Successes – how the HKUST community is stepping up

Water bottlesHKUST reached a milestone this year as single use plastic waterbottles were eliminated from sale on campus. Recognizing that ourfiltered water is clean, safe, hygienic, and better tasting thanbottled water (proven in taste tests!), there was no compellingreason to continue the sale of a product that is comparativelyexpensive, creates waste, and contributes to unsustainablepractices.

Several student and staff groups jumped in to help; they conductedtaste tests, surveys, focus groups, and other outreach activities tohelp smooth the transition.

Take-away containersRepresenting a sizable contribution to the wastestream, disposable take-away containers are aclear target for reduction. Taking on thischallenge, a student group created the “Take-away Box Circular Program,” enabling membersof the community to borrow a clean box insteadof being stuck with a disposable. Similarly,volunteers for the HKUST Green Team undertookan effort to encourage reusable containers.

Overall, the HKUST community stepped up to help make a better, cleaner, more beautiful, and sustainable campus. The success of the 2020 Challenge depends on the continued strength and dedication of our people.

2017-18 Members of the Sustainable

Operations Executive Committee

Mark Hodgson VPAB, ChairDavis Bookhart Sustainability, SecretaryDiana Chan Library Wilson Chan FMO Michael Cheng PUROAlex Cheung FMO Theresa Lo ITSC Loretta Luk Sustainability John Maguire FMO Alan Ng PUROStella Ng HRO Thomas Ng PTCDerek Sit CSOEdward Spodick LibraryRobert Wessling DST Alice Wong FOJohnny Woo ISOXun Wu Faculty representativeBill Yip SHRLOSamuel Yu HSEO