Decarbonising the campus: reflections from Melbourne and Hong Kong

Universities have made ambitious pledges to reach net zero. But what does effective climate action look like on campus and how can institutions secure the funding needed to modernise their estates?

With more than 1,000 universities worldwide now grappling with the practical challenges of reaching net zero, there is much they can learn from peer institutions about effective climate action. During a session, held in partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), at the 2024 THE Global Sustainable Development Congress in Bangkok, the university presented two case studies demonstrating how universities could accelerate climate action and get closer to net zero. 

John Thwaites, chair of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, and Yuan Xu, associate professor at CUHK, shared insights on their sustainability journeys. Their institutions might face different challenges on different time scales – Monash University pledged to achieve net zero by 2030 and CUHK by 2038 – but there are parallels in their methodology and how they think about financing their transitions.

Since 2018, Monash has reduced emissions by 58 per cent. Its biggest challenge is heating its Melbourne campus in winter, which presently relies on gas. “To get rid of that, and electrify that, is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which is the big challenge,” Thwaites said. Finance is a barrier to many net zero ambitions. Monash raised a low-interest $400 million (£210 million) climate bond to fund solar energy and refurbish its buildings.

Making buildings energy efficient is one of the largest battles in bringing down emissions. There are a lot of ways to make sure our buildings and appliances are more energy efficient, said Xu. “We need more data and more smart meters. Without these, we cannot know what opportunities we have.”

Xu urged universities to think creatively about climate economics. Investment in carbon neutrality measures, such as solar panels, is rewarded with lower emissions and increased cash flow as an institution becomes both energy producer and consumer, he said. “Even if you don’t care about carbon neutrality, you should do it,” Xu said. “You can save money, save energy and, of course, save emissions.”

CUHK faced a devastating typhoon in 2018. It has had to assess the risk of climate disasters and plan accordingly. There are fundamental challenges for infrastructure. Can Hong Kong build enough capacity to electrify its transport system? “Without electricity, you don’t even have a flushing toilet,” Xu said. “So you want to make sure that, when you have net neutrality on campus, you do not sacrifice your electricity reliability and resilience.” 

Thwaites spoke of the momentum from easy wins, such as installing energy-efficient bulbs in all university buildings, which could be paid for out of a university’s regular budget. By encouraging sustainable behaviours on campus, such as supplying EV charging points and encouraging the use of electric bikes, universities could set an example. “We can use what we do on campus as a way to amplify change,” Thwaites said. Net zero might seem far away for many. But from the goods and services we purchase to campus infrastructure, higher education has the levers to pull to take climate action. 

The panel:

• Laurie Pearcey, associate vice-president for external engagement and outreach, Chinese University of Hong Kong (chair)
• John Thwaites, chair, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
• Yuan Xu, associate professor, department of geography and resource management, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Find out more about the Chinese University of Hong Kong.