Tackling climate change is one of the challenges of our time. We, in Hong Kong, are likely to experience higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather events. Cutting carbon emissions is the only way to go. The Green PolyU Awards – Green Office programme has therefore brought forward its third online webinar, the finale of Phase 4, in June 2020 to call for attention on how we can contribute to taking steps towards decarbonization.
The University’s departmental Green Officers gathered online in a webinar to explore ways to contribute to decarbonization. From a societal perspective, two possible ways to achieve decarbonization are lowering electricity use and higher adoption of renewable energy. From an individual’s perspective, we should act and practice a low-carbon lifestyle.
As explained by the two invited speakers, almost 90% of electricity use in Hong Kong is recorded in buildings. Hong Kong needs to find new ways of providing energy that comes from carbon-neutral sources. Achieving decarbonization will require significant investment and coordinated effort among businesses, governments, and other stakeholders.
Since electricity generation is the largest source of local carbon emissions, the best way to decarbonize our workplace is to reduce energy consumption – and it starts with changing our daily habits and work practices. Turning off appliances when not in use, acquiring energy-saving equipment, and encouraging more environmentally friendly forms of transport are all useful practices to sustain. We should also help lessen the volume of waste that goes into landfills with more bring-your-own and recycling measures.
The environment plays a critical role not just in people’s lives, but it also provides resources that all sectors depend on to operate. We all should take a role in ensuring a greener future by changing our individual lifestyles.
