Sharing of green events, stories about green practices and green tips are welcome! Simply email us at GO@cuhk.edu.hk. Please also provide your contact information in the email, in case we need to get in touch with you for more details.
This e-news flash is sent to all Environmental Sustainability Ambassadors (ESAs) as well as individuals who have subscribed for it. If you are receiving this e-news flash on behalf of your office, please share it with your office's members! Thank you.
Green Matters would like to thank the following people or offices for sharing information:
  • The Information Technology Services Centre
  • Office of University General Education
  • Office of Academic Links (China)
  • Ms. Daphne Ip (Fair Trade Hong Kong Foundation)
  • Ms. Lily Tsai
  • Business Office
  • Mr. Wilson Lau
  • Mr. George Jor (Grateful Green Group and the CU Tree Project)
  • Sustainability in action!
    REDUCE · REUSE – Making our offices Greener & Healthier!

    In this issue, we have three offices sharing with us their green practices in saving our forests and cutting down our carbon footprint by reducing the use of papers and reusing furniture.

    A big thank you to the Business Office, Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC) and Office of University General Education for sharing the following green practices/tips!
    Electronic e-tender filing system now used by Business Office to save paper
    Since 2010, Business Office, with the help of ITSC, has switched to using an e-filing system for tender documents. As a result, paper copies of the documents produced by Business Office (from around 450 tenders involving over 100 departments per year) has been reduced by 1/3 by this initiative, saving 20,000 sheets of paper and reducing around 700kg of CO2e emission per year, an amount of emission that takes about 30 trees to absorb all through their life (but we can now make it in a year!). The system's search function also enables Business Office to retrieve documents and produce annual reports more efficiently. Details
    Green pantry tips from the Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC)
    Tips for reusing furniture from the Office of University General Education
    The Office of University General Education (OUGE), which recently completed their Hui Yeung Shing Building office's renovations, successfully collected at least 50 pieces of furniture given away by various offices. They include shelves, desks, cabinets, chairs and more......
    Sustainable News on Campus
    Invitation to take part in Green Competition under Green University Consortium Ethical Consumption Month- support fair trade in CUHK
    The Cross-strait Green University Consortium was established in 2011 among CUHK, Nanjing University and Taiwan Central University to consolidate resources from the three institutions, serving as a platform for driving initiatives that incorporate green concepts into research and education. The three member institutions will develop cross-institution green programmes or competitions to get students involved in extending their experience to the community and promoting sustainable development.

    The first Green Competition, with the theme of Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Green Culture, will be hosted by CUHK [being coordinated by Office of Academic Links (China)] in January 2013. Each of the three university will send 3 teams (a maximum number of 3 members for each team) to participate in the competition.

    All CUHK students (undergraduate and postgraduate) are now cordially invited to participate in this cross-strait competition. Submissions can be plans or projects describing services, products or technological solutions for the theme chosen. An initial selection will be conducted in CUHK and up to three teams will be chosen to represent CUHK in the final competition.

    Registration and relevant details
    For more information and enquiries, please contact Office of Academic Links (China) via oalc@cuhk.edu.hk or at 39438725.
    November is the Ethical Consumption Month. For CUHK, this is a good opportunity for community members to explore socially responsible product and service providers on campus. Various ways to support ethical consumption include purchasing environmentally-friendly products, recycled products, fair-trade products, locally made goods and supporting social enterprises. Some of these, like recycled products and locally made goods, benefit the environment and help reduce our carbon footprint, while others like social enterprises and fair trade achieve social objectives like providing employment to disadvantaged groups and offering relatively stable income to small producers of goods with highly fluctuating prices, such that these producers are not ruined by fluctuations and are able to support communities that can flourish in the long run. Fair trade cookies, tea, coffee, snacks and handicrafts can be found at various cafés on campus the women's co-op and a vending machine (one of the only two in Hong Kong) at G/F, John Fulton Centre.
    Find out more about events of the Ethical Consumption Month here
    Invitation to become an Environmental Sustainability Ambassador (ESA) The MTR University station's new Exit D
    Nomination for Environmental Sustainability Ambassadors (ESA) are now being invited from all units under the ESA Programme 2012-13 (for offices participating in the Green Office Programme ('GO!'), nomination of one or more ESAs is a required action). The main theme of the Program this year is 'Let's Go, Energy Conservation' and the Ambassadors nominated will undergo a one-day intensive training seminar on 21/11 (Wed) on energy saving, prevention of wastage and green building design. A half-day supplementary training seminar on 24/11 (Sat) is provided for Ambassadors who are not able to attend the one-day seminar. Please click here for programme details. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Simon Lee (Tel. 3943 4447) or Ms. Doris Chan (Tel. 3943 4444) of the Estates Management Office. The MTR University station opened its new Exit D on 28 September 2012. Complementing the green campus and the new teaching buildings of CUHK, the new Exit has been awarded LEED Silver rating for its environmentally-friendly features including a creative pitched roof design for rainwater collection, finger-like skylights and vertical strip windows to maximize natural lighting. Students and staff can walk from the new Exit to Central Campus in around 13 minutes along a new walking route and using the escalators in Yasumoto International Academic Park and Wu Ho Man Yuen Building. Details about walking routes
    Declaration in entertainment expenditure form for no shark's fins 'Bright Ideas for a Greener Office' Competition
    To follow the University's "No Shark's Fin" policy, all official meal expenses shall be claimed together with a declaration (pre-printed on the entertainment expenditure claim form for checking by the claimer) that no shark's fins were served/ consumed in the meal concerned.

    The revised "Reimbursement / Payment for Entertainment Expenditure Form" is available for download from Bursary website.
    'Bright Ideas for a Greener Office' Competition organized by Ricoh is now inviting all full-time university and college students to share ideas for a greener workplace. Prizes include book vouchers worth $4,500, an eco-tour to Ricoh's factory and more. Details
    New issue of CUHK's Sustainable Campus available
    View it online here!
    Live a Vibrant Green LifeHIGHLIGHT EVENT
    Want to be part of a vibrant community working towards a sustainable world? Check out the following events on and off campus!
    Oct 2012 - Feb 2013 11 Oct - 16 Dec 2012
    Biodiversity Conservation Day at the Woodside Biodiversity Education Centre. Activities include lectures, films, guided tours and workshops. Details An Exhibition In Memory of Professor Shiu-Ying Hu is being held at Chung Chi College Elizabeth Luce Moore Library and Tang Ngan Leng Centre for General Science Education. Exhibits include Professor Hu's specimens, research materials, manuscripts, photos and publications. Details
    14 Oct 2012 - 25 Nov 2013 25 Oct 2012 - 10 Jan 2013
    Waste No Food - Organic Farming Marathon organized by Friends of the Earth will be held every Sunday. Details 'Playful Thursday @ Tsun Yip Street - Veggie | Arts Jamboree', the first local urban design-driven event combining street art and wet market elements, will be held every Thursday at the Kwun Tong Tsun Yip Street Playground. Details
    25 Oct 2012 and several following Sundays 13 Nov - 16 Nov 2012
    Rice harvesting activity at Long Valley by CUHK Agricultural Development Group. Details InnoAsia 2012 will be held at Hong Kong Science Park, with special focus on ' Innovations for Green and Healthy Living'. CUHK staff and students are eligible for complementary tickets for events on Day 1 and Day 2 (including the CUHK Tech Forum 'City Planning and Buildings'). Details
    15 Nov 2012 15 Nov 2012
    Dr. Karen Liu of Xero Flor Green Solutions will give a talk titled 'Green Roof Technology- Materials, Performance and Design' as an event of the School of Life Sciences's seminar series. Time: 12:30pm- 1:15pm; Venue: LT2, Mong Man Wai Building. All are welcome. 'Bread Run' event organized by Feeding Hong Kong (Hong Kong's only food bank) is inviting volunteers to help collect bread for the needy. Details
    18 Nov - 2 Dec 2012 17 Nov - 22 Nov 2012
    The 5th Social Enterprise Summit will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. CUHK VC Prof. Joseph Sung will be the keynote speaker for Day 3 of the International Symposium. Details 'Permaculture Festival' and 'South East Asian Bioregional Permaculture Convergence 2012' (Supporting organizations include CUHK School of Architecture and the Knowledge Transfer Office). Permaculture aims to promote the design of sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
    21 Nov, 24 Nov 2012 24 Nov 2012
    Environmental Sustainability Ambassador (ESA) Opening Ceremony and Training Seminar for ESAs and Energy Wardens. ESAs and Energy Wardens can attend a one-day intensive training seminar on 21/11 (Wed) on energy saving, prevention of wastage and green building design, or a half-day supplementary training seminar on 24/11 (Sat). Registration deadline: 9/11. For details, check the post in the 'News' page. Buy Nothing Day
    24 Nov 2012 26 Nov 2012
    Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail – hiking on the way of our ancestors (organizer: CUSU Outdoor Activity Society) Details Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople and a pioneer in the US's citizen forestry movement, will give a talk on sustainability at the University Service Centre for China Studies. A tree walk led by CU Tree Group will follow. Details
    27 Nov - 28 Nov 2012 30 Nov 2012 (for students)
    2012 Climate Change Symposium (organizers: The National Natural Science Foundation of China and The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Details Deadline for registering for the first Green Competition of the Cross-strait Green University Consortium. All CUHK students (undergraduate and postgraduate) are now cordially invited to participate in this cross-strait competition. For details, check the post in the 'News' page.