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VC's Open Letter: Insistence on Sustainability Home Dear colleagues, students and alumni: As a new academic year begins, I extend my warmest welcome to all newcomers to our campus. The University boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in this part of the world, lined by trees and imbued with the air of learning; I hope everyone will enjoy the time you spend here in pursuit of your dreams. Balancing Development and Conservation The establishment of new colleges is a major initiative outlined in our Strategic Plan issued last February. The Strategic Plan articulates in concrete terms the Universityˇ¦s aspirations in the new century and sets out strategies to guide its development over the coming decade. The ultimate goal is to prepare the University for even greater achievements. As you return to your work and studies after the summer break, your attention may have been drawn to many new buildings under construction or nearing completion. These are infrastructural facilities indispensable for quality education and for the Universityˇ¦s strategic development objectives. As the University continues to grow and advance, we can expect more new facilities to appear on our campus. At the same time we have also been most conscientious in addressing environmental issues associated with campus development. Sustainability is our prime concern: we want to make sure that our beautiful campus can continue to inspire and nourish many many more generations of staff and students to come. It is our pledge to strike a proper balance between development and conservation. As early as 2000, we completed a comprehensive environmental audit, the first of its kind ever conducted in local universities. The audit resulted in a report recommending a package of environmental protection initiatives in eight major areas: waste management, canteen hygiene, traffic control, energy conservation, building construction activities, air and water quality, environmental management and environmental education. We have since taken pains to implement the recommendations of the report. We make sure that major construction works on campus comply with all legislation on environmental protection and safety matters; we carefully select the most suitable building materials. A Steering Committee on Environmental Protection with student representatives has been set up at the University level. All four colleges have formed their own environmental protection committees, and a departmental coordinator system has been put in place to facilitate campus-wide participation in environmental protection initiatives. We have also introduced academic programmes and General Education courses in relevant subjects, and organized annual Environmental Weeks to heighten environmental consciousness among the campus community. Our energy-saving efforts have just won us a gold medal in the first Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Awards organized by the government. Insistence on Sustainability We fully realize the importance of thinking and planning ahead, and have recently established a Steering Committee on Campus Master Planning for this purpose. The Committee comprises scholars and experts of relevant disciplines from within and without the University. The services of professional consultants will also be engaged. Their principal task is to draft a blueprint for campus development for the next 15 to 20 years, seeing to it that our beautiful campus will be preserved at the same time as additional facilities are built to enhance the Universityˇ¦s competitiveness. All relevant factors will be taken into consideration in the planning exercise: campus population, teaching and research space, people movement, traffic control, pollution, energy saving, and the conservation of flora and fauna. The blueprint will have far-reaching effects on the building of a sustainable campus. To complement the work of the Steering Committee, other task forces and committees have been set up to look after building design, landscaping, geotechnical safety and tree preservation. All building projects will have to abide by the rules and regulations they stipulate. A tree preservation policy has just come into force to ensure that trees of conservation value will not be felled or damaged in the course of campus development. Working Together to Build a Green Campus Some 40 years ago, this was a barren and rocky hill, with none of the facilities and lush vegetation that we see today. In the four decades since, over 130 buildings have been erected, numerous trees have been planted and flowers grown, turning the place into a most picturesque campus. Thousands have been attracted to come here each year to learn, to teach, and to do research. Our habitat map shows that areas with vegetation on the campus have never dwindled over the years, testifying to our determination to keep it green. It is our shared responsibility to preserve the campus, and I call on you to join in this endeavour. Walk more and ride less. Save energy whenever you can and fix your air conditioner at 25.5 degrees C. Never waste any paper and try to explore the concept of paperless offices. Let us start with ourselves to build a sustainable campus. On it our University will thrive and scale new heights of excellence. I wish you all good health and a most successful year ahead. Lawrence J. Lau
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