The production of HKUST – Our Miracle Continues marks a fresh way for the University to raise environmental awareness as well as celebrate its 20th Anniversary

When HKUST’s Publishing Technology Center put forward the idea of making HKUST – Our Miracle Continues the University’s first carbon-neutral publication, they felt they had found an ideal way to add to the 20th Anniversary celebrations.

“We saw that the commemorative book could provide a significant way to spotlight this type of environmentally friendly initiative,” said Thomas Ng, Director of the Publishing Technology Center. “And highlight the University’s commitment to developing and supporting sustainable practices."
 

Carbon footprinting
Making a product carbon neutral involves charting the emissions related to its production processes – or carbon footprint – then reducing and/or balancing these greenhouse gases by purchasing carbon offsets, which are used to support green energy projects.

To carry forward this initiative, the Center approached alumnus Brian Au, director of RESET Carbon which specializes in helping organizations cut their carbon emissions. Brian, who graduated from HKUST with a bachelor degree in chemistry 10 years ago and a master’s in environmental science in 2005, was happy to assist. “I wanted to contribute to the University’s anniversary. I also felt it was a great chance to increase understanding of the importance of carbon management.”

 

Fostering eco-awareness
For HKUST’s 20th Anniversary book, Brian needed to do a cradle-to-grave product lifecycle assessment, which meant calculating the emissions produced at every stage of the production process using best international practice.

“For example, I needed to look at the paper and energy used in the mill, transport from the mill to the printer, and the energy used for printing and binding copies. I also took into account the waste produced during the process,” said Brian, who gave his own time and skills to the project on a voluntary basis.

To locate the information he needed, Brian sent a list of questions to Elegance Printing and Book Binding Company Ltd, the enterprise assigned by HKUST to produce the commemorative book.

Although making the 20th Anniversary book carbon neutral was new to Elegance, the idea of environmentally friendly production was not, according to Elegance's Cecilia Lau. “We have already invested in LED lighting and solar-powered energy in our mainland factory,” she said. Recycled paper, Forest Steward Council (FSC) certified materials, soy-based ink and eco-friendly solvent for printing processes were also used to produce the commemorative book.

After finalizing his calculations, Brian recommended several environmental projects as options for HKUST to support to offset the publication’s emissions. The University decided on a wind farm.

 

Long-term change
While carbon footprinting is a way to tell people and companies where they are right now, a longer-term goal at RESET Carbon is to help an organization cut its emissions through rethinking its operations, production and supply chains. Ms Lau also believes that the producers of emissions have a major role to play in making their businesses “greener”.

At HKUST, Director of the Publishing Technology Center Thomas Ng said: “We really appreciate the assistance that everyone has given to this project. Making the 20th Anniversary book carbon neutral has provided a marvelous way to spread the word about sustainable work processes, both among those involved in the project and the wider community.”

 

CO2 Offset HKUST 20th Anniversary Book 2011