SDG13 Climate Action

A 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report concluded that global CO2 emissions must drop 45% by 2030 and reach “net zero” by 2050 to cap global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees, pointing out there is a lot of room for nations to improve their carbon reduction strategies. In 2018, the Faculty of Social Sciences established Cities 2050 Research Cluster to conduct leading research on how cities can adapt to climate change and other global issues in the next 35 years and beyond through developing smart and sustainable urban systems which are resilient, efficient and technology-enabled. The project has since been publishing many research publications on related topics and has hosted seminars, conferences and public lectures to encourage knowledge exchange. Another research initiative by the Earth Science Department looked into greenhouse gas and meat consumption in Hong Kong. The research discovered that 43% of greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced if the meat consumption level is reduced to the nutritional level recommended by the government. Apart from these research initiatives, HKU also hosts courses such as Understanding Climate Change and Carbon, Money, and Lifestyle to help students learn about climate change and mitigation