News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announces its Net-Zero Action Plan (Action Plan), which is the first among higher education institutions in Hong Kong to have a comprehensive framework with multi-pronged strategies aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. This plan is supported by a commitment of HK$30 million earned from renewable energy generation to further accelerate research and adoption of innovative decarbonization solutions on campus.

Tropical marine low clouds play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate. However, whether they mitigate or exacerbate global warming has long remained a mystery. Now, researchers from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a groundbreaking method that significantly improves accuracy in climate predictions. This led to a major discovery – that tropical cloud feedback may have amplified the greenhouse effect by a staggering 71% more than previously known to scientists. The effects of tropical low clouds are difficult to investigate because they are influenced by a variety of factors. Commonly used low cloud controlling factors often struggle to separate the influence of local sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from that of temperatures in the free troposphere – the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, casting uncertainty in projections.

Landslides, flash floods, and fallen trees—these are just some of the alarming sights accompanying the summer typhoon seasons in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, the city has witnessed a distressing surge in extreme rainfall, characterized by intensity levels that surpass the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal. This trend serves as a stark reminder of the growing impact of global warming on our daily lives and safety. The question resonates: how can we better prepare for nature’s fury in the future?

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed the world’s first kilowatt-scale elastocaloric cooling device. The device can stabilize indoor temperatures at a comfortable 21-22°C in just 15 minutes, even when outdoor temperatures reach between 30-31°C, marking a significant breakthrough toward the commercial application of elastocaloric solid-state cooling technology. The research findings have been published in the leading international science journal Nature, offering a promising solution to combat climate change and accelerate low-carbon transformation of the global cooling industry. 

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) have signed a collaborative framework agreement to drive innovation in meteorological science and education. By leveraging the complementary strengths of CMA and HKUST, the collaboration aims to enhance early warning systems, strengthen disaster preparedness, and build climate-resilient communities, underscoring the shared commitment of both institutions to tackle global climate challenges and support the initiatives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

HKUST becomes the first university in Hong Kong to make a pledge to eliminate investments in fossil fuels.

Oxygen levels in the ocean have depleted over the past few decades1  due to global warming and emissions of greenhouse gas, causing pollution and disrupting our ecosystem.  In efforts to curb the trend, researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) discovered a mechanism that may eventually help an eco-friendly aquatic bacterium clean up more carbon dioxide in the ocean and produce more marine oxygen.  Like trees on land, cyanobacteria, or what commonly known as blue-green algae, perform photosynthesis in the ocean.  They provide oxygen for marine life and absorb over 20% of the world’s total carbon emission.  However, natural predation and virus infection kill nearly half of the world’s cyanobacteria on a daily basis.  A virus called cyanophage alone, wipes out one fifth of the total cyanobacterial population every day.