TKU faculty and Students Declare a Sustainable, Zero-emission Green Living, Implementing Carbon Reduction on Campus

2023/11/27

The university's efforts in promoting sustainability have been honored with the 2023 National Sustainable Development Award in the education category. This achievement marks a comprehensive stride towards the goals of a “green campus” and “sustainable development.” On November 22, at 12:00 PM, the Student Affairs Office organized the “TKU Carbon Green Living” declaration ceremony in the pedestrian walkway in front of the Liberal Arts Building. Led by the Academic Vice President and Director of the Sustainability Center, Dr. Hui-Huang Hsu, first-level supervisors signed the “Sustainable Zero-Emission Green Living Declaration,” pledging to make concerted efforts to implement carbon reduction actions.

Dr. Hsu delivered a speech, stating that President Keh declared last year that our school aims to achieve carbon neutrality by its centennial in 2050. This requires the collective efforts of all faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Hsu encouraged everyone to actively participate in the "TKU Low Carbon Green Life" series of activities, implementing sustainable practices in their daily lives. Subsequently, President Keh also showed support by visiting the booths to understand the event's progress. There were a total of 12 booths on-site. Participants could obtain a "TKU Low Carbon Green Life Action Passbook" at the service counter, and after collecting 8 points from the booths, they could exchange them for a carbon-reducing potted plant or a NT$50 convenience store voucher. This attracted a considerable crowd, with many people stopping to join in.

The Student Affairs Office organized various activities: the Guidance Section invited participation from the New Taipei Metro and YouBike to promote public transportation and help reduce carbon emissions; the Sanitation and Fitness Section encouraged low-carbon eating habits through a food carbon footprint matching game; the Extracurricular Activities Guidance Section, in partnership with the San Shi Living Lab, conducted online quizzes to enhance understanding of sustainability intelligence and promoted low-carbon, packaging-free consumption; the Student Housing Guidance Section utilized Q&A interactions to promote the concept of reusing and reducing purchases; the Counseling Career Development and Learning Center invited faculty and students to complete a "Green Action Self-Assessment"; and the main office of the Student Affairs Office promoted a "Unused Items Social," providing a platform for items no longer in use to find new homes.

On that day, the Student Affairs Office also held the "Doing Good with Old Love - Creative Production of Drawstring Bags" activity at the Da Vinci Maker Space. Participants used unused denim fabric to create drawstring bags, embodying the spirit of repurposing items. The Sustainability Center invited everyone to fill out the "Stakeholder Survey on Sustainability Issues" for the 2023 Sustainability Report compilation team to gather data. The USR Project "Agricultural Situation and Food Education" promoted agricultural products from the Tamsui, Shimen, and Sanzhi areas, and prepared stone flower frozen drinks for participants to enjoy. There were occasional long queues in front of the booth, creating a lively atmosphere at the scene.

Junior student Li from Chinese Department mentioned that at the booth of the New Taipei Metro company, he learned through a model car game that taking the subway results in lower carbon emissions compared to commuting by car. Junior student Yi-Ru Liu from Japanese Department shared that the staff at each booth explained sustainability knowledge concisely and effectively. They also provided enthusiastic service to participants, leaving her with a deep impression.

Additionally, starting from November 23, the "TKU Low Carbon Action Award" competition has started. Through a one-month accumulation of points from carbon reduction actions, the student with the highest points can receive a prize of NT$10,000. The second to fifth place winners will receive a prize of NT$5,000 each, while the remaining 220 students can receive a prize of NT$500 each. Certification categories include food, clothing, housing, transportation, education and entertainment, shopping, and knowledge. For more information about the event, please visit the "Low Carbon Green Life" webpage (URL: https://oosa.tku.edu.tw/green2023/). All students are invited to participate, fostering a continuous implementation of sustainability on campus.

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