NPUST won the National Sustainable Development Award in 2023 and was invited by the National Sustainable Development Committee (Executive Yuan) to participate in the “2nd 2050 Net Zero City Expo” at the Nangang Exhibition Center from March 19 to 22 (2024) and to display its sustainable achievements at the Net-Zero Transition Pavilion. At the expo, NPUST shared its UN-SDG sustainable practices and the action plans it is using to promote net-zero sustainability. AR technology and an SDG board game, which were developed by the university’s Smart Media Research Center, were also set up for visitor entertainment.
In order to cooperate with Taiwan’s national 2050 net-zero emission policy, NPUST has been actively promoting a net-zero sustainability action plan with specific measures. To enact the measures, the university has established of a number of policy promotion offices, including the Sustainable Development Office, which coordinates resources and works to add depth to sustainable development projects; the College of Agriculture Office for the Promotion of Net Zero and Carbon Sink Tropical Organic Agriculture, which provides guidance to the agricultural industry on low-cost carbon reduction practices; the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology Research and Services, the Center for Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery, Livestock and Aquaculture Carbon Emission Inventory and Emerging Compounds, and the Research Center of Railway Vehicle— the three of which focus on the research and development of electric vehicles and electric rail vehicles; and the Center for Agriculture and Forestry Auxiliary Materials Recycling and Value Creation, and the Southern Taiwan Agriculture and Forestry Industry Surplus Materials Platform, which are building a bridge between academia and industry, and helping farmers in Pingtung, Yunlin, and Nantou to recycle their agriculture waste and turn it into valuable commodities.
NPUST is also using its educational and research energy to provide guidance related to agricultural and industrial carbon inventories, carbon footprints, and pollution reduction. On campus, the school has been replacing old equipment with power-saving appliances to reduce electricity consumption and lower carbon emissions. With solar panels, biomass energy, digital electricity meters, and energy storage equipment, the university has developed a system to advance green energy goals on campus. It is also actively promoting commuting policies designed to reduce carbon, including the introduction of “green buses” and green energy charging stations for electric vehicles. The school has also created artificial wetlands on campus which are used to treat and purify waste water. With its various treatment and recycling facilities, NPUST is able to achieve full recovery and reuse and of domestic sewage, with zero discharge. Cooperating with the business sector, NPUST also organizes tree planting activities with a hundreds of volunteers participating every year, and so far, their dedication has resulted in the planting of more than 5,000 saplings.
NPUST has achieved outstanding results in its effort to promote sustainable and net zero practices, and has received recognition at home and abroad for its work. Through the 2050 Net Zero City Expo, the university was able to share its own experiences and learn from the experiences of others. In the future, the school will continue to work with industry and government to promote and practice sustainable development, and fulfill its commitment to university’s social responsibility—for the benefit of society, the environment and the economy.
Date for Online Expo: Now until December 31, 2024 Address for Online Expo: https://smartcityonline.org.tw/pavilion.php?vip=nd
