Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong
Li Po Chun UWC of Hong Kong is located in a green coastal area of Hong Kong, rich in biodiversity, where it is possible for students to encounter wild boar, porcupines and even monkeys on campus. The purpose-built residential campus in Wu Kai Sha stands next to the steep, tree-covered slopes of Ma On Shan (Horse Saddle Mountain), adjacent to Starfish Bay, and overlooks the waters of Tolo Harbour.
Sustainability Measures:
- 480,000 kW of electricity generated every year from Solar panels installed on the rooftops of all buildings on campus which is used to provide scholarships for students.
- In the canteen an ORCA biodigester collects all the food waste produced on campus, diverting 16.5kg of food waste a day from landfill.
- There are recycling points and water-efficient measures for each residential building as well as the academic block, while students are able to borrow bicycles to use on and off campus.
- In the academic block of the campus each classroom is equipped with energy saving appliances – such as timers to switch off AC units – while energy efficient architecture is utilised to reduce the reliance on these units.
- Students engage with lectures about sustainability in the orientation week, while they also develop practices of sustainability by participating in “Meatless Monday” to reduce meat consumption.
Our Academic view towards Sustainability:
In the academic curriculum, environmental sustainability is a key feature of the environmental systems and societies, biology, geography courses, whilst it is explored across the three pillars (Academic, EOTC & Residential) throughout the entire school curriculum.
Student-led Sustainability Projects:
Outside of the classroom, a number of groups work to provide sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges:
Green Pioneers for Sustainability, who recently organised an educational event for local school students to join to share knowledge on sustainable fashion, hosting a fashion show using only second-hand items collected from the community.
Coral Monitoring, a community service-based project with the purpose of monitoring and protecting marine ecosystems in Hong Kong, works to spread awareness, collect data and physically conserve the environment, and most recently have been involved in mangrove protection with CNN’s Call to Earth program.
Beach Cleanup, a service-based project where students visit local beaches and pick up waste.
Each year there is a Global Issues Forum dedicated to sustainability, while the entire college takes part in the sustainability “Change of Pace” day, organised by the Sustainability Committee.
Developments at the College towards Sustainability:
In 2022, the school introduced a sustainability policy raised by students across UWC worldwide. A significant aspect of this is the carbon footprint audit, and teachers and students have been surveyed as part of an initial rough audit. While the process is ongoing, the aim for our next academic year is to begin the process of precise data collection and look forward to solutions that both reduce our emissions and offset our current output.
