Becoming a carbon-neutral university by 2032 is one of the key goals of CMU Policy 13 which aims to create models for emission reduction, promotion of alternative energy, and energy and environmental conservation within the university. It focuses not only on physical development, but also sustainable management through technology and modern innovation. Data-driven operations have led to widespread recognition, earning the Smart City emblem from the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, a department of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
CMU has undertaken impactful infrastructure developments to pave the way for low-carbon lifestyles, positioning itself as a pioneering institution in the realm of emissions reduction, climate change resolution, and energy cost reduction. The operational framework on carbon neutrality encompasses five dimensions, which are:
1. Organizational Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Management
2. CMU Carbon Reduction Projects
3. CMU Carbon Sinks
4. CMU Human Development
5. CMU Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Under this framework, CMU has already successfully implemented a diverse array of projects. Noteworthy accomplishments include the deployment of solar rooftop and solar collector installations at dormitories university-wide. These solutions have resulted in a decrease in energy consumption and carbon emissions of approximately 8,000 tonnes (t) of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (e), or tCO2e, per year. Student activities promoting social responsibility have also been conducted, including CMU Trekking 2023 and the Loy Krathong Float 'Khom Kham Suwannahong.' These activities incorporated comprehensive waste management to ensure minimal pollution generation.
Over the past year, our active efforts have earned recognition and acclaim from various agencies. For instance, the Energy Research and Development Institute was the main driving force behind the Climate Action Leading Organization Certification by the Thailand Carbon Neutral Network, a Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization. Another remarkable achievement was the CMU CBG Centre in Prachuap Kiri Khan winning the Outstanding Prize at the Thailand Energy Awards 2023, held by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) at the Ministry of Energy. Established as a result of the partnership between CMU, CPP and PTT, it is a center for technology transfer and prototypes in compressed biomethane gas production systems, capable of producing six tonnes of gas per day. CMU's responsibility is to design a production system using their proprietary technology to elevate the quality of CBG (Compressed Biogas) to be equivalent to NGV (Natural Gas Vehicle) standards.
Furthermore, the data-driven management of the CMU Smart City under the CMU Smart Surveillance project has earned the Excellence Prize at the Smart City Solutions Awards 2023 in the Smart Mobility category. The CMU Smart Surveillance by the Smart Campus Management Centre takes into account the concept of universal design to allow residents to have full and equal access to facilities available in the city. Several technologies are used to extract the digital data to give a comprehensive overview of the city, for example, AI image processing, machine learning, and big data analytics that can help analyse and incorporate data into the decision-making, policy and strategy planning, as well as implementations in various fields from helmet detection; ThaiD, which is a digital self-authenticating system; E-vote, which is an electronic voting system; Thai Blockchain Services Infrastructure; and 5G Smart Health, which is a telemedicine platform powered by 5G technology to deliver quality care to remote areas.
Moving towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2032, CMU is committed to promoting social development alongside sustainable resource management in every step of the way through organisational management, promotion of personnel awareness and lifelong learning, as well as social responsibility. CMU is dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality by 2032 with strong focuses on social development, sustainable resource management, organisational management, personnel awareness, lifelong learning, and social responsibility.