However, both the Seoul and Sejong Campuses still emit approximately 100,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) every year. As a result, ESG has become a necessity and no longer an option to reduce the effects of climate change, which are stated on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). KU’s effort on reaching carbon neutrality is shown through its recently presented reform plan and the ESG Management Committee.

Professor Lee Woo Kyun (Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering), a prominent member of the committee whose area of expertise is the organization of environmental geographic information, explains that universities - especially KU - should take the initiative to establish net zero, the idea that GHGs emitted into the atmosphere should be equal to zero. One way to achieve this is through renewable energy technology for buildings, such as solar energy and hydrogen fuel cell facilities, which can reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent.