Project Reference No.: UGC/IDS(R)24/22
Project Title: Research Centre for Green Business (PolyU SPEED)

Abstract

The Chief Executive's 2021 Policy Address set out more proactive strategies to reduce carbon emissions, setting Hong Kong on a path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To plan for a low-carbon future, organisations need to integrate green strategies into their long-term organisational goals. Organisations take responsibility for developing green practices by integrating green business solutions into all stages of the value chain, including manufacturing, logistics, accounting, finance, human resources management, marketing, and services (Tiong et al., 2017). An environmentally aware organisation considers both its profits and its impact on the community, society, and environment. Hence, it is necessary and timely for academics from the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU SPEED) to establish the Research Centre for Green Business (RCGB) to conduct research on green practices across business processes in various industries.

To echo PolyU SPEED's strategic plan to develop green research across disciplines, the RCGB will serve as a hub to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and generate high-quality research. The RCGB will provide timely green business solutions to companies and the community of Hong Kong and enhance the research capabilities of PolyU SPEED. To align with the academic disciplines of the Division of Business and Hospitality Management at PolyU SPEED, the proposed RCGB will encompass FOUR research themes: (1) Green Accounting and Finance; (2) Consumer and Organisational Behaviours; (3) Green Supply Chain Management; and (4) Green Tourism. With the synergistic effects of these four research themes, the purpose of the RCGB will be to promote green practices by conducting innovative research, share green business knowledge with global and local academics, and advocate for green business practices with industries, business organisations, and government bodies through various research outputs, applications, and activities.

The RCGB will host research seminars to nurture a collaborative research culture in PolyU SPEED; public lectures to disseminate the research findings on green business practices and models to various stakeholders; a conference to reveal research findings and green business models that align with the sustainable future, market needs, and environmental needs; a visiting scholars programme to inspire academics to set attainable research excellence goals, exchange cross-cultural knowledge, and promote research collaboration; and consultation sessions with companies to exchange sustainable business ideas and practices in various business areas.

For the sustainability of the project, the RCGB will also establish the 'Green Hub', an e-platform to share green business practices with scholars in the community of self-financing institutions, offering a foundation for academics to generate quality research ideas and scholarly outputs. This platform will foster research collaboration with international scholars, industry practitioners, and professional bodies. The RCGB will be anchored in PolyU SPEED experiences, with a deep sense of its institutional origins and the mission 'To foster quality education through scholarly contributions and professional engagement'. In this spirit, PolyU SPEED will open new research horizons for long-term interests.