Meeting Minutes for the Regional Carbon Neutrality Campus (CNC) Network

Date: March 10, 2025 (Monday)
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM (Bangkok Time)
 Location: Online via Microsoft Teams

On March 10, 2025, at 1:00 PM, the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, led by Associate Professor Dr. Kitikorn Charmondusit, Dean, along with faculty members, hosted a follow-up meeting on the development of the Carbon Neutrality Campus (CNC) online course. The meeting brought together experts from the regional network to discuss the course structure, content, target audience, and expected learning outcomes. Additionally, discussions included plans for co-organizing parallel sessions on sustainability as part of the "ESG for Climate Actions International Summit ESG Xchange 2025", hosted by the World Green Organisation (WGO) from May 6–7, 2025, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), Hong Kong.

The meeting took place at the Debhanom Muangman Meeting Room, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University, and virtually via Microsoft Teams. The session featured participation from leading international academic institutions and organizations, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), Nagasaki University (Japan), Ton Duc Thang University (Vietnam), Merdeka University Malang (Indonesia), Institut Teknologi Nasional Malang (Indonesia), Universiti Malaya (Malaysia), Mariano Marcos State University (Philippines), and Universiti Teknologi Brunei (Brunei Darussalam).

This meeting is a key initiative under the “Carbon Neutrality Campus” project, an international collaboration for academic exchange and the development of a joint unit on carbon neutrality in partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and UNESCAP. The project primarily aims to disseminate knowledge on carbon neutrality and equip educational institutions with essential knowledge and skills to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Meeting Summary

Opening Remarks

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kitikorn Charmondustic, Dean of the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University welcomed all participants and introduced the agenda for discussion, focusing on the first online course for the CNC Network. Each institution's professors and staff introduced themselves before proceeding with the meeting.

Key Discussion Points

1. Course Structure, Title Selection and Dates
   
   

• The objective was to share the tentative course structure for the program, which consists of:
  • Day 1: Foundation Concepts
  • Day 2: Advanced Topics
  • Day 3: Application and Evaluation.
• Potential course dates and asked participants to discuss and confirm the most suitable schedule.
• Additionally, the course name needs to be finalized, and participants were invited to propose and select an appropriate title.
• The Dean encouraged feedback and suggestions from attendees to refine and finalize the course structure.

1. Course Details & Requirements
   
   

• The course will be offered free of charge to students.
• A certificate of completion will be provided upon successful participation.
• To ensure proper certification, the course will include:
  • A scoring system
  • Pre-recorded sessions
  • Online assessments
• Each session will be structured as follows:
  • 45-minute for lecture
  • 15-minute for Q&A session
• The target audience includes undergraduate students.
• Each institution is expected to nominate 10 students to attend the CNC online course.
• The proposed training period is scheduled for Week 4 of June (June 22 – June 30, 2025).
• The final course name needs to be confirmed.
• Invitation the UNESCAP to share in session on Day 1 and Day 2 of the online course.

1. Additional Topics
   
   

• The World Green Organization (WGO) will extend an invitation for the ESC Exchange 2025, encouraging participation from CNC network members.

Action Items & Next Steps

• A topic selection sheet will be shared with attendees to finalize the online course name.
• The WGO invitation for the ESG Exchange 2025 will be sent to each institution.
• Further confirmation is required on the following aspects:

• To continue working on training agenda
• To finalize the course name
• Certification process and criteria
• Number of student participants
• Online assessment format
• Pre-recorded session
• UNESCAP Participation

The meeting concluded at 3:00 PM (Bangkok Time) with a commitment to follow up on the action items before the next discussion.

As a leader in environmental sustainability, Mahidol University's Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies hosted its fifth ENRIC conference, Net Zero Now: Action for a Sustainable World, focusing on a host of important themes, including pollution and climate change, mitigation and adaptation, and new technology and innovation.

One of the key developments at the event was the establishment of a Carbon Neutrality Campus Network, by more than a dozen representatives from universities located in seven Asian countries — China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

It was a groundbreaking development for sustainability in education. The new network will initially focus on shared carbon neutrality online courses, environmental research, and the practical implementation of carbon neutrality efforts within campuses.

Future collaboration among participating universities will further grow the network’s shared vision, its development of academic curricula, its international gatherings, the number of member schools and potentially participating nations.

Officially titled The 5^th Environment and Natural Resources International Conference, the larger event was held in downtown Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong neighborhood 14-15 November, 2024.

The conference underscored the pivotal role of educational institutions in achieving sustainability goals, with Mahidol University once again at the forefront of driving actionable solutions for a Net Zero future.

Keynote speeches included: “How Can Thailand Achieve its Net Zero Goal?” by Dr. Somkiat Tangkitvanich; "Environmental and Resource Impacts from an Aggressive Regionalized Carbon Peak Policy" by Associate Professor Dr. Tian Xu; and “Net Zero Now: Action for a Sustainable World” by Dr. Porakrit Leophairatana.

On October 30, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies at Mahidol University organized a meeting titled "Curriculum Development to Promote Carbon Neutrality for High School Students." This meeting aimed to gather opinions from experts and school representatives on curriculum development and activities related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering sustainability at the high school level. Associate Professor Dr. Kitikorn Charmondusit, Dean of the Faculty, along with faculty members, welcomed and led the meeting.

Experts from various agencies attended, including the Nakhon Pathom Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Phrae Community College, and the Institute of Technology and Information for Sustainable Development. Additionally, representatives from schools in the Carbon Neutrality Campus network participated, including Kanchanabhisek Wittayalai Nakhon Pathom School, Nawaminthrachinuthit Satriwitthaya Phutthamonthon School, Nakprasit School, Bang Chang Nuea Temple Foundation, Wat Nai Rong Secondary School, Naree Utpatham School, Joseph Upatham School, and Assumption Thonburi School.

The meeting was held in Nart Tuntawiroon Meeting Room at the Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies. Following the meeting, a tour of Mahidol University, Salaya, was scheduled to explore projects related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to align with the mission of becoming a sustainable university. The tour included significant environmental learning sites, such as Eco Park, College of Music's Artist House, floating solar panels on the water, the university's recycled waste bank, wastewater treatment system, and organic vegetable plots.

This meeting is part of the Carbon Neutrality Campus Joint Unit project, a collaboration between Mahidol University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The objective is to gather knowledge and disseminate practices related to carbon neutrality, promoting Thai educational institutions to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

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