Hong Kong Green School Quality Standard
In 2022, UNESCO surveyed nearly 17,500 young people globally. 70% could not explain climate change, could only explain its broad principles, or knew nothing about it. In response, the UN Transforming Education Summit was held in September 2022, where the UN Secretary-General launched the “Greening Education Partnership” (GEP). This initiative supports countries in addressing the climate crisis through education.
Coordinated by UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, GEP published the “Green School Quality Standard” in 2024. The Standard integrates sustainability and climate action across four core areas: 1) School Governance, 2) Facilities and Operations, 3) Teaching and Learning, and 4) Community Engagement. It establishes a common global language to prepare learners for climate challenges, working toward greening at least 50% of schools in all countries by 2030.
In 2022, the UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and the Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) launched the “Net Zero School Project” with funding from the HKSAR Sustainable Development Fund. The project emphasises climate change as an entry point, helping schools become climate-ready. Schools serve as safe, resilient learning spaces and innovation hubs where learners and communities gain the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to address climate change through sustainable practices.
Following the release of the GEP Standard in 2024, we integrated it into the “Net Zero School Project” training for the 2025–26 school year. Through alignment with the Standard, submissions, participation in international seminars and working groups, and UNESCO assessment in April 2026, we became a GEP member institution and an accredited certification body.
The “Hong Kong Green School Quality Standard”, published through this assessment, is grounded in our local experience of promoting the “Net Zero School Project”, making it closely adapted to Hong Kong’s context. Schools that pass the assessment will be pioneers of net-zero carbon education in Hong Kong and will be listed on the GEP global dashboard of recognised green schools.
Progression Roadmap — from Commitment to Net Zero Demonstration School
Project News & Blog Posts
Project Schedule
The timeline below is the full scheduele of the Net Zero School Project ( Advanced Level ). For the Progression and Commitment Levels, only the underlined and bolded activities are applicable.
| Activity | Date and Time | Venue | Details | 参会人员 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 报名 | Until September 15, 2026 | Online | Fill in Online Registration Form | All Hong Kong Education Institutions |
| Schools provide namelist of core carbon accounting team | September 15, 2026 – October 1, 2026 | Online | The school needs to organize a core team for carbon accounting (including: teachers – at least 3 teachers from different subjects, at least 1 of whom is a manager or above; Students – 6 to 20 students, they could come from the same or different year groups) | Schools that have registered successfully |
| Release of the submission templates to schools | October 7, 2026 | Online |
The following 2 templates will be provided: 1. Hong Kong Green School Quality Standard Assessment 2. Carbon Accounting (through online platform ESDCarbon) |
All schools that have registered successfully |
| Online Guidance Session | Early October 2026 | Online (Zoom) | Online Guidance Session for Filling in the Hong Kong Green School Quality Standard Assessment Form ( recorded for late registrants) | All schools that have registered successfully |
| From Net Zero School to STEAM Education – Teacher Training | Mid – Late October 2026 (1.5 Hours) | Online (Zoom) | With reference to UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development roadmaps and the Green School Quality Standards, how to integrate net zero and climate change into STEAM education and teaching curriculums. | All teachers and management are welcome to participate |
| School Carbon Accounting Training | Late October – November 2026 (3 Hours) | Online (Zoom) |
1. Understanding Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases
2. Understanding Hong Kong’s standards on carbon emission calculation 3. Learn about how to set emission reduction targets and transform towards net zero |
Students and Teachers in the carbon accounting core team |
| School’s ESG practice and strategy — Teacher Training | November 2026 (1.5 Hours) | Online (Zoom) |
1. Helping school management understand how to set short-, medium- and long-term goals for school emission reduction based on the carbon emission baseline
2. Why schools need to conduct ESG reporting and how to use reports to communicate with stakeholders. |
All teachers and management are welcome to participate |
| Low Carbon Lifestyle (Primary) / ESG (Secondary) Workshop | November 2026 (1.5 Hours) | Face-To-Face |
1. Primary: Low carbon lifetyle actions – what can we do from “food, clothing, housing and transportation” aspects? 2. Secondary: What is “environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)”? Why schools and corporates need to care about and actively implement ESG practices |
Students in the carbon accounting core team |
| Schools Prepare Carbon Accounting Spreadsheet | Novermber 2026 – March 2027 | / | The organiser will support schools through email and telephone communications, as well as conducting monthly progress check-up with schools. Zoom guidance meetings can be arranged if needed. | Carbon Accounting Core Team |
| School visit – Experts provide hands-on guidance carbon accounting + identify emissions sources at the school | December 2026 – Feburary 2027, book appointment with schools. Each school visit will take 1~1.5hours | Visit to each school | A mentor with professional carbon emission calculation and auditing experience will visit the school to provide guidance to the working group. Help schools to improving carbon accounting spreadsheet and resolve challenges | Carbon Accounting Core Team |
| Final check – online guidance | March – April 2027, book appointments with schools. Each school will take 30 minutes ~ 1hour | Online (Zoom) | An online mentorship session before carbon verification to ensure document completeness | Carbon Accounting Core Team |
| Carbon verification | March – April 2027, book appointments with schools. Each school will take 45 minutes ~ 1hour | Online (Zoom) | Auditors conduct online verification for schools | Carbon Accounting Core Team |
| Submission Deadline of the HKGSQS Assessment Form and Supporting Documents | April, 2027 | Online | Schools submit document in preparation for assessment against the Hong Kong Green School Quality Standard | All schools that have registered successfully |
| Expert Panel Assessment | April – May, 2027 | / | / | All schools that have registered successfully |
| Result Announcement of the HKGSQS Assessment | Mid May, 2027 | Online | / | All schools that have registered successfully |
| “Net Zero Demonstration School” Certification Ceremony and Sharing Sessions | June 5, 2027, World Environment Day | Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development | Celebrate the “United Nations World Environment Day” on June 5, 2027, with certificate presentation and thematic sharing sessions. | Principal of the school and the Carbon accounting core team |