EN-US 
ZH 
Yuan Ze University once again received national recognition for its efforts to build a sustainable campus. Following Bronze Awards at the 6th and 7th National Corporate Environmental Protection Awards, YZU received another Bronze Award at the 8th National Corporate Environmental Protection Award, marking its third consecutive win. From smart energy management and energy conservation and carbon reduction to resource circulation and biodiversity conservation, the University integrated technological innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration into campus governance, teaching and research, and social engagement, demonstrating tangible progress toward net-zero transformation.
Guided by its educational philosophy of “Excellence, Thoroughness, Vision, and Harmony,” Yuan Ze University pursued its vision of “building a sustainable campus driven by smart governance toward net-zero transformation.” In support of Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero emissions policy, the University implemented the ISO 50001 Energy Management System and ISO 14064-1 greenhouse gas inventory. Through data monitoring and smart management, YZU progressively developed a low-carbon, circular, and resilient campus.
In energy conservation and carbon reduction, YZU’s total electricity consumption in 2025 decreased by 3.49% compared with the previous year, while greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.13%, demonstrating the effectiveness of its energy management initiatives. The University also received more than NT$2.04 million in funding through the Ministry of Education’s 2026 electricity subsidy program for colleges and universities. The funding supported the replacement of 170 air-conditioning units in offices, research rooms, and laboratories with energy-efficient inverter models, achieving an energy-saving efficiency of approximately 33%. Air-conditioning units in Student Dormitory III were also fully replaced during the summer, achieving an energy-saving efficiency of approximately 69%. In addition, the University continued to optimize its Energy Management System (EMS) by incorporating solar photovoltaic monitoring functions to further improve campus energy efficiency.
Beyond smart energy conservation, Yuan Ze University actively promoted the circular economy and ecological conservation. In 2026, the University introduced AI-powered smart recycling machines that used automated recognition and sorting technologies to improve recycling efficiency and encourage faculty, staff, and students to adopt greener lifestyles. In 2025, YZU also established an ecological pond beside the “YZU Green Pond,” using ecological engineering approaches and aquatic vegetation to create a wildlife-friendly habitat. In addition, the “Aquatic Plant Germplasm Ark” project led by the College of Management successfully restored 33 endangered aquatic plant species native to Taiwan, including Limnophila taoyuanensis, which was classified as extinct in the wild. The project demonstrated the University’s achievements in biodiversity conservation and interdisciplinary education.
In sustainability education, Yuan Ze University incorporated environmental issues into its curriculum and experiential learning. The Center for Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility offered the interdisciplinary exploratory course “Net-Zero Carbon Planning and Management” to develop students’ professional competencies in carbon management and supported students in preparing for the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ iPAS Net-Zero Carbon Planning and Management certification examination.
The University also continued to organize environmental education lectures, energy-saving workshops, beach cleanups, and campus ecological activities. Through its industrial low-carbon and smart transformation initiatives, YZU also assisted businesses in advancing energy conservation and carbon reduction, extending its sustainability efforts from the campus to industry and society.
Yuan Ze University’s sustainability achievements received continued recognition in recent years. In addition to receiving the Bronze Award at the National Corporate Environmental Protection Award for three consecutive years, YZU was also recognized as a Model University for Sustainability and received a Gold Award for its sustainability report at the 2025 Taiwan University Sustainability Awards. In 2026, the University received one Gold Award and one Bronze Award at the Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards, highlighting its continued commitment to environmental governance, sustainability education, and social responsibility.
Yuan Ze University said it would continue to integrate smart technologies, innovative teaching, and interdisciplinary research while deepening its efforts in energy management, resource circulation, and ecological conservation. The University would also broaden participation among faculty, staff, students, and industry partners as it advanced toward a greener, smarter, and lower-carbon sustainable campus and contributed the strengths of higher education to Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero transition.
