Cutting carbon, empowering communities: HKBU Professor Daphne Mah’s smart energy project drives Hong Kong’s net-zero transition
With a HK$3,990,000 grant from the Research Impact Fund (RIF), Professor Daphne Mah, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, and Director, Asian Energy Studies Centre of Hong Kong Baptist University led an interdisciplinary research project from 2021 to 2025 to drive Hong Kong’s net-zero transition.
Convening a team of approximately 20 experts across nine universities in Asia, the UK, and the US, the project “Exploring the role of big data analytics in promoting smart low-carbon cities: A human-centered, community-based, and deep engagement approach in Hong Kong” has inspired a paradigm shift to accelerate sustainable change across society.
A tech-driven, community-based approach to decarbonisation
Launched in response to climate urgency, the project was based on three core pillars: big data analytics (BDA), smart energy technologies, and deep community engagement. By working directly with local households that play a vital role in weaving a sustainable future, the team achieved measurable, long-lasting results. “We hope to work with communities to build a smart low-carbon Hong Kong, which is much more inclusive, resilient and sustainable,” Professor Mah said.
By developing and testing the Smart Energy Community (SEC) Model in four Hong Kong communities: Fairview Park, Sheung Shui, Sai Kung, and South Horizons, the project has evaluated energy behavioural changes in over 600 households. In 350 intervention households and 150 control households, the initiative assessed the extent to which app-based BDA, combined with deep community engagement, could catalyse household behavioural shifts to drive deep decarbonisation. Households used smart sensors and a mobile application to track real-time energy consumption and compete for blockchain carbon coins. They also attended a series of community workshops, including envisioning workshops to co-create low-carbon futures, social learning sessions to share energy-saving strategies, and deliberative workshops to guide informed community debates.
The research team also collaborated with ten schools, eight businesses, and 14 non-governmental organisations, hosted 178 community workshops attended by over 3,000 participants, and trained over 260 "Junior Energy Scientists" and 154 low-carbon women leaders to test smart energy approaches in real-world settings.
From Hong Kong communities to global net-zero policy
Evaluation of the SEC Model yielded compelling evidence of the project’s local impact. In contrast to the control group, whose electricity usage increased by 7.98%, the intervention group reduced their consumption by 2.88% while significantly boosting energy literacy and community cohesion. By integrating 13 heterogeneous datasets, including smart sensor metrics and real-time Hong Kong Observatory weather data, the study shows that a sub-group of households can delay air-conditioning use by up to four months. Building on these local insights, the SEC Model has been replicated and scaled to Seoul, Bristol, and Shenzhen since 2023 to foster international cross-city social learning.
The project concluded with 13 key outputs, including the SEC Model, a dedicated mobile application, a pilot blockchain incentive scheme, community engagement initiatives, and actionable policy recommendations. By translating behavioural insights into demand-side energy policies and time-of-use strategies, it will contribute to accelerating Hong Kong's progress toward its 2050 net-zero target.
About the RIF
The RIF, administered by the Research Grants Council, encourages local academics to conduct effective, translational, and community-benefiting research through increased collaboration with non-academic partners such as government, business, and industry.
Professor Mah’s research profile: https://scholars.hkbu.edu.hk/en/persons/DAPHNEMAH
