By AIT Public Affairs
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) hosted Decarbonization Nexus 2025 on 11–12 September, a two-day gathering that brought energy, ideas, and creativity to the campus. Guided by the theme “Connecting Minds. Empowering Actions.”, the event reflected AIT’s commitment to building a Botanical Garden Campus and reaching Net Zero emissions by 2030.
The Nexus was more than just a conference; it was a flagship sustainability event organised by the AIT Office of Sustainable Campus (OSC) in collaboration with AIT schools, research centres, stakeholders, and partner organisations. Building on the success of the 2023 Sustainability Expo, the event signified AIT’s movement towards becoming a living laboratory for decarbonization, innovation, and knowledge exchange. Its core purpose was to foster collaboration among universities, industries, and partners in advancing research, innovation, and shared solutions for sustainable development.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Siddharth K. Jabade, Vice President for Administration and Development (VPAD), highlighted AIT’s role as a “living laboratory” where research is practiced and shared with society. He explained the meaning of “nexus” as connecting diverse stakeholders and encouraged collaboration with curiosity, creativity, and action. He cited AIT’s BOI Science and Technology Park as a resource to co-locate startups. He added that the “Decarbonization Nexus” reminds us that sustainability is a shared responsibility, and such events help us learn, act, and inspire change.
Highlights over the two days included the “Hack to Decarbon” an inter-university hackathon, which empowered young innovators from various universities to design solutions for reducing GHG emissions using climate tech, circular economy principles, ESG strategies, and NbS. The Inter-University SDG Research Fair and Technology Exhibition featured more than 20 booths showcasing cutting-edge solutions in sustainability, engineering, climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and smart infrastructure.
Specialized workshops led by AIT experts and industry leaders further explored ESG strategies, nature-based solutions, and climate innovation. The workshop “Greener Futures: ESG Frameworks and Sustainability in the Real World”, organized by AIT Extension and supported by RecyGlo, provided practical strategies for ESG integration across industries. Another workshop, “Greener Futures: Advancing Climate Resilience through Nature-based Solutions (NbS)”, organized by the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP), explored the potential of NbS as an innovative approach to advance climate resilience and adaptation. The session “Keys to Success: A Circular Economy & Systems Thinking”, hosted by the Yunus Center at AIT, highlighted pathways for advancing sustainable business practices.
A panel discussion on “The 3-Zero Approach: Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions” brought together experts and industry to share insights on social innovation and sustainable leadership.
The “waste to worth” models exhibited by AIT International School students were also showcased, highlighting the creativity of young minds, while the Eco-Friendly Market promoted sustainable products and entrepreneurship. Lively panel discussions and an award ceremony further added to the program, recognizing outstanding contributions and bridging the gap between policy and practice.
Adding to the vibrant atmosphere were an eco-friendly market, fun activity booths, and food trucks that offered participants opportunities to relax, learn, and connect. Together, these elements turned the Nexus into a space where participants could co-create solutions for a carbon-neutral and sustainable future.
Mrs. Sireesha Bantu, Director of OSC, expressed gratitude to AIT Management for supporting the event and to CSI Bangkok, AIT Solutions, and the Yunus Center Thailand for sponsoring the research and hackathon prizes. Acknowledgement was also given to RRC.AP, AIT Extension, and the AIT Yunus Center for conducting impactful workshops, as well as to AIT schools for showcasing research and innovations.
She further recognized partners, including RecyGlo, Aliveloop, Enactus, CIFAL, UNITAR Thailand, AI Mind Lab, and Anywheel, for presenting real-world technologies that inspire sustainable solutions. Special mention went to the Entrepreneurship Center for hosting the Hackathon and to AIT International School for the “Waste to Worth” competition, which highlighted the creativity of young innovators.
Decarbonization Nexus 2025 was noted as another milestone in advancing AIT’s sustainability goals, with OSC encouraging the continued engagement of the AIT community in future initiatives.
The Decarbonization Nexus 2025 conveyed a powerful message that real change happens when knowledge, innovation, and community come together.
