Botanical Garden Campus Towards Net Zero

Where Nature Becomes Climate Action

The Asian Institute of Technology is transforming its 130-hectare campus into an integrated botanical garden and living laboratory where nature, research, technology and community action work together toward achieving Net Zero emissions by 2030.

The initiative brings together AIT’s lakes, canals, freshwater mangroves, gardens, meadows, orchards and forest ecosystems within a coordinated sustainability plan. It addresses climate change and biodiversity loss together while creating a healthier and more resilient environment for learning, research, work and community life.

At a Glance

• 130-hectare green campus
• More than 25 freshwater mangrove species
• Three interconnected botanical campus zones
• A campus-wide living laboratory for sustainability
• Net Zero emissions target by 2030

Our Vision

AIT’s campus is one of the greenest academic environments in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Its natural landscape includes tropical vegetation, lakes, canals, ponds, freshwater mangroves, orchards, gardens and forest groves.

The Botanical Garden Campus Towards Net Zero initiative will organize these natural assets into an integrated campus system that supports carbon reduction, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, circular resource use, education and public engagement.

The Botanical Garden is not intended to replace the need for reducing emissions. Achieving Net Zero requires a combination of renewable energy, efficient infrastructure, sustainable resource management, nature-based solutions and responsible behaviour. The Botanical Garden provides the physical platform where these different actions can be connected, tested and demonstrated.

How the Botanical Garden Supports Net Zero

Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems

AIT is committed to maintaining healthy trees and forest ecosystems across the campus. This includes planting suitable native species, conserving threatened trees, replacing unhealthy or dangerous trees and protecting natural areas from unnecessary development.

Restoring vegetation along lakes and canals can also reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and create habitats for fish, birds and other wildlife.

Increasing Carbon Storage

Trees, vegetation, soil and freshwater ecosystems naturally capture and store carbon. Protecting existing green areas and improving degraded ecosystems can strengthen the campus’s capacity to sequester carbon while providing shade, reducing heat and improving air quality.

Improving Water Quality

AIT’s lakes, canals and freshwater mangroves form an important ecological network. Freshwater mangroves can help purify water, recycle waste nutrients, store carbon and provide habitats for different species.

Treated wastewater and harvested rainwater can also be reused for maintaining gardens, restoring waterways and reducing dependence on external water sources.

Supporting Circular Resource Use

Garden residues, fallen leaves and suitable organic waste can be converted into compost, biochar and other useful materials. These resources can then be returned to the campus landscape instead of being sent to landfills.

This approach supports AIT’s commitment to the Bio-Circular-Green Economy by reducing waste, recovering useful resources and improving the health of campus soils and vegetation.

Freshwater Mangrove Museum

The Freshwater Mangrove Museum is one of the most distinctive features of AIT’s Botanical Garden Campus.

Although mangroves are normally associated with coastal environments, AIT has demonstrated how different mangrove species can grow and provide valuable ecological services in freshwater urban environments.

The freshwater mangrove system supports:

• Carbon storage and climate-change mitigation
• Water purification and nutrient recycling
• Biodiversity conservation
• Restoration of lakes and canals
• Research and environmental education
• Climate adaptation in tropical cities

The museum transforms the campus into an outdoor classroom where students, researchers and visitors can observe the relationship between plants, water, biodiversity and sustainable urban development.

AIT as a Living Laboratory

The AIT Sustainability Policy identifies the campus as a living laboratory where sustainability ideas can be developed, tested, evaluated and improved.

Students, faculty members, researchers, operational teams and industry partners can use the campus to test new technologies, products, services and business models. Successful approaches can be integrated into campus operations and shared with other institutions and communities.

The living-laboratory process includes four stages:

1. Observe

Collect baseline information on biodiversity, tree health, water quality, energy consumption, waste generation, transportation and greenhouse-gas emissions.

2. Experiment

Test nature-based solutions, renewable-energy systems, smart monitoring technologies, circular resource-management approaches and behavioural interventions.

3. Evaluate

Measure environmental, operational, educational and community outcomes. Unsuccessful trials are also treated as valuable learning opportunities.

4. Scale and Share

Integrate successful solutions into campus operations and share the knowledge with communities, universities, businesses and policymakers across Thailand and the wider region.

Living Laboratory Objectives

The Botanical Garden living laboratory aims to:

• Translate teaching and research into practical campus action
• Support interdisciplinary sustainability research
• Connect academic knowledge with institutional decision-making
• Provide hands-on learning opportunities for students
• Test nature-based and technological solutions under real conditions
• Encourage collaboration with government, industry and communities
• Develop solutions that can be replicated by other institutions
• Prepare graduates to apply sustainability principles in their future workplaces

The 2025 Emissions Situation

AIT’s 2025 campus emissions diagnostic estimated total emissions of approximately 8,770 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. This represented a reduction of approximately 4.89% compared with 2024 and 8.92% from the 2023 peak.

The emissions were distributed across three categories:

• Scope 1 – Direct campus emissions: 470 tCO₂e, representing 5%
• Scope 2 – Purchased electricity: 4,562 tCO₂e, representing 52%
• Scope 3 – Travel, commuting, waste, water and procurement: 3,739 tCO₂e, representing 43%

Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions can primarily be reduced through infrastructure improvements, renewable energy, efficient cooling systems and energy-management technologies.

Scope 3 emissions require broader behavioural and institutional changes, particularly in air travel, commuting, waste generation, procurement and everyday resource use.

The Combined Pathway to Net Zero

Achieving Net Zero by 2030 requires three interconnected approaches.

Institutional Infrastructure

AIT’s Net Zero roadmap includes renewable-energy expansion, floating solar development, air-conditioning and chiller upgrades, energy-efficient lighting, motion sensors, sustainable transportation, improved water systems and more effective waste management.

Nature-Based Solutions

Forest management, freshwater mangroves, biodiversity protection, waterway restoration, composting, biochar and other nature-based solutions can increase carbon storage and strengthen campus resilience.

Community Action

Students, faculty, staff, residents and visitors must contribute through responsible travel, energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction and protection of campus biodiversity.

Technology can reduce a large share of campus emissions, but Net Zero cannot be achieved without changes in daily behaviour and institutional culture.

Three Connected Campus Zones

The Botanical Garden Campus is organized around three mutually supportive zones.

Academic and BOI Science and Technology Zone

This zone supports academic facilities, research laboratories and collaboration with enterprises operating under AIT’s Science and Technology Park status.

Botanical Residence Zone

Student and employee residential areas will be integrated with green spaces, trees, gardens and sustainable campus facilities to create a healthy botanical living environment.

Botanical Public Space Zone

Selected botanical areas will be accessible to the wider public and used for environmental education, recreation, workshops, outreach activities and community engagement.

Core Features of the Botanical Garden Campus

The proposed Botanical Garden Campus includes:

• The Queen Sirikit Arboretum Garden
• Freshwater Mangrove Museum sites
• Public Botanical Garden areas
• Restored lakes, canals and forest ecosystems
• Pedestrian and cycling-friendly open spaces
• A perimeter walking and jogging pathway
• Outdoor classrooms and research areas
• Connections with neighbouring science and technology institutions

These features will create a campus where people can study, work, exercise, conduct research and interact with nature within the same sustainable environment.

Governance and Accountability

The Botanical Garden Campus Towards Net Zero requires clear institutional leadership and shared responsibility.

Campus Sustainability Committee

The Campus Sustainability Committee provides institute-level leadership and coordination for sustainability planning and supports implementation of the Botanical Garden Campus vision.

Office of Sustainable Campus

The Office of Sustainable Campus supports the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sustainability initiatives.

Academic and Operational Units

Schools, offices, laboratories and operational units are responsible for identifying their major environmental impacts and implementing appropriate reduction measures.

Campus Community

Students, faculty, staff, residents and partners contribute through research, living-laboratory projects, sustainable behaviour and community activities.

Monitoring and Reporting

Progress should be measured through baseline studies, regular monitoring, sustainability indicators, dashboards, case studies and annual sustainability reporting.

How the AIT Community Can Contribute

Save Energy

Set air conditioners at 25–26°C, keep doors and windows closed while cooling systems are operating and switch off lights, computers and laboratory equipment when not in use.

Travel Responsibly

Walk or cycle for short journeys, prioritize virtual meetings, combine official trips and use lower-carbon transportation wherever possible.

Reduce Waste

Avoid single-use plastics, carry reusable containers, separate wet and dry waste and take only the amount of food that can be consumed.

Conserve Water

Report leaking pipes and taps, avoid unnecessary water use and support the reuse of treated water and harvested rainwater.

Protect Nature

Respect campus trees, wildlife, lakes, canals and designated natural areas. Participate in biodiversity monitoring, tree planting and ecosystem-restoration activities.

Innovate

Use the AIT campus as a living laboratory for research, education, entrepreneurship and practical sustainability solutions.

Our Future

The Botanical Garden Campus Towards Net Zero represents AIT’s response to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and unsustainable resource use.

By combining its natural landscape with research, technology, responsible governance and community participation, AIT can become a leading example of an academic institution where people live, study, work and innovate within a low-carbon and nature-positive environment.

Our projects. Our commitment. Our future.