HSBC CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM
HSBC CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM
In 2018, HSBC initiated a partnership with the Blue Carbon Lab and Earthwatch Australia, to develop a ‘citizen science’ program to engage its staff and partners in tackling climate change. The 2-year program sought to empower HSBC staff to value nature and make smart financial decisions regarding investments that impact the environment.
The program focussed on coastal ‘blue carbon’ wetlands– which have been recognised as one of the world’s most effective carbon sinks. Research on these ecosystems has been limited by (i) knowledge gaps on their value, (ii) lack of awareness about their importance, and (iii) lack of integration between science, policy and practice. The HSBC Citizen Science Program sought to directly address these issues through a multi-sector R&D program whereby industry gets physically involved in coastal wetland research. While HSBC empowers its staff on climate change and green finance, Blue Carbon Lab advances its research. High-level executive staff collect critical data to inform decision making and new markets based on coastal ecosystem services (specifically carbon sequestration via ‘blue carbon’).
HSBC staff manage $100bn sustainable finance. In an era of environmental degradation, water crisis and species extinctions it is critical that ALL corporate decisions are environmentally-savvy. By educating Australia’s high-level executives into climate-literacy, this program facilitated sustainable changes within organisations and empowered financial decisions that lead to a sustainable future.
The HSBC program was designed as a full-day immersive experience combining educational and data collection activities in a local wetland. A total of 21 HSBC citizen science days were delivered in the 2-years of the program.
Educational talks: Participants first received a series of talks on natural capital, ecosystem services coastal wetlands and Blue Carbon. Presentations were delivered by staff from the three partner organisations (HSBC, Alpa Bhattacharjee; Earthwatch, Dr Maria Garcia; and the Blue Carbon Lab, Dr Maria Palacios).
Fieldwork: Citizen Scientists then travelled to local wetlands to participate in different data collections activities. Once on site, Blue Carbon Lab’s scientists explained the research and demonstrated the field protocols. Participants then worked in teams to collect soil cores for carbon stock analysis, measure wetland vegetation deploy/retrieve tea bags, among other field activities. Fieldwork slightly differed from site to site depending on the research project and wetland visited.
The Citizen Science day started with educational talks from Earthwatch & the Blue Carbon lab, followed by aprox 4 h of data collection activities in the wetland! Read the blogs from the latest field trips.
After 2 years and 21 field trips, the program engaged more than 350 employees from 23 businesses (including HSBC and many Qantas Future Planet partners) in topics such as natural capital and ecosystem services, while maximising field sampling.
HSBC citizen scientists surveyed over 300 vegetation plots and collected more than 1000 soil samples from coastal wetlands. Data is being used to prepare seven research publications that will advance our understanding of Blue Carbon ecosystems and their ability to fight climate change. Considering coastal wetlands are one of the Earth’s most efficient carbon sinks, this information will support the creation of a Blue Carbon market that promotes the restoration and protection of coastal wetlands for carbon offsetting and climate change mitigation.
The educational and scientific success of the program was recognised through the 2019 Australian Financial Review Higher Education award for Industry engagement. The program was also showcased externally in several conferences (e.g., DELWP’s SWIFFT seminar), newspapers, website blogs, social media (#BlueCarbonArmy) and an ABC 7:30 news report.
The HSBC Blue Carbon citizen science program received the Industry Engagement award at the 2019 Australian Financial Review (AFR) Higher Education awards ceremony held in Brisbane (27/08/2018). This award celebrates innovative partnerships between Australian Universities and the Industry sector.
The Blue Carbon Lab received the Premier’s Sustainability Award 2020 in the Education category for our HSBC Blue Carbon Citizen Science Program. The Education category recognises excellence and innovation in the delivery of educational programs that contribute to a more sustainable Victoria.
Our HSBC Blue Carbon Citizen Science Program has been announced as a finalist in the 2020 Banksia Sustainability Awards. The Banksia Sustainability Awards seek out and recognise innovation and leadership through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These global goals aim to unite the world businesses, governments and citizens to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and protect the planet.
This program was funded by HSBC as part of the HSBC Water Program; an eight-year US$150 million program aimed at tackling the global water challenge through water provision, protection, education, and scientific research.
The HSBC Blue Carbon citizen science program was delivered by the Blue Carbon Lab in partnership with Earthwatch Australia. Several institutions from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom contributed to the research.