City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is dedicated to promoting global sustainability and achieved a notable performance in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025. The University is committed to fostering a green environment and driving change both locally and globally, aligning its efforts with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making them central to its sustainability initiatives. CityUHK also focuses on translating research into tangible action, exemplified by its “living laboratory” on campus, which promotes innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint.

Recently, the University celebrated a significant milestone in global sustainability by hosting His Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute. He delivered a speech in CityUHK’s Distinguished Lecture Series, part of the School of Energy and Environment’s 15th Anniversary Symposium on Global Sustainability and Energy Innovation. His presence underscored CityUHK’s unique role in bridging international sustainability initiatives with Hong Kong’s environmental leaders, showcasing the University’s progress and commitment to global sustainability.

CityUHK’s dedication to net zero emissions, renewable energy and sustainability-related strategies is evident. One notable initiative is the installation of nearly 2,000 high-efficiency bifacial solar panels on campus buildings in phases. By 2034, CityUHK aims to reduce the consumption of energy and water and municipal solid waste by 40% per capita.

Additionally, the University strengthened its global presence by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This partnership aims to foster research, training and community engagement across the Asia-Pacific region, positioning CityUHK as a contributor in addressing global environmental challenges.

In the latest released QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, CityUHK was ranked 234th out of 1,744 universities worldwide and 28th in Asia. The University showed improvement in all three key categories: “Environmental Impact”, “Social Impact” and “Governance”. 

In “Environmental Impact”, CityUHK achieved significant improvements in all performance metrics, particularly excelling in “Environmental Research”, where it was ranked 8th in Asia. This reflects the University’s expertise in research related to several SDGs, such as clean energy, climate action and sustainable cities and communities. The University also performed well in “Environmental Education” and “Environmental Sustainability”.

CityUHK moved up 100 places in Governance, reflecting its commitment to transparent and effective governance. This category evaluates the university’s ethics culture, dedicated staff for sustainability and transparent financial reporting, among others. 

CityUHK also improved in “Social Impact”, notably in the performance metrics of Health & Wellbeing and Impact of Education. This underscores the University’s dedication to promoting positive societal changes and its unwavering efforts to promote knowledge exchange by working alongside global academic and industry partners. For example, CityUHK is one of the incubation partners of JC PROJECT LIFT, which helps families living in transitional housing grasp new opportunities for future social development and embrace new possibilities for a better life. The project is expected to benefit approximately 14,000 families in 25 transitional housing projects across the city.

As it marks its 30th anniversary this year since achieving university status, CityUHK successively established the Academy of Innovation, the Institute of Digital Medicine, the College of Computing and the Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science. These milestone achievements have helped foster an impactful academic environment, which promotes interdisciplinary collaboration on a global scale and encourages innovative thinking. 

Please visit Sustainability@CityUHK to access the Sustainability Report and learn more about CityUHK’s efforts to support the SDGs.