Funded Collegiate Sustainability Programs
CityUHK is Leading a Global Sustainability Program
Colin Smith — July 10, 2025
The Fostering Innovation for Resilience and Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) programme, spearheaded by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), received official endorsement from UNESCO under the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033) during the 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals in May 2025. Designed to accelerate measurable progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, FIRST brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of academic and industry partners from over 16 countries to co-develop affordable, scalable technologies that address climate change, biodiversity loss, clean energy transition, and water security challenges in underserved regions1.
The programme’s first phase commenced in June 2025, targeting pilot regions with hot climates and limited access to reliable electricity. Four core innovations were selected for initial development: passive radiative cooling coatings derived from local waste materials to lower building temperatures; affordable printable solar films for decentralized electricity generation; waste-biomass conversion systems to support circular-economy energy production; and human-powered sanitation units for on-site potable water generation. Through capacity building, community engagement, and robust impact measurement, FIRST aims to deliver long-term sustainability outcomes while offering CityUHK students and researchers hands-on experience in global collaborative innovation.
