Tsinghua SDG Institute Holds Universities for SDG 13 Award China Finals and Lead Chinese University Students to SDG13 Climate Action
On 22 April, on the 53rd Earth Day and the 111th anniversary of Tsinghua University, Tsinghua SDG Institute (TUSDG) held the Universities for SDG 13 Award China Finals in Beijing. This national award finale comes under the Universities for SDG13 Award, a collaboration between Siemens Gamesa and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) to promote university talent in the fight against climate change (SDG 13) while enhancing the relevant role of innovation for quality education (SDG 4).
For this first edition, the Institute for SDGs of Tsinghua University, the host institution of SDSN China Hub, is one of five institutions selected from SDSN’s network to participate in this competition.
This national competition in China saw a total of 25 teams and 114 students participating. After two rounds of strict evaluation and professional guidance, 11 teams were shortlisted for the finals. The finalists presented solutions which focused on the theme of SDG13-Climate Action including current local issues such as haze monitoring and governance, community participation in climate change, solid waste treatment and recycling in scenic spots, carbon sequestration and forest management, technology-assisted photovoltaic power plants, personal carbon emissions and carbon trading. Each real-world solution combined interdisciplinary knowledge and technological innovation and each team fully demonstrated in-depth understanding and powerful interpretation of the concepts of climate change and sustainable development. During the Q & A session, the judges shared cutting-edge scientific knowledge, industry perspectives and practical experience in the climate field with each participant, spurring climate innovation inspiration and in-depth discussions. The following three teams, Xihe System, Byte-Forest, and Carbon Trail, won the regional awards and will proceed to the next round of the competition on the global level.
