A summer of heatwaves has wreaked havoc on human health, food security and natural ecosystems all over the world this year. With climate change on the march, Hong Kong, as a tiny dot on the map, can’t escape its effects. CUHK experts on climate change, earth and environmental sciences, and architecture discuss what the consequences could be, and what can we do to alleviate them.

The world is facing a confluence of crises in food and nutrition, health, education, the environment, and peace and security that threaten the very survival of humanity. To put the world on track to sustainability will require concerted action on a global scale. The education system plays an important role in raising awareness of sustainable development goals and teaching the skills needed for a sustainable world. CUHK has joined the multi-institutional Future17 programme, taking students on a journey to unleash their creativity and develop solutions that tackle SDG-related challenges.

An “ozone garden” is where a CUHK research team studied bean plants attempting to grow under Hong Kong’s rising ozone skies in the first plant-based measurement of ozone in the South China Region. Even though it was Spring and in the countryside, the ozone eroded the beans and stressed them into opening more flowers, forcing them to wither more quickly.