On October 28th, the ceremony of the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) and the 2023 World Cities Day China Event kicked off in Shanghai. Fuzhou was one of the five cities across the world to receive the first Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) in this event.

The first Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) is an international award jointly initiated by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. The theme is “building a sustainable future for cities”, and it is aimed at recognizing cities worldwide that have made outstanding progress in sustainable development. It is hoped that all countries around the world can work together to better promote the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and strive to build a future-oriented city of sustainable development.

The first Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) focuses on four dimensions: economic vitality and urban prosperity, ecological conservation and green development, urban safety and resilient development, and the building of sustainable development capacity. A total of 54 cities from 16 countries have applied for the award. After evaluation by the international jury, 15 cities were shortlisted. Eventually, Brisbane, Australia; Fuzhou, China; Kampala, Uganda; George Town, Penang State, Malaysia; and Salvador, Brazil won this award.

In the evaluation, the urban highlights of Fuzhou focus on the sustainable development strategies of developing green economy and digital economy, innovative implementation of urban water management projects, and building a “City of Thousand Parks” that is green, low-carbon, and ecologically friendly.