FedEx announced on May 8 the conclusion of its University Students Environmental Entrepreneurship Challenge (USEEC), a seven-month program co-organized with the All-China Environment Federation. The national finale, held on May 7 in Beijing, brought together finalist teams from over 100 universities across China to present innovative solutions for sustainable development and low-carbon growth.
The initiative aims to encourage youth-driven environmental innovation by supporting practical and scalable projects that address ecological protection, climate and energy, pollution prevention, and comprehensive sustainability issues. According to FedEx, team members are committed to outstanding customer experiences and the company focuses on global logistics and supply chain innovation while serving more than 220 countries and territories worldwide according to the official website.
At the event’s main track focused on “Innovation in the Sustainable Express Packaging Supply Chain,” first place was awarded to Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology’s project “Healing Box – A Gift of Roses, with a Box to Spare.” Other sub-track winners included projects from Guangdong Ocean University (Ecological Protection), Dalian University of Technology/Harbin Institute of Technology (Climate and Energy), Qingdao Agricultural University (Pollution Prevention), and another team from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (Comprehensive Issues). The AI poster competition’s Most Popular AI Poster went to Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s “Paddy Field 007: Ecological Flower Strips as a Pesticide-Alternative Solution.”
Mentorship throughout the competition was provided by environmental experts and FedEx employee volunteers who guided students in refining their technical approaches, business models, and presentations. Poh-Yian Koh, president of FedEx China said: “FedEx is working toward achieving carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040. In addition to transforming our own operations, we aim to amplify our sustainability impact by encouraging employee volunteerism, engaging with the wider community, and co-creating shared environmental value through multi-stakeholder collaboration. This challenge is a key initiative in developing future-ready talent. We are inspired by the energy and ingenuity demonstrated by the students, and we will continue to build collaborative platforms that connect industry, academia, and research to drive long-term sustainable development.”
Du Shaozhong, Special Observer to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China said: “The success of this challenge exemplifies a robust environmental innovation ecosystem led by government guidance, supported by corporations, enabled by universities, and energized by youth participation. With its deep industry expertise and strong sense of social responsibility, FedEx has created a high‑quality practice platform for university students. In addition to financial awards, winning teams will gain access to incubation resources from FedEx and its partners…”
FedEx continues efforts towards sustainability within its own operations through initiatives such as vehicle electrification; it also collaborates with organizations like ACEF on local ecological restoration projects such as “2025 Protecting One Kilometer of a River Course” according to the official website. Frederick W. Smith founded FedEx which now employs hundreds of thousands worldwide handling about 17 million daily deliveries according to the official website.
