Entries for the Climate Change Challenge are now closed and the finalists have been announced.
On this page you will find information on the challenge for your reference, including further details on the five challenges, the judging criteria and the instructions we gave to student teams and teachers.
We asked students to set out their big idea, explain their inspiration, show how they think it will make a difference and consider how their solution could be turned into a reality. Teams could include students from just a single school, or from multiple schools. Entries had to:
We asked high school teachers to set the agenda in the classroom with lessons that raised awareness among students about the dangers of climate change, and encouraged them to think creatively about solving it. Entries had to:
Air pollution, caused by factors such as industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust, contributes to respiratory problems and other health issues.
Students can explore innovative ways to reduce air pollution, such as developing sustainable transportation options or creating air filtration systems for homes and schools.
Climate change leads to more frequent and intense extreme weather events like hurricanes, droughts and heatwaves - each of which has a significant impact on health.
High school students can brainstorm solutions to help communities better prepare for and respond to these events, like designing early warning systems, developing resilient infrastructure, or creating sustainable farming practices through what is called agritech.
Climate change affects the spread of diseases carried by insects, like mosquitoes.
Students can brainstorm innovative methods to prevent and control vector-borne diseases, such as creating eco-friendly mosquito repellents, designing smart traps, or developing strategies for disease surveillance and prevention.
Climate change impacts agriculture, making it harder to produce enough food to feed everyone. Food scarcity directly impacts nutrition, and malnutrition is a major risk factor for many diseases.
High school students can explore solutions to improve food security, like vertical farming techniques, sustainable farming practices, or developing climate-resilient crop varieties.
Climate change affects water availability, leading to droughts in some areas and floods in others. Having too little water can contribute to significant health issues, while floods can cause other health hazards.
Students can propose ways to conserve water and manage resources more effectively, such as implementing rainwater harvesting systems, developing innovative irrigation methods, or designing water filtration systems for communities in need.
To equip students and teachers in entering the challenge, the world-renowned Eden Project offered free access to a lesson plan - Climate Response - Doers, Shoppers, Learners, Shouters - and further teaching resources. They also gave access Climate Conversations, their archive of resources on climate change.
Entries have been judged against the following criteria, for student teams and teachers.
