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Five international school teams compete for a place at Oxford in Climate Change Compeition at COP29

Published

Five amazing ideas to fight climate change have brought teenaged finalists from around the world to Baku for the 2024 Climate Change Challenge.

One thousand innovative entries from more than 50 countries were entered for the competition. Sponsored by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Burjeel Holdings, one of the leading private providers of world-class healthcare services, the 2024 Climate Change Challenge called for high school students to come up with innovative solutions to the climate crisis. And they did.

The amazing response to the competition was whittled down by the judges to the five groups, who were selected for the final. Read more about the teams and their ideas. Full details of the teams, and their ideas, are here.  

The teenagers come from as far afield as South Korea, Abu Dhabi, the US, Lebanon – and Wales, with diverse members coming from China, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Turkey, making it a truly international endeavour. The final teams comprise 17 girls and six boys.

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Team Liquid Spark, from Rashaya Public High School in Lebanon, Liquid Sparks' sea robots track and collect rubbish and debris on the surface of the water. The additional app allows you to track and trouble-shoot devices, see real-time data and share reports, insights and sustainability ideas.

‘Always dream big,’ says of one of the team. While another maintains: ‘Always keep the needs of the people you want to help at the heart of your solution.’

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Team Plethora, from Cambridge High School Abu Dhabi. Its Eco-Harvest's solution filters sludge through a vortex and a zeolite media to remove ammonia and metals. It reduces CO2 emissions by adding potassium carbonate, which turns into potassium bicarbonate, creating a dual benefit for waste management and environmental health.

‘Together, we can transform challenges into victories,’ says one of the team. While a colleague adds: ‘With dedication and persistence, you can achieve anything.’ 

A separate competition brings five teachers from the UK, India, Lebanon and Azerbaijan to the summit in Baku.

According to the judges, the high school students have come up with truly inspirational ideas – for taking on the global challenge of climate. Their amazing professional plans also include:

  • A slow-release gelatin which can conserve water.
  • Eco-powered robots which can track and collect rubbish from the sea.
  • Using water capture technology to aid farming in arid areas.

In Baku, the five teams will learn which comes away with the coveted first place -  and tickets to Oxford Saïd’s Future Climate Innovators Summer School in 2025.