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Young students from India and a teacher from Canada win global competition for their climate change solutions

Published

The winners were announced at a ceremony at COP28

The Burjeel Holdings Oxford Saïd Climate Change Challenge has announced the winners of its global challenge, following 607 submissions from 43 countries.

The winning idea and lesson plan were presented to judges, alongside the other finalists, this weekend, before the announcement was made at a ceremony at COP28 in Dubai. The competition was supported by organisations as varied as Oxford University Press and the Eden Project.

Students aged 15 to 18 were asked to form teams and set out their big idea to address one of five challenges relating to climate change: air pollution, extreme weather, diseases carried by insects, food security and water scarcity. Meanwhile high school teachers were challenged 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.

The entries were reviewed by an international judging panel made up of influential thought-leaders, founders, CEOs and global entrepreneurs.

 

 

 

Winning this global competition is thrilling, and it inspires us to persist in our efforts towards a sustainable future.

Acquifier Guardians

Winner in the student category

The winning student team, Acquifier Guardians, comprised Aniba, Anika, Jasreen, Naina, and Sonali from New Delhi, India. They addressed water scarcity by presenting an effective drip irrigation solution.

'Drip irrigation helps farmers save water, but timing is crucial. Our motivation is to raise awareness and propose innovative strategies, such as the Bio-floc Arduino technology developed by the Atal Tinkering lab at our school, to combat water scarcity and climate change effects' explained the victorious team from Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. 'Winning this global competition is thrilling, and it inspires us to persist in our efforts towards a sustainable future,' they added.

The runners-up were the Entofarm Team, consisting of Junhyeok, Gregor, Aiden, Dowon, and Jihan, a team of Korean boys living in different cities in South Korea, Indonesia and USA. Their idea focuses on revolutionising farming to combat diseases carried by insects. The ECO2 Team, with members Gayathri, Trisha, Unnimaya, Elvina, and Nischala from GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai, UAE, secured third place for their innovative approach to tackling air pollution. They propose converting CO2 and ammonia directly into fertilisers, promoting sustainable, affordable, and effective access to fertilisers worldwide.

Being here I’ve just been so inspired by the incredible visions and dreams for a better future conceived and shared by my fellow educators but most poignantly, the students themselves.

Lucas Olscamp

Winner in the teacher category

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Lucas Olscamp

The overall winning teacher was Lucas Olscamp from Vancouver Island, Canada, whose lesson plan focused on embedding Indigenous beliefs in teaching. Lucas said: 'Being here I’ve just been so inspired by the incredible visions and dreams for a better future conceived and shared by my fellow educators but most poignantly, the students themselves. I must dedicate this recognition to all my teachers, especially the invaluable teachings of Indigenous communities on Turtle Island (and around the world) who I have merely allied with in so many of my teachings — I acknowledge that it is a privilege, not a right, to live, work, and teach on this land and believe that all of us must first reconcile our past and make sense of our entangled present before we can ever dream a better future ahead.'

Laxmidevi Upadhyay from Udayachal High School in Mumbai, India, with a lesson plan centred on waste management, secured second place. Michael Jones, from Northfleet Technology College in Northfleet, United Kingdom, whose focus is on computer science and climate change, came in third position.

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Juliane Reinecke at the awards ceremony

All three winning teams in the student category and the top teacher will now be invited to take up a coveted spot in a bespoke programme at Oxford Saïd next year. The runners-up in the teacher category will get to attend the programme virtually. They will also gain access to a vibrant community of influential entrepreneurs and thought leaders in innovation and social impact from around the world.

Juliane Reinecke, Professor of Management Studies, from Oxford Saïd and finalists’ judge, said: 'The quality of entries we received from all over the world was very high and this took another step up for the finalists’ event here, this weekend. What stood out from the winning entries was the determination to make a meaningful contribution, reflecting a genuine commitment to environmental stewardship. This has been such an inspiring opportunity; to surface such bright ideas and meet the brilliant minds who came up with them.'

 

This has been a truly global effort; from the outreach to students and teachers in all parts of the world, to the diversity of the entries we received. The competition leaves me full of hope for the future

Soumitra Dutta

Peter Moores Dean, Oxford Saïd

Professor Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Oxford Saïd, said: 'This has been a truly global effort; from the outreach to students and teachers in all parts of the world, to the diversity of the entries we received. The competition leaves me full of hope for the future; there is such energy and ingenuity among students and educators in addressing climate change and the quality ideas we have seen as part of this challenge is inspiring.'

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, added: 'The overwhelming response to the Burjeel Holdings-Oxford Saïd Climate Change Challenge highlights the students and their teachers’ readiness to address climate change collectively. The entries have been of such high a quality. COP28 is an important moment for the World to engage with the climate crisis and I’m proud to have been part of giving these young people a platform for their innovative solutions.'

Read more about the student groups and teacher finalists