The Climate Transformation Challenge
An annual student competition that empowers university teams to develop actionable climate solutions at the intersection of technology and social change. This inaugural 2026 event recognizes a critical truth: we already have much of the technology needed to address climate change, yet global transformation lags far behind what’s required.
Student teams collaborate to tackle real-world climate problems through three solution categories:
Innovative Technology – solutions for mitigation, adaptation, sustainability, resilience and/or regeneration
Behavioral Change Intervention – practical ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, restore and respect
Strategy for Social Change – paradigm-shifting approaches to address root causes of the social, environmental and economic factors slowing climate progress
Solutions must be sufficiently robust to be replicable and scalable across a region, state or nation, with concrete plans for implementation and funding.
The Challenge offers students the opportunity to contribute meaningful solutions, win monetary awards, earn professional recognition, learn from experienced mentors, and hone entrepreneurial and leadership skills. Winners present their solutions to a panel of experts from business, civic and academic sectors.
