Climate Change Challenge 2023: the winning student teams

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Congratulations to the winning student teams from our Climate Change Challenge

During the Summer of 2023 Burjeel Holdings and Saïd Business School launched the Climate Change Challenge where we invited high school students and teachers from across the world to help tackle the climate crisis.

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.

Congratulations to the winning team:  

  • Acquifier Guardians

This whole experience has taught us how even creating something like a web app can help to stop climate change. Our generation are smart, and I believe we are going to solve this crisis.

Aniba, Anika, Jasreen, Naina, Sonali

Acquifier Guardians

And congratulations to the runners-up:

  • The Entorfam Team
  • The ECO2 Team

The three winning teams will now be invited to take up a coveted spot in a bespoke programme here at Oxford Saïd next year.

Our thanks to all the students who gave their time and shared their ideas with us.

Introducing the winning teachers

The winning teams

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Acquifier Guardians, ECO2 and Entofarm

Acquifier Guardians - Winning team

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Mitigating the effects of water scarcity

Team:

Aniba, Anika, Jasreen, Naina and Sonali from New Delhi, India

Their climate change challenge solution:

'As the global population increases, and resource-intensive economic development continues, many countries’ water resources and infrastructure are failing to meet accelerating demand. And climate change is making things worse. We wanted to draw society’s attention to the abysmal protection of one of earth’s most important and valuable resources – water. Drip irrigation is a way for farmers to save water but farmers don’t always know how to get the timings right so water isn’t wasted; sometimes the moisture level of the soil is high and plants require less water, but again farmers don’t know that. Our motivation stemmed from the belief that raising awareness and proposing innovative strategies, like the Bio-floc Arduino technology developed by the Atal Tinkering lab at our school, could significantly contribute to mitigating the far-reaching effects of both water scarcity and climate change.' 

Meet the team
Their solution in depth

What the judges said

'The Acquifier Guardians are not just addressing an issue; they are actively involving others in a collective initiative to reduce our water footprint. Their project is a testament to their sense of responsibility and their determination to contribute meaningfully to the conservation of water resources. We find their project both impactful and inspiring, reflecting a genuine commitment to environmental stewardship.'

In their words

Drawn by our common concern for the environment, five distinct personalities from classes X and XI at Ryan International School pledged to pool together their strengths, learning and time to form the formidable team, Acquifer Guardians.

Acquifier Guardians

Climate Change Challenge finalists

The Entofarm Team - Runner-up

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Revolutionising farming to tackle diseases carried by insects

Team: 

Junhyeok, Gregory, Aiden, Dowon and Jihan. A team of Korean boys living in different cities in South Korea, Indonesia and USA. 

Their climate change challenge solution: 

'In accordance with recent global climate change, the natural habitat of mosquitoes has shifted to encompass the Korean Peninsula. Conditions have exacerbated to the extent that Korea relies on applications alerting citizens of mosquito populations. With this current state of affairs, we developed a sustainable and regenerable means of mosquito repression. EntoFarm addresses this issue with the aid of entomopathogenic fungi, a type of fungi preying specifically on nitrogen sources from insects. Entofarm genetically modifies entomopathogenic fungi to be self-reproducible and to target mosquitoes. We also aim to distribute it to farmers globally to devise an all-in-one farming platform.' 

Meet the team
Their solution in depth

What the judges said

'The problem identification is specific, and the analysis is very well presented. The solution is also explained very simply using graphics and text. The team has also looked at the solutions with a market lens, sharing the feasibility of the solution as a business. The competition analysis also validates the solution's viability and communicates the impact well.'

In their words

In the heart of Seoul, we, a bunch of eco-warriors from Korea, Indonesia, and the USA, stumbled into each other's lives through our shared love for the environment.

The Entofarm Team

Climate Change Challenge finalists

The ECO2 Team - Runner-up

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BioGrow: Clear Pollution, Grow Solutions

Team members:

Gayathri, Trisha, Unnimaya, Elvina and Nischala from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Their climate change challenge solution: 

'Our product BioGrow is aiming to transform lives and ensure clean air. We address these challenges by converting CO2 and ammonia directly into fertilisers and promoting sustainable, affordable and effective access to fertilisers worldwide. Our product is truly ground-breaking and unlike anything ever seen before in the industry. We’ve harnessed the power of cutting-edge technologies like Direct Air Capture (DAC) and Zeolite-based Ammonia Capture to create a one-of-a-kind solution for Urea production This unique combination not only reduces carbon emissions and environmental impact but also paves the way for sustainable agriculture with our slow-release technology. It’s a revolutionary approach that sets us apart and defines a new standard for environmentally friendly, high-yield farming practices.' 

Meet the team
Their solution in depth

What the judges said

'The solution seems promising. The presentation is very detailed and very efficiently presented. There needs to be more data or evidence to support the solution's claim and the entire feasibility of the solution to become a commercial success. Overall, it is a promising solution but needs more evidence on the feasibility, impact and potential to scale enough to become an effective solution.'

In their words

We are from India, but live in Dubai, and last summer when Trisha went to her home town we realised how extreme a situation air pollution is. In Delhi the students cannot even go to school, so that inspired us to focus on this topic.

The ECO2 Team

Climate Change Challenge finalists

The five student finalist teams at COP28

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Entofarm, Acquifier Guardians, Ecotelligent, ECO2 and Lightning McQueens

Lightning McQueens - Finalist

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Making highways more sustainable

Team Members:

Zosia, Hania, Maja and Matylda from Warsaw, Poland.

Their climate change challenge solution:

'We decided to focus on transforming highways mainly because we wanted to find something that could be universal in most countries around the globe. We also recognise that although we would like people not to drive cars at all, it’s impossible to achieve and we need to find ways in which we can compromise and adapt. Our project enables cars to be more ecological, so it is a way to compromise between people’s need for transportation and making the necessary changes to reduce air pollution.'

Meet the team
Their solution in depth

What the judges said

'The technological interventions were well thought through, and they had the right mix of proof-of-concept and potential for large scale deployment. The teamwork approach was evident, and we think helped this in bringing their various project components together. The only drawback was that most interventions were not fully tested (yet) and hence the success and sustainability of these would need real life application.'

In their words

Even though we have a lot of differences such as our age, schools or circumstances, working together on the Climate Change Challenge was a pleasure. Alluding to our name, we are as fast as lightning and as virtuous as a queen.

Lightning McQueens

Climate Change Challenge finalists

The Ecotelligent Team - Finalist

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Combatting air pollution

Team:

Ammar, Grace, Ninar, Rina and Zainab from Latakia, Syria.

Their climate change challenge solution:

'In our country we see the huge threats that are caused by air pollution every day, because of the non-compliance with environmentally friendly conditions and sometimes the inability to apply them. Growing up in an environment with such poor air quality made us believe that this small idea can change the way an entire society thinks and alter the random ways of shopping it has. Through this project people will be more conscious about the details of their daily life and the products they consume. The biggest inspiration for us is that we hope our solution will have a significant impact on future generations to guarantee a brighter tomorrow and clean air on our planet.'

 

 

 

Meet the team
Their solution in depth

What the judges said

'The Ecotelligent group meticulously defined the problem they aimed to address and conducted comprehensive, in-depth research, laying the groundwork for the development of their proposed application. Their solution is not only crystal clear but also easy to understand and implement. The application boasts an innovative feature that utilises AI to cater to all stakeholders in the eco-food chain and beyond, including both sellers and buyers.'

In their words

When we heard about this challenge we decided to participate as a team because there is a harmony between us, also, we share the same desire to protect our environment and save the planet.

The Ecotelligent Team

Climate Change Challenge finalists

The Climate Change Challenge student finalists at COP28

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Lightning McQueens
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Entofarm
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ECO2
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Ecotelligent
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Acquifier Guardians
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Lightnight McQueens
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Entofarm
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ECO2
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Acquifier Guardians
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Ecotelligent
Learn more about our Climate Change Challenge