A global competition has been launched in the United Arab Emirates for school students and teachers from around the world to present their innovative ideas and solutions to combat the climate change crisis.

The competition (Climate Change Challenge) was launched by the Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Healthcare Holding Group in collaboration with Saeed Business School, University of Oxford. The finals of the competition are scheduled to be held during the conference. Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in March 2023 in Dubai.

Finalists in the student and teacher categories will have the opportunity to present their solutions in front of an audience, and the winners will have the opportunity to receive an exclusive project at Saïd Business School next year and, in addition, they will have the opportunity to collaborate. With influential entrepreneurs and thought leaders in the field of innovation and social impact from around the world.

The aim of the competition is to give young people an opportunity to present their solutions to tackle the climate change crisis, said Peter Morris Sumitra Dutta, Dean of SIDE Business School, Oxford, and for this reason we invite Burjeel Holdings, our future leaders. Change makers and innovators to envision solutions, and I look forward to giving them a platform at COP 28 and welcoming the winning team to Saïd Business School next year, where they will learn more about climate change solutions from world-leading academics.

The competition invites students aged 15 to 18 to submit proposals to address the climate crisis in five key areas: air pollution, extreme weather events, water scarcity, food security and the spread of vector-borne diseases. Secondary school teachers should be encouraged to participate by submitting climate change lesson plans that raise awareness and encourage students to think creatively about one of the most pressing concerns of our time.

Dr. Shamsher Vyal, Founder and Chairman, Barjeel Holdings, said: “The aim of the launch of the Climate Challenge is to inspire and listen to their ideas and lessons from the nearly one hundred crore high school students and teachers across the globe. The competition serves as a platform to nurture the next generation in addressing the issue of climate change from generation to generation, enabling them to drive meaningful solutions and accelerate climate action.

The competition’s organizing committee indicated that the deadline for submissions to the competition is October 15 this year, after which the international jury will begin sorting through the entries and then select the finalists for the competition, who will be invited for the awards. Ceremony during COP28 in Dubai on December 8.