Registration is open for the This Is Cool Challenge 2023 to empower young innovators to make sustainable cooling for all. Young innovators who need funding, networking opportunities, and resources to demonstrate their ideas, scale their businesses and influence decision-making can apply for this challenge.

Many young change-makers are already creating sustainable cooling solutions in their countries and communities, creating business and entrepreneurship opportunities, mobilizing grassroots initiatives, and advocating for future-proof policies. They need more funds, especially in the Global South.

Considering global warming and providing funds, networking opportunities, and resources for change makers, the This is Cool Challenge for youth-led sustainable cooling innovation works to:

• Identify potential and innovative youth-led solutions for impact on sustainable cooling for all, and provide early-stage funding for projects implementation or scale-up.
• Showcase the young innovators who work in high-profile platforms and connect those potential young with global and local networks of cooling partners to empower them to grow their projects.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange amongst young innovators and partners, and together accelerate sustainable cooling for all.

Planet Warming Challenge

As of increasing planet warming, heat extremes are threatening the safety and well-being of communities worldwide more frequently. Even 2 degrees of planet-warming by mid-century would mean 1.2x more extreme heat days than a 1.5 degrees scenario. The opportunity for climate action gets closed rapidly, and we should invest in solutions that can accelerate both emission reductions and heat resilience.

In most geographies, people felt more heat extremes effects, but it is not equal for everyone. More people and households buy air conditioners, and it causes more global electricity demand for space cooling. The electric demand could increase by 40% by 2030. Meanwhile, over one billion people are at high risk of lacking cooling solutions, food, and medicines to protect themselves from heat. More than 2.2 billion lower-middle-income people require sustainable and affordable options for this problem.

What To Do?

We should act now and today! 2023 is an earth-shattering year in sustainable cooling. A growing ecosystem of partners is gathering ambition before the 28 Conference of Parties (COP 28), where partners will discuss sustainable cooling priorities. We have several sustainable cooling solutions that already exist. These solutions include passive strategies​, green and blue spaces​, efficient cooling technologies​, and renewable-powered.

However, all these solutions should diffuse faster to reach and help communities most exposed to heat. So, to get them, everyone should make affordable and sustainable cooling innovations, novel and original business models, and new policy tools.

This Is Cool Challenge Summary Details

Application Deadline: 15 September 2023

Program Type: Challenge

Organizer: Sustainable Energy for All Organization (SEforALL)

Sponsors:

• Austrian Development Cooperation
• Clean Cooling Collaborative
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

Partnering Organizations:

• AIA Hong Kong
• Base
• Cool Up

The theme of the Year: Global Warming

Check More Opportunities:

Falling Walls Science Summit 2023 Journalist Fellowship (Funded to Berlin, Germany)

Center for Inclusive Policy (CIP) Fellowship

The Atlas Corps Professional Development Programs (2024 Fellowships in the U.S.)

Awards and Benefits

Winners of the This Is Cool Challenge will win up to USD 10,000 as follows:

• Cash prizes for one winner in each track
• One additional grand-winner cash prize
• One Cool Up Special Prize for natural refrigerants
• Networking, exhibition opportunities, and spotlight features from SEforALL and partners for the top 3 finalists in each track

Eligibilities and Criteria

Applicants should meet these criteria:

• Individuals or groups of 5 people can submit entries for this challenge
• All candidates should be under 35 years of age.

What to Submit?

The SEforALL and parnters are looking for the following:

• Cooling for Thermal Comfort, including active or passive solutions for personal cooling, buildings, and cities
• Cooling solutions for food, nutrition, and agriculture and sustainable agricultural cold chain solutions
• Cooling for Healthcare, such as sustainable vaccine and medical cold chain solutions
• Cooling and Artificial Intelligence (AI), like AI-powered solutions to revolutionize sustainable cooling

How to Apply?

To apply for This Is Cool Challenge, applicants should fill out the online application form by entering the link below:

Apply Now

 

How the SEforALL Assesses Ideas?

An experts panel of SEforALL and partners will evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:

• Goal Alignment
• Functionality, Scalability, and Implementation
• Impact
• Innovation

 

Visit the SEforALL website to learn more about the This Is Cool Challenge 2023.

See More Opportunities:

MIT Solve Horizon Prize 2023 ($150,000 Funding for Winning Solutions)

Counterpart International Grant Funding for Individuals for Afghanistan Support Project (ASP)

Climate Story Fund 2023 (Funding: Up to $100,000)