Climate Change: Could Your Idea to Tackle The Crisis, Help Change The World?

May. 09, 2017

Designers, artists, engineers, architects, creative entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, tech developers, students and interested amateurs are being called upon to help tackle the number one crisis threatening our planet today – climate change. They’re being asked to enter the global What Design Can Do Climate Action Challenge, which is calling for new design ideas which can help the world adapt to the increasing issues caused by the problem.

Entrants are being asked to devise designs that can help families living in poor communities who are under the biggest threat from rising sea levels, droughts, dying ecosystems and the civil wars caused by limited food and water resources as temperatures increase.

It’s hoped the innovative designs which emerge from the competition will help those families cope, adapt and give their children a brighter future.

The Climate Action Challenge will officially launch on 23 May at WDCD Live in Amsterdam. The winning entrants, selected by an international jury, will be funded and entered into an acceleration programme to make their ideas happen. It follows the success of 2016’s WDCD design challenge to solve the refugee crisis - which saw 631 entries from 70 countries. The five winning ideas from last year’s challenge are currently in development.

Entrants have until the end of August to submit their ideas and designs in the three categories: student, professional and start-up. The winners will be announced in October during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

Ahead of the competition, some of the world’s leading designers, experts and activists will be converging in Amsterdam on 23 and 24 May at the What Design Can Do conference to discuss the issues surrounding the climate change crisis.

Speakers at the event include Canadian designer Bruce Mau, IKEA head designer Marcus Engman, former director of London’s Design Museum Alice Rawsthorn and celebrated British designer Harry Pearce. Visitors to the conference will also be able to take part in a range of challenging workshops and Q&As.

The latest research suggests that global temperatures are rising at an unprecedented pace, and that concerted action is required to avert the worst impacts of rising sea levels, threats to species and extreme weather events – and the winner of the WDCD Climate Action Challenge could offer a real solution.

Global partners that are backing the Climate Action Challenge include the IKEA Foundation and the Autodesk Foundation.

WDCD Live Amsterdam takes place this year on 23 and 24 May at the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam.

For more information about WDCD, the programme, the full list of speakers and all activation sessions, go to the official website