Malaysia and Estonia win Climathon Global Awards at ChangeNOW summit

In The News 03 Feb 2020

The city of Penang, Malaysia, and a team of citizens from Tallinn, Estonia, were announced the winners of EIT Climate-KIC’s Climathon Global Awards at the ChangeNOW summit today in Paris.

A total of ten citizens and five city finalists took part in the inaugural Climathon Global Awards, which recognise creativity and solutions-thinking in response to local climate challenges. The event was held by EIT Climate-KIC in partnership with the Crowther Lab, ETH Zurich. 

The first-place cities project from Penang focused on improving social resilience, as well as nature-based solutions to reduce the heat island effect. The winning citizen project from Estonia, Woola, tackled waste by replacing e-commerce packaging with sheep wool. Both winners will receive a cash prize to invest in their project and ongoing technical support from the EIT Climate-KIC network. 

Sofia Castelo from Think City said: 

“It’s incredibly exciting and an honor for Penang to be the first city winner of the Global Climathon Awards. There are places in the world where the climate in 2050 will be vastly different from what it is today. Penang is one of these cities—this is the challenge. We believe that our nature-based approach can make a real difference to the lives of Penangites, who are already regularly suffering the impacts of extreme weather, including flooding, heat stroke and heat stress. Our research will begin with climate-resilient species of trees that can help cool our communities and prevent flooding, and we also hope to raise awareness and increase understanding that climate change impacts have to be tackled in the hearts of our cities.”

Anna-Liisa Palatu from Woola said:

“The real value of winning this award is in the recognition. It gives us a lot of credibility and a capital boost to test out our solution. We know that the planet’s resources are finite, and we have to rethink how we approach materials and waste. Businesses are using the wrong kind of materials, 96 per cent of it isn’t recycled and it takes a huge amount of energy to produce. We think sheep’s wool is an ideal solution—our project is shock proof, heat proof and totally compostable. When we’re talking about climate change, raising awareness is always good, but a practical solution is always better.

Global Climathon Day took place in October 2019. A record-breaking 6,500 participants took part, with 24-hour hackathons taking place in 56 countries spanning four continents. This year’s Climathon will take place in November during COP26, offering citizens from all over the world a pathway to positive action, and through that mobilisation the possibility to spark systemic change.

 
Location

Related Articles

Así concluyó el I Festival Cántabro de la Economía Circular y la Bioeconomía Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainable Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainable
Back to all Articles
Articles you may be interested in
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Así concluyó el I Festival Cántabro de la Economía Circular y la Bioeconom...

La semana del 28 de noviembre al 2 de...

Así concluyó el I Festival Cántabro de la Economía Circular y la Bioeconomía
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainabl...

Last Tuesday, December 14, the Demo Day Madrid took...

Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainable
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainabl...

Last Tuesday, December 14, the Demo Day Madrid took...

Technological innovation at the service of cities to make them more sustainable
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Moving forward together – Collaboration as the key to success on our qu...

From Renewable energy to environmental protection, from circular economy...

Moving forward together – Collaboration as the key to success on our quest to reach climate neutrality.
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
New equity crowdfunding programme unearths cleantech start-ups

Found by us, funded by you, a new start-up...

New equity crowdfunding programme unearths cleantech start-ups
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Second life battery prototype will be installed in the Pinada Labs by Lions2Li...

A second life battery prototype was built at the...

Second life battery prototype will be installed in the Pinada Labs by Lions2Life project
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
EU Commission publishes sustainable finance taxonomy

The European Commission has published its EU-wide classification system for...

EU Commission publishes sustainable finance taxonomy
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Climate resilience needs community roots

EIT Climate-KIC partner Democratic Society has launched its Democratic...

Climate resilience needs community roots
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
New EIT initiative to boost innovation in higher education

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is...

New EIT initiative to boost innovation in higher education
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
EIT Climate-KIC and partners collaborate with Laudes Foundation to advance Mad...

EIT Climate-KIC, with the support of Laudes Foundation, announces...

EIT Climate-KIC and partners collaborate with Laudes Foundation to advance Madrid and Milan sustainable urban approach across Europe
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Inclusive guide helps communities build urban resilience

The new Urban Action Kit, launched by the International...

Inclusive guide helps communities build urban resilience
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Madrid on the path to climate neutrality

The city of Madrid has presented this week the...

Madrid on the path to climate neutrality
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Integrating nature with technology to strengthen climate adaptation

The European Commission released the new EU Climate Adaptation...

Integrating nature with technology to strengthen climate adaptation
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Why sustainable water management needs a systemic solution

Ensuring that fresh water is available, in a sustainable...

Why sustainable water management needs a systemic solution
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Wanted: Green business ideas to fix climate change

Starting today, the seventh edition of the global green...

Wanted: Green business ideas to fix climate change
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
EIT Climate-KIC is a key player in helping Europe adapt to climate change

EIT Climate-KIC welcomes the new EU strategy on adaptation...

EIT Climate-KIC is a key player in helping Europe adapt to climate change
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Boosting climate adaptation with innovation, an Opinion by Dr. Tom Mitchell

Opinion Tom Mitchell, EIT Climate-KIC Chief Strategy Officer Innovation...

Boosting climate adaptation with innovation, an Opinion by Dr. Tom Mitchell
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Teaching others how talk about climate change made easy with new guide

The EIT Climate-KIC supported #TalkingClimate Workshop—The Trainer’s Guide by...

Teaching others how talk about climate change made easy with new guide
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Green Invest from Stuttgart and Start Park from Florence win Climathon Awards ...

A total of 140 teams of citizen finalists applied...

Green Invest from Stuttgart and Start Park from Florence win Climathon Awards 2020
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
PlenEat, a project that boosts the rural-urban virtuous circle

On their website they define themselves as a project...

PlenEat, a project that boosts the rural-urban virtuous circle
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
EIT Climate-KIC’s Open Accelerator: collaboration, not competition

It is no secret that to tackle climate change...

EIT Climate-KIC’s Open Accelerator: collaboration, not competition
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Circular economy as the best short-term solution to boost the sustainability o...

LOOP-Ports circular economy project, coordinated by Fundación Valenciaport and...

Circular economy as the best short-term solution to boost the sustainability of European ports
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Open Call: Climate Innovation Leadership Programme

EIT Climate-KIC has opened a call for the new...

Open Call: Climate Innovation Leadership Programme
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
A Snapshot of EIT Climate-KIC’s Innovation Portfolio

Societies worldwide are waking up to the need to...

A Snapshot of EIT Climate-KIC’s Innovation Portfolio
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Why should countries and regions look to a circular approach?

By 2050, the world will consume resources equivalent to...

Why should countries and regions look to a circular approach?
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Madrid, Amsterdam and Milan: Three cities putting citizen participation at the...

The Extinction Rebellion or Fridays for Future global actions...

Madrid, Amsterdam and Milan: Three cities putting citizen participation at the heart of climate action
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Partnering with EIT Climate-KIC on the New Accelerator: Call for Expressions o...

We are looking for new and existing EIT Climate-KIC...

Partnering with EIT Climate-KIC on the New Accelerator: Call for Expressions of Interest
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
EIT Climate-KIC leads collective efforts to accelerate Madrid’s transition t...

A cross- KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) initiative is...

EIT Climate-KIC leads collective efforts to accelerate Madrid’s transition towards carbon neutrality
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
Young Innovators organiza dos talleres para profesorado en España

El programa Young Innovators de EIT Climate-KIC en colaboración...

Young Innovators organiza dos talleres para profesorado en España
CLIMATE-KIC NEWS
New online magazine Branch explores the sustainability of the internet

his week saw the launch of Branch magazine, a...

New online magazine Branch explores the sustainability of the internet