Winners by region

I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, which like other nearby countries, is suffering from the worst drought the region has seen in over 45 years. When my family and I were driving to the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, I was shocked to pass empty reservoirs that had previously always been full of water. This was the first of many times I witnessed the impact of drought on my community, and after further research, I learned about the devastating effects drought had on food and water security. I have developed a unique super-absorbent polymer that holds hundreds of times its weight in water when stored in soil. It is biodegradable, inexpensive and free of harmful chemicals, unlike the manmade materials currently used. The polymer, made entirely from waste products, improves the environment, increases the chance for plants to sustain growth by 84% during a drought and can increase food security by 73% in disaster-struck areas. 

As the saying goes: where there's a will, there is a way. Ideas drive human behaviour. Thus, in 2013, I proposed the idea of an “intentional community” to address social and ecological issues. An intentional community enables people with common ideas to live together, which is unusual in China where most people don’t even know their neighbours! An intentional community of people sharing ideas, values and beliefs, can together to pursue non-material, spiritual goals. In the absence of profit-motives, they will redirect their energy towards the goal of increasing public welfare. An eco-community is also a kind of intentional community. For construction, energy, food, and other daily necessities, the community utilizes sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. This voluntary and autonomous action is the most powerful approach to sustainable development.

Ecofunopoly is an interactive board game that promotes environmental sustainability. This game was created by Ecofun Indonesia, a social enterprise that focuses on environmental education and science communication through gamification. “Ecofun Go! Action” is a green campaign which uses Ecofunopoly board game and the Ecofun App to develop games, facilitate creative learning, and monitor green behavior. In this project, we will develop an updated game, run several playing experiments with children and build Ecofun Mobile App. The app will be our new innovation in a mission to reduce carbon emissions using our board game. These two tools will help the players to learn and monitor their carbon footprint at the same time. Combining the board game and mobile app will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of tracking and measuring environmental impacts, especially carbon footprint. For more information visit http://ecofun.id/ or Instagram @ecofunopoly.

India is a country of 1.2 billion people where over 15,000 tons of plastic waste is generated everyday. Daily users of plastic are increasing exponentially and hence, the consumption. Over 40 billion plastic utensils are produced each year, only to end up in landfills and oceans. The hundreds of years that plastic takes to decompose, further aggravates the toxic impact it has on the environment and its carcinogenic and non-biodegradable nature, makes it one of the most dangerous threats to all life on earth. Plastic takes more than four hundred years to decompose. We saw this as an opportunity to create a larger impact in society by targeting the untouched issue of disposable utensils and came up with "bio-edible" bowls. In order to add on the beneficiaries, we chose a community of Afghan refugee women to manufacture these bowls and hence provide them with a sustainable and dignified livelihood.

Biteback is an Insect Bio-refinery company aiming to meet an increasing global demand for palm oil by creating a healthier and more sustainable alternative. We have developed a processing technology that allows us to extract more than 90% of fats of insect body mass and refine them into various desirable products like cooking oil, butter, fatty alcohol, and biofuel. Darkling beetle larvae (Zophobas morio) reproduce so rapidly that they out-do palm oil in yield by up to 40 times within the same area of land, can be scaled vertically, and fed by using biomass from agro-industry waste streams. The fatty acid properties posses an advantageous combination of rich unsaturated fats and healthy fats including omega 3, 6, and 9.

Qube is a social enterprise whose mission is to change the world, one brick at a time (www.plastiqube.com). The company is currently developing construction bricks made out of plastic waste called "Plastiqube", thus addressing the issue of plastic waste disposal and also empowering the workers subjected to abysmal working condition in the traditional burnt-clay brick sector in India. Our vision is to set up a sustainable, profitable and eco-friendly social enterprise aimed at protecting the environment from plastic pollution and changing the way the world thinks about building materials and recycling of plastic waste. 

In places experiencing large and rapid influxes of displaced people, housing shortages are faced. More than 100 million people were estimated homeless in 2005 and in Pakistan alone, there is a shortage of more than 9 million housing units today. As a result, displaced people are forced to live in shelters and camps with inadequate living conditions, exposing them to social and health problems. This project aims to solve these problems through an innovative low-cost house that can be assembled in as little as three hours. To achieve the objective, modular flat-packed houses were designed with inbuilt utilities, in accordance with international standards of living. The prototype utilizes a sustainable, highly energy-efficient design with a low carbon footprint. Using which, it is possible to build large cost-effective housing colonies within a month. The project is targeted towards humanitarian organizations, providing benefit to people living in adverse conditions.

The project ‘Anantara’ addresses the dual challenges of forest degradation and limited economic opportunities in the Western Ghats in India by helping indigenous forest communities create luxury designer furniture from a rapidly invasive plant (Lantana Camara). Anantara is a collective of award winning designers who work closely with the indigenous communities. We provide the training, marketing and partnerships that ultimately leads to livelihood creation and the restoration of the degraded forest areas. By leveraging the power of design to transform a threatening plant species into luxury furniture, it incentivizes the forest communities to harvest lantana and check its rapid spread. Our solution addresses the issue of endemic poverty by increasing the income of forest communities. We convert collector-only economies into craftsmen communities whose culturally rich, value-added activities positively reinforce forest ecosystems.

My big idea is to have a dynamic network of sensors that can relay real-time data for the evaluation of changes in the environment. This type of system relies on static sensors as well as mobile aerial platforms such as drones and high-altitude balloons, which can provide extensive area coverage. The decentralized and dynamic nature of the system proposed enables its deployment in target regions in specific time-windows when there are forecasts of increased fire risk. Once validated, this type of system is especially intended for deployment in rural environments for assistance in wildfire detection and monitoring. By providing real-time data to decision makers, it has the potential to enable a better optimization of resource allocation in preparedness, emergency response and post-fire stages.

In Indonesia, most detergent is sold in small-size individual packaging, known as 'sachets'. Sachets cannot be recycled and are thus bound to leak into the environment. An estimated 5.5 million sachets of detergent are wasted daily. Hepi Circle is Indonesia’s first refill delivery network that offers detergent in reusable bottles. Customers buy a bottle of detergent at their local store, pay a deposit and with their next purchase, customers return their clean and empty bottles. The reuse habit is rewarded with a ‘hepi point’, that can go towards food or reusable products. The refill and distribution to local stores is powered by women on bikes. I co-developed the Hepi Circle with Kumala, a social entrepreneur in Surabaya. The pilot project has demonstrated financial feasibility and long-term potential impact. My vision is to reduce single-use sachets and enable to make reuse a habit again.

The construction industry’s conventional approaches to building are failing to meet the needs of rapidly growing cities with widespread housing crises, unhealthy buildings and a devastating impact on the environment. Biohm is a research and development led company that aims to revolutionise the construction industry by allowing nature to lead innovation. Placing biological systems at the heart of our inspiration, we combine ideologies of the circular economy and human-centred design with future-tech to create a step-change in building technologies, materials and manufacturing methods. Triagomy, our interlocking construction system, can achieve drastic reductions in buildings’ environmental impact (120%), build-times (95%) and costs (70%) when compared to conventional methods. It uses our 100% natural, biodegradable and vegan bio-based materials; including Mycelium (the vegetative part of mushrooms) insulation, Orb (Organic Refuse Biocompound) and a plant-based concrete. We aim to lead the global construction industry towards a healthier and more sustainable biomimetic (nature-inspired) future.

Finance for a Sustainable Future aims to change the way capital flows help shape our societies by addressing the knowledge gap of junior investment analysts on sustainability. Finance for a Sustainable Future promotes skills to assess sustainability exposures of potential investments as core competencies for the new generation of finance executives, and raises awareness about the importance of engaging young finance professionals in the debate about the future of finance. A core project of the initiative is an educational programme for 30 finance students and young professionals from across Europe with 2 days of lectures and workshops led by industry experts. Currently in its first year, the programme has garnered support from leading international companies and financial firms and will take place in August 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic. 

In the Ecuadorian Amazon, when bananas are harvested, significant plant waste is generated (stem, rachis, leaves). These wastes can be used to create an effective biofilter that can remove pollutants from water, including toxic hydrocarbons released by the extractive industry. Thus,  clean water can be recovered to improve the lives of local people. The banana plant waste can also be used as a substrate on which to cultivate edible fungi to enhance food security. The banana is cultivated in several parts of the world, so this idea can be replicated elsewhere. Further more it will generate employment and economic opportunities. I am currently working on the physical and chemical characterization of banana crop residues, specifically the Dominico harton type. I am also isolating strains of edible fungi of the genus Pleurotus as part of my initial investigation.

The Ekomuro H2O + project is an innovative rainwater harvesting system, modularly developed using 54 reused 3l plastic bottles which, interconnected, create a vertical pressure resistant water tank occupying a minimum space. We intend to change of attitudes and promote a culture of water saving. By preserving water, people will recognize it as a strategic natural resource that strengthens resilience, reduces water-related risks and vulnerabilities and supports climate change adaptation. In addition, with the reuse of plastic bottles, we will help to raise awareness about the proper disposal of plastic waste in order to mitigate the environmental impacts that they have on our planet.

ChimpFace uses chimpanzee facial recognition and mapping technologies to investigate when and where wildlife trafficking occurs. ChimpFace works with researchers, investigators, and citizen scientists through a free cell phone app to collect photos of chimps in the wild, for sale online, and in captivity. The app examines chimp photos for recognition and determines when and where we have seen an individual chimp before, alerting authorities of potential criminal movements. This tool will be especially useful in three primary situations: 1) surveying the internet for photographic evidence of live chimp trafficking; 2) monitoring the trade in live captive chimps; and 3) studying wild chimp populations. We’ve built a prototype, have seen preliminary success identifying two chimps seized in Nepal, and already have plans to expand this technology to include more animal species.

Majik Water uses novel technology combined with locally-adapted design to harvest clean drinking water from the atmosphere and deliver it to people and communities in our world’s driest places, starting in Kenya. Our technology uses solar thermal energy and sponge-like desiccant materials making it possible to get water in a low cost, energy efficient way. Desiccants are materials that adsorb water from air, and release water when heated. The desiccant we use is a material which is safe, non-toxic and abundantly available. How it works: i) Air is pulled into the device using solar powered fan; ii) Desiccant material absorbs water droplets from air; iii) Desiccant is exposed to heat (generated by solar), releasing the moisture as water vapour; iv) This water vapour is condensed into water and filtered with activated carbon; v) The clean water is stored in a tank and accessed via a gravity fed tap system which does not require a motor.

With wild tiger populations nearly wiped out, traffickers are now slaughtering jaguars to falsely sell their parts as tiger on the Asian market – and the world has no idea. My documentary, MADIDI, will follow three individuals who are investigating this new jaguar trade sweeping South America, uncovering the powerful forces responsible for it all. After MADIDI reveals this little-known issue to the public, the film’s impact campaign will bring NGOs, journalists, celebrities, and government officials together to fight against jaguar trafficking before this iconic animal is gone forever.

Atmospheric CO2 must decrease to 350ppm. Some Governments and Businesses are tackling climate change but not fast enough, leaving it to non-profits, often small underfunded groups fighting David vs. Goliath battles that I’ve experienced through Plastic Tides. Businesses drive our economy and society, and must work collaboratively doing ‘more good’, not just ‘less bad’. Regenerative perennial agriculture, Tropical forests, educating girls, plant rich diets and renewables are the best approaches to reversing climate change. We must integrate these into the food we eat, the materials we use, and the products we put on our bodies. The body care industry is 135-Billion-dollars. ANATO educates about regenerative agriculture and ocean conservation via consumer products that are healthy and affordable. Our body care’s ingredients— tree-crops— sequester carbon and provide ecosystem services. Rooted in multifunctionality and minimalism, we offer tools for the Zero Waste Voyage making sustainability, practical. Our enterprise is regenerative by design.

My big idea is to produce organic agricultural products as part of a broader sustainable development strategy. I will develop and implement a number of practical measures to promote environmentally friendly agricultural production that supports human health and conserves natural resources. Specifically, I will develop clean and safe agricultural inputs such as organic fertilizers and herbicides which can compete with and displace the toxic chemicals which are currently in use across Yemen. Simultaneously, I will engage farmers, land owners and other stakeholders to promote environmental awareness and responsibility. I hope that my project will avert further pollution of the environment whilst generating economic opportunities and bossting human health.

The “Protection of Water Dams in Jordan” project aims to protect the environment by increasing vegetation coverage in the catchment areas of two dams that supply Amman (the capital of Jordan) and Al-Karak with water. Both the Wadi Almujab and Wadi Al-Karak dams are facing increased accumulation of sand and other sediments. This has diminished their storage capacities, threatening vital supplies of water to agriculture. Without the dam water, farmers will be forced to tap precious limited groundwater resources – an unsustainable scenario. This project will seek to raise the dams’ water levels through non-traditional methods. Jordanians and Syrian refugees will be employed for a total of 75,000 working days to increase vegetation coverage in the catchment areas. The project will thus create new job opportunities, enhance social inclusion and foster a sense of shared responsibility for the maintenance of the dams and their catchment areas. Moreover, it will improve the efficiency of the aforementioned dams.

The waste crisis is a serious threat to environmental, animal and human life around the world. Therefore, I have been working for five years on waste sorting from the source and implemented many campaigns to clean the seas and nature. The process of sorting waste from the source is the responsibility of the individual in the community. It is a sound start to solve the problem of waste accumulation in the environment and depends mainly on the consciousness of the emerging generations, especially schoolchildren. I propose integrated waste management as a means to delivering the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable developments. Waste sorting is essential. Every country must embrace waste as a source of wealth. Remember “a healthy environment means healthy people”.

Humanity is in a critical situation. Our society is failing to recognize the indispensable role of nature in supporting our health and wellbeing. Nature underpins our civilization. Many developing countries are ravaged by war and conflict. They face huge challenges in meeting the immediate needs of soaring populations, including increasing numbers of displaced people. Rising demand is placing severe pressures on natural resources such as freshwater. These problems, exacerbated by climate change, have distracted people and their governments from the essential task of conserving nature. Through “A Guide for an Ideal Nature”, I intend to promote environmental awareness in my community and share tips and instructions for caring for the environment. Additionally, I will collaborate with women to conceptualize and implement a number of projects aimed at implementing the guide.

My project, “La Tricyclerie” (Tri-cycling), has been running for two years and is based on three elements: waste sorting, the food cycle and a tricycle (pushbike). The idea is to use a bicycle trailer to collect organic waste from restaurants and offices in the city (Nantes). This waste is then composted locally to benefit urban and peri-urban agriculture (and farmers). The project combines several environmental objectives that support a sustainable, less polluted, more autonomous city, and better soil protection. It’s an easy and previously untapped solution for managing organic waste in densely populated areas at the community level. My aim is to strengthen the links between urban and rural areas, and between people and their plates, in order to promote responsible consumption. The project creates jobs, benefits citizens, businesses and institutions alike, and can be replicated elsewhere. It has quickly proven its worth and has united the community by addressing several important issues: food and nutrition, waste, urbanism and transport.

Pangolins are the only scaly mammals in the world but unfortunately, they are the most trafficked mammals the world over with over one million pangolins estimated to have been trafficked within the past decade. Pangolins are considered to be luxury meals in China and their scales are used in Asian traditional medicine thereby fuelling international trafficking from Africa to Asia. Conservation efforts to help save these species in Central Africa are hampered by lack of data on their populations, trade and strongholds. This project proposes to conduct applied pangolin research in protected areas in Cameroon suspected of having populations of pangolins. This applied research will focus on pangolin populations, bush meat trade and threats to pangolins in these protected areas. This will be accompanied by pangolin sensitization in Cameroon by way of organizing activities in collaboration with other organizations to celebrate the World Pangolin Day in the second Saturday of February.

Health Accord is a health micro-insurance program which uses trash as monetary asset in enabling poor slum residents without medical insurance to pay for health coverage, medications and other clinical services. With Health Accord; the communities, especially women, pay for healthcare services using trash as an insurance fund. This way, Health Accord empowers the community to enhance environmental sustainability and the local sanitation by shifting from conventional methods to innovative solid waste disposal solution. Health Accord long term goal is to craft a model with the power to protect planetary health by locally disrupting the cycle of poor health and ecosystem destruction that exists in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa where unmet needs result in unsustainable resource use. Through an incentive system of healthcare rewards to communities that engage in recycling in exchange for healthcare, and education, Health Accord links healthcare to environmental protection.

Children are good at radio. Radio is good for children, and listening to children on the radio is good for everyone. So how is it that children have been forgotten in environmental advocacy through radio programming? In Zambia, they represent roughly 40% of the population, yet less than 1% of broadcasting on climate change and the environment involves children. The strong institutional basis for inclusion of children’s rights in the national climate regime has yet to align with an emerging mechanism for championing children’s issues in the sector. For example, Zambia’s National Adaptation Programmes of Action rarely, if ever, reference the unique vulnerabilities of children. Similarly, they often fail to draw on the practical knowledge and capacity for meaningful change that children offer. Voice4Climate envisions building a Kids FM Radio Station to create opportunities for child-led issue-based dialogue, participation, active citizenship, and advocacy on Climate Change.

Somalia has been suffering from almost 3 decades of prolonged conflict and unrest. Environmental issues have never been taken care off. There has been massive destruction for environmental resources such as wildlife trafficking, desertification for being the largest charcoal export in the world to Gulf of Arab, land degradation, allegations for dumping of toxic waste into the oceans and illegal finishing by foreigners. I have made some progress in establishing the Somali Institute for Environmental Peace (SIEP), a non-profit Institution using academic knowledge and skills to conduct both pure and applied research for educating environmental phenomenon and human behavior to better understand the relationship between environmental degradation and human livelihoods for environmental peace. This idea came to my mind after I discovered that there has never been a single research institution for environmental issues in Somalia. I believe environmental research and education are essential tools in achieving sustainable development.

Mangrove E-Patrol links on-line and off-line mangrove conservation through a designed e-map. To protect the mangrove from further destruction and monitor its changes, we have established patrol teams nationwide, recording the ecological information as well as exposing and handling destructive events. Based on this, we are developing an online map that can be linked with WeChat to further encourage public participation in patrol. WeChat has a wide user group in China, so everyone could be a user and a creator of the map. Public users can upload location, photos and descriptions to the map to present the first-hand information related to mangroves in real time.