Global Collaboration at the Heart of Climate Solutions
The winning teams, represented by 13 dynamic youths from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Philippines, stood out among more than 300 participants from 27 countries. This year's competition notably highlighted the significance of cross-border cooperation, with nine out of the ten shortlisted teams composed of members from multiple countries.
Innovative Climate Solutions Rewarded
The three winning teams were chosen based on their creativity, teamwork, impact, and practicality. Their innovative solutions tackled climate-related issues, including strategic cross-sector partnerships to enhance scalability, customized user experiences, and cost-effective alternatives to current technologies.
The top teams recognized at Climate Hack 2024 were:
- E-Connect (Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines)
- SustainIQ (Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines)
- Sustainloop (India, Malaysia, Philippines)
Youthful Voices Leading Climate Action
Ms. Manvitha Yalamanchili from India, representing the winning team Sustainloop, highlighted the strength of diverse collaborations. She shared, “When I first connected with my teammates from Malaysia and the Philippines, we shared the same dream of creating meaningful impact in the climate despite coming from different countries. That is what brought us together to form Sustainloop.”
Similarly, Ms. Sheena Joy Palcis of E-Connect (Philippines) expressed enthusiasm about the skills gained through Climate Hack: “Climate Hack has helped me gain insights on turning my climate-resilient ideas into action. The feedback and resources received from mentors and trainers ensured our solutions remain relevant amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape.”
Esteemed Judging Panel Commends Youth Innovation
Ms. Carla Gomez Briones, Climate and Sustainability Specialist from the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Sustainable Development in Singapore, praised the participating youths for their ingenuity and depth of thinking. “These young changemakers have shown a remarkable ability to innovate with purpose and impact, reflecting the power of collaboration across borders to create a sustainable future,” she remarked.
Recognition and Next Steps
The four distinguished teams will visit Singapore in March 2025 to deepen their understanding of the Singapore Green Plan 2030—a nationwide initiative to advance sustainable development goals.
Strong Institutional and Community Support
The SIF organized Climate Hack 2024 with Action for Change in Southeast Asia (ActSEA), Kidzstarter, and Temporary Local. Notably, expert mentors and trainers from IT consultancy Cognizant, DataKind Singapore, and volunteering platform TheOneHourProject supported the participants.
Since its inception in 2021, Climate Hack has empowered nearly 1,000 youths across 24 Asian countries, who collectively developed over 130 digital prototypes to tackle pressing climate issues. The programme was also recognized with the World Bank Digital Skills Innovation Award in 2021, underlining its role in advancing digital literacy across Asia.
About Singapore International Foundation (SIF)
The Singapore International Foundation actively catalyzes change through cross-sector collaborations addressing environmental and social challenges, focusing on climate, digital innovation, education, health, justice, and youth empowerment.
About Action for Change in Southeast Asia (ActSEA)
ActSEA supports community-driven initiatives for sustainable change across Southeast Asia in fields including public health, environment, education, and disaster response.
About Kidzstarter
Kidzstarter empowers youths by fostering entrepreneurial skills and preparing them to thrive in the evolving future of work.
About Temporary Local
Temporary Local cultivates community-driven platforms that support social enterprises and active citizenship, aiming for meaningful social impact.
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