Youth For Climate Hackathon

Adaptation to Climate Change | Evidence-based Innovative Solutions for South Asian Cities


The Youth and Sustainability team at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia, announces the launch of the ‘Youth for Climate Hackathon’. Designed to bring together young minds to develop innovative,scalable, and impactful solutions to the climate crisis, the hackathon is guided by the COP30 Agenda and the ICLEI Pathways, ensuring that creative ideas can evolve into actionable, context-specific projects for the South Asia region.

Themed ‘Adaptation to Climate Change | Evidence-based Innovative Solutions for South Asian Cities’,the hackathon begins on 25 April 2025 for young adults aged 18 to 25 from South Asia.

Under ICLEI South Asia’s pioneering leadership, the hackathon will be supported by knowledge platforms and networks. Regional partners in the youth and sustainability space will support dissemination, participation and conducting of webinars on climate between April and October 2025.

Hackathon Details:

 

1. Eligibility Criteria:

  1. Age group: Participants should be between 18 and 25 years old.
  2. Geographic eligibility: Open to individuals from South Asian countries.
  3. Participant backgrounds: We welcome students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, and startups working in sustainability and innovation.
  4. Relevant Fields – We invite people from diverse fields, such as climate science, urban and
    environment planning, social science, economics, mobility, energy, biodiversity, and other disciplines.
  5. Team Composition: Teams may comprise 1 to 4 members to encourage both individual and collaborative efforts.

2. Theme: Adaptation to Climate Change | Evidence-based Innovative Solutions for South Asian Cities.

3. Expected output: Participants will select a city and propose context-specific, innovative solutions that address its real-time challenges, tailored to local needs and priorities.

4. Submission Format:

  •  A1 size Poster Presentation.
  •  A4 Summary of 500 words (1 page, font size 11) – Must include problem statement,proposed solutions, feasibility, scalability, and sustainability impact.

5. Evaluation:

  1. Internal Screening – Based on eligibility
  2. External Jury Round – Selection of top 5 ideas
  3. Presentation of the Top 5 ideas
  4. Winner Announcement

6. Criteria for selection (Total – 100 points):

  1. Depth of understanding of the issue – 15 points
  2. Contextual relevance of the solution – 15 points
  3. Innovation and creativity – 20 points
  4. Feasibility and practicality – 15 points
  5. Potential for scalability – 10 points
  6. Sustainability impact – 15 points
  7. Alignment with relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – 10 points

7. Guidelines for poster submission:

  1. Identify the challenge/ problem
  2. Highlight city-specific needs
  3. Outline the innovative solution
  4. Detail local actions/ strategies/ practical solutions
  5. Present potential impacts/ outcomes.

8. Awards & Recognition: Winners will receive prizes and opportunities to intern with ICLEI South Asia.

How is this hackathon different?

  • Focus on real-world challenges faced by cities, businesses, and policymakers.
  • Winning ideas will receive financial support and internship opportunities.
  • Hybrid format enables both virtual and in-person participation.
  • Ideas will be aligned to relevant SDGs to ensure measurable impact.
  • Offers valuable networking opportunities for young participants.
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