Design Your Climate Action is the fifth international competition developed by philanthropic educational initiative BE OPEN and its partners as part of the SDG-dedicated programme. Every year the foundation chooses to focus on one particular goal, and have so far covered SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG2: Zero Hunger, and SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy.
The competitions are open to all students, graduates and young professionals who specialise in the fields of design, architecture, engineering and media globally. The competition aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by younger creatives, for the more prosperous and sustainable future; the focus of this competition is the United Nations’ SDG13: Climate Action.
The project received hundreds of submissions from students and graduates of universities all over the world in the categories of Powered by Renewables, Save More Energy, Reducing Energy Gap. The three main prizes were decided upon by the international jury consisting of professors, experts, policy-makers and businesspeople closely related to sustainability matters.
The competition awards two prizes outside the main three: the Public Vote prize, allocated as a result of an open online vote, and the Founder’s Choice prize awarded by the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina, international philanthropist and businessperson.
The Public Vote prize of €2,000 goes to Tshepiso Motau, BA Honours in Industrial Design from University of Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Swiftguard Early Flood Warning System project. is a revolutionary integrated communication system designed to provide early flood warnings. The system includes a telemetry buoy, a signal tower, and a solar-powered alarm system. These components work seamlessly together to monitor water levels and deliver timely alerts to high-risk areas.
The Founder’s Choice prize of €3,000 is awarded to Emilia Ziolek, a Product Design and Technology student from University of Limerick, Ireland, for the Tidal Energy Turbine Form Redesign with Biomimicry concept. Emilia was recently selected the winner of the Third Prize according to the scores by the international jury. It is the first time in the history of the competition, that one participant receives two prizes.
Emilia’s project is the first step to a new design of bladeless turbines with hydrofoils. Their streamlined design reduces the impact on marine life by eliminating rotating blades and enhances efficiency in energy conversion. Emilia suggests that hydrofoils operate by harnessing lift generated from water flow, allowing them to capture energy with reduced drag and increased effectiveness.
Elena Baturina commented on her choice: “We at BE OPEN have always worked to harness the brainpower of younger people, and five years ago we realised that sustainable development is the sphere that needs their creative potential most. Since then, we have been working globally to support the SDGs and contribute to achieving them via recognizing, showcasing and promoting the best ideas and projects developed by the young in the course of competitions.
In the Tidal Turbine project, I praise the extent of multilateral research, dedication to sustainability and creativity. The solution combines efficient production of green energy, which I am personally very dedicated to, safety for the marine life and ecosystem, possibility of instalment in the areas of multiple flow directions; it is not disruptive and draws inspiration from the nature itself. I believe it is the excellent example of what our competition strives to achieve.”
BE OPEN strongly believes that creativity of younger people is integral in the shift to sustainable existence, and commits to supporting all initiatives that engage younger people into problem-solving.
