Climate Challenge Cup

The Cup is open to existing partnerships between research organisations, civic authorities and local communities in the UK and US.  The competition has two categories:

• Achieving net zero: Projects that are helping reduce emissions at a local or regional level to achieve net zero
• Climate change adaptation: Projects that are working with communities in regions affected by climate change to mitigate or adapt to the effects it is having

Up to twelve shortlisted partnerships, across the two categories, will be brought together in October to share their projects that address some of society’s biggest climate challenges at a local level.

Finalists will showcase their projects to an audience of global change-makers during COP26 in November. One winning partnership from each category will win the first ever prestigious Climate Challenge Cup in recognition of their outstanding innovative project which has the potential to be scaled.

To enter the Climate Challenge Cup, you must be based in the United Kingdom or United States and you must demonstrate how you meet each of the following 6 criteria:

1. Your project is tackling climate change

There are two categories you can enter:

• Achieving net zero: Projects that are helping reduce emissions at a local or regional level to achieve net zero
• Climate change adaptation: Projects that are working with communities in regions affected by climate change to mitigate or adapt to the effects it is having

Your project should be achieving one or both of these. If you want to enter both categories, please submit two separate entries.

2. Your project is innovative and having an impact

The purpose of the Cup is to share innovative ideas between the UK and US to combat climate change. You will need to demonstrate:

• How your project is a unique idea or has a distinct goal. You may build on someone else’s idea, as long as you are applying it in a different way.
• How your project could be scaled in its existing location or replicated in other locations
• The impact of your project to date on carbon reduction or climate adaptation. We are keen to see any data you have to evaluate the project.

3. Your project actively involves local communities

Change is most effective when those affected are involved in it. That’s why the Climate Challenge Cup celebrates partnerships which are putting community involvement at the heart of their project. You will need to demonstrate:

• How you are involving local people in the design, development or delivery of the project in ways that are meaningful to them
• How the project is addressing other local inequalities, as well as climate change

4. Your partnership includes civic organisations, research bodies and local communities

The Climate Challenge Cup is open to transformative partnerships between a research organisation and a civic organisation that are working with local communities to combat or mitigate climate change. In addition, teams may have engaged with industry partners.

• Research organisations include universities or research bodies.
• Civic organisations include local, metropolitan, state, or tribal government officials; non-profit representatives; community organisers or advocates; community service providers; and/or others working to improve their communities.

5. You’re willing to share how your partnership works

Climate change is a global crisis and needs a cross-sector approach to help combat it. We are looking for projects that show the ‘art of the possible’ when civic organisations and research organisations come together, and the different routes to innovation in the UK and US. We would like to know more about the nature, effectiveness and benefits of your partnership so that others can learn from it during the finalist workshops in October and during the innovation showcase at COP26 in November. You will need to share:

• How your partnership works with a local community to identify and address community concerns regarding climate change
• How your partnership fosters collaboration across place, research and civic partners and how it leverages the talents of each organisation to create an effective output

• What access you have to finance or future funding opportunities

6. Your project and partnership could be scaled

The purpose of the Cup is to uncover and celebrate the innovations and successes projects have achieved and, in the long term, to scale and expand the projects to maximise the benefits to the climate and communities. As part of the Climate Challenge Cup event at COP26, you will have an opportunity to showcase your project to an influential audience and potentially scale your project to fight the global climate crisis.

Some sample case studies can be seen here.