Global Sustainability Challenge 2025-26

Global Sustainability Challenge 2025-26 is now open for entries!

Global Sustainability Challenge 2025-26 : The Global Sustainability Challenge is an annual competition recently opened for entries where students from all around the world design, implement, and showcase real-world sustainability solutions - supported by a Stanford-led collective of leading educational institutions and experts worldwide.

➜ Short description

The Global Sustainability Challenge is an annual competition recently opened for entries where students from all around the world design, implement, and showcase real-world sustainability solutions — supported by a Stanford-led collective of leading educational institutions and experts worldwide.

You can choose from one of two focus areas to develop your sustainability solution:

Sustainable Energy

Develop scalable and impactful solutions that reduce emissions while improving affordability and reliability in the energy sector. Solutions may address clean energy solutions covering generation, transmission, distribution, or storage.

Adaptation & Resilience

Develop a solution that enhances the resilience and ability of people, infrastructure, or natural systems to withstand and adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change. Solutions may address disaster preparedness, resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, water security, or other critical adaptation needs.

The program operates in three phases:

➜ Ignite (August–November 2025), where teams form and develop ideas
➜ Build (November 2025–February 2026), where solutions are created
➜ Shine (February–April 2026), with regional showcases culminating in the Global Finale

Teams receive mentorship, workshops, and expert feedback throughout the process.

➜ Who may enter?

Eligibility is open to interdisciplinary teams of 1 – 6 university students from anywhere in the world can participate. At least one team member must be 18 or older by Jan 1, 2026.

➜ Prize:

The competition recognizes top teams with awards, trophies, mentorship opportunities, and media opp.