In the autumn of 2012, the Climate CoLab opened up 18 contests, each focused on a challenge the world is facing as we confront climate change.
By June 15, nearly 400 proposals had been submitted from around the world, by non-profits, entrepreneurs, scholars and climate experts, students, business people, and concerned citizens.
Proposals championed new technologies, community projects, online apps and websites, marketing strategies, business ideas, and government initiatives. After a series of revisions, 59 promising proposals were chosen as finalists.
Over the month of August, you–our community–engaged a record number of people in considering and selecting climate change solutions: over 4500 votes were cast (more than double the number case in the prior CoLab contest), membership soared to above 10,000, and we had visitors reading and selecting proposals from almost every country in the world.
Announcing the 2012/2013 Climate CoLab winners
After a year and much hard work from our volunteer Advisors, Fellows, and Judges, the CoLab community, and, of course, the proposal authors, we are proud to announce the winners of our 2012/2013 contests:
Adaptation and Civil Society Groups
Agriculture and Forestry
Building Efficiency
Electric Power Sector
Enabling Adaptation
Geoengineering
Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)
Local Solutions
Reducing Consumption
Replacing Diesel Generation
Scaling Renewables in Major Emerging Economies
Shifting Cultures for a Changing Climate
Transportation Efficiency
Urban Adaptation: Climate Resilient Cities
Waste Management
*Popular Choice (at large) refers to proposals which received over 100 votes (3% of votes cast in all contests)
After review of the entries, the Judges in the following contests have chosen not to award any winners. While the finalists presented very intruiging and well thought-out ideas, the Judges deemed the challenges associated with implementing those ideas as being too great to warrant further development of the proposals.