EnvironmentActivist challenge

The Brief

Humanity is facing an environmental emergency. World and business leaders have failed to take action to address the problem. Do you have ideas about how we can protect the planet and make our leaders take action?

At last year’s United Nations Climate Action Summit, it was a 16 year old environmental activist named Greta Thunberg who stood in front of world leaders and said:

• “People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Can your generation accept the challenge and protect the planet? Do you have solutions for how we can save the environment and convince our leaders to take action?

Think about the following environmental problems, then select one problem which you feel most passionately about and tell us your solution:

• The air, water, land and soil is being polluted with dangerous chemicals.
• We are producing too much waste in our homes.
• Whole species of animals and plants are going extinct because their habitats are being destroyed and dying.
• The forests are being destroyed. This is causing climate change, flooding, desertification, soil erosion and the loss of homes for local people. 
• Our natural resources (water, oil, wood and fish) are being used faster than they can be replaced.
• The average temperature around the world is increasing (global warming) due to a hole in the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect.
• Are there other problems that are not on this list but are important to you?  

In less than 1,000 words, describe your solution to one of these environmental problems. If you wish, add pictures and videos to help our judges better visualise your solution.

Search your creative mind and experiment with possibilities. Do not hold back or criticise your ideas. Remember, with creative thinking there is no idea that is ‘too wild’, ‘absurd’, ‘impossible’ or ‘half-baked’.

Judging criteria

Your ideas will be judged on their creativity and innovation. That is - how original, new, inventive and groundbreaking they are.

These questions can help you to think about your ideas:

• How creative – original, new, inventive, and groundbreaking – is your idea?
• Do you understand the reasons why people and organisations harm the environment?
• Will there be some people who are disadvantaged by your solution? Who are they?
• Will your solution improve our distant future?
• Can your solution be copied and used all around the world?

If you have any questions about any of the above, please let us know and our team will be happy to help! 

Enter your ideas now. Think differently. Imagine freely. Dream big. Be brave. Be bold. Push boundaries.

How to enter:

1. If you have not created an account yet, create it on the MASK website now (this facility is under revision and will be live soon).
   
2. Upload your ideas, with images or videos if you wish.
3. Judges will select the winners and invite the winners to the Award Ceremony that will take place in Nairobi in May 2021.

Deadline: to be announced

You can also enter the other challenges here: