Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024 | Up to $1 million
Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024: Pioneering Sustainable Urban Solutions for a Thriving Future
In the ever-evolving landscape of global challenges, sustainability has emerged as a crucial focal point for shaping a prosperous future.
The Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024, held in collaboration with Eco-Business, stands as a beacon for innovators worldwide, providing a platform to accelerate solutions that address the complex urban challenges prevalent in tropical cities.
With an unwavering commitment to fostering sustainable change, this challenge not only presents an opportunity for groundbreaking ideas but also awards significant grant funding to bring these innovations to life.
Understanding the Challenge
The Livability Challenge is Asia's largest and most prestigious prize for sustainability solutions, an annual event embedded in Singapore's sustainability events calendar.
Now entering its seventh edition, the 2024 challenge continues its mission of seeking disruptive innovations capable of propelling urban transformation and delivering a substantial impact.
This year's themes center around climate change and food & nutrition, reflecting the urgency of addressing these critical issues in the 21st century.
Themes of the Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024 Seventh Edition:
- Climate Change
The challenge within the climate change theme is multifaceted, seeking innovations that can revolutionize our approach to this global crisis.
Firstly, the competition is in search of solutions that can effectively capture and convert carbon emissions into valuable products. Whether it be building materials, reclamation sand, or synthetic fuels, the goal is to repurpose emissions for global market use.
Secondly, the challenge is looking for innovations that generate cost-effective renewable energy. In a world transitioning to sustainable energy sources, the competition aims to identify solutions that can contribute to this shift, making clean energy more accessible and affordable.
Additionally, the climate change theme seeks adaptative solutions that strengthen and protect ecosystems, societies, and infrastructures from the effects of climate change.
This includes mitigating extreme heat, combating the urban heat island effect, and building climate-resilient communities for at-risk groups. Sustainable and replicable business models are emphasized to ensure the longevity and widespread adoption of these solutions.
Other considerations for solutions within the climate challenge include;
- Being carbon negative in the overall lifecycle and having zero/minimal externalities.
- Being technology-based (e.g., physical, chemical) or nature-based solutions (e.g., community models).
- Demonstrating commercial viability and scalability.
- Conducting the pilot either in Singapore (for technology-based solutions) or within Southeast Asia (for nature-based solutions).
Food & Nutrition:
In the food & nutrition theme, the challenge is focused on creating urban, circular food production systems in agriculture, aquaculture, and alternative nutrition.
The goal is to identify breakthrough innovations that maximize production efficiency while minimizing resource requirements. This not only addresses the challenge of feeding growing urban populations but also does so in a way that is sustainable and resource-efficient.
The competition also seeks solutions that extend the shelf life of perishable food without compromising safety.
This is a critical aspect of reducing food waste, a significant global issue. Additionally, the challenge encourages innovations that enhance the quality of essential nutrients in food without compromising taste and texture.
Other considerations for solutions within the food & nutrition challenge include;
- Demonstrating commercial viability and scalability in a dense urban environment.
- Conducting the pilot in Singapore, ensuring that proposed solutions are contextually relevant and adaptable to the unique challenges of urban living.
About Temasek Foundation
Temasek Foundation International is a Singapore-based non-profit organization under the philanthropic arm of the Singapore state sovereign fund, Temasek Holdings.
Since its establishment in 1974, Temasek Foundation has played a pivotal role in promoting social and cultural interaction, education, and aid for the disadvantaged in Asia.
The foundation oversees 17 endowments, each with a specific focus on driving positive change. The Livability Challenge stands as a testament to their commitment to advancing sustainability solutions for the benefit of society.
Aim and Benefits
The stakes are high in the Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024. Winners of the challenge, one each for the climate change and food & nutrition categories, will receive a substantial S$1 million in grant funding. This financial support serves as a catalyst, transforming innovative concepts into tangible, impactful solutions with the potential to revolutionize urban living.
Requirements for Participation for Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024
- climate challenge
The climate challenge seeks solutions that not only address the symptoms but actively contribute to the fight against climate change. This includes effectively capturing and converting carbon emissions into useful products such as building materials, reclamation sand, or synthetic fuels.
Innovations are also expected to generate cost-effective energy from renewable sources, contributing to the global shift towards sustainable energy.
Furthermore, the challenge seeks solutions that significantly reduce the carbon emissions produced by industries and buildings, particularly through innovations in cooling systems.
Beyond these primary objectives, solutions are encouraged to:
- Drastically reduce the negative impact of climate change, such as mitigating extreme heat and countering the urban heat island effect.
- Build climate-resilient communities for at-risk groups through sustainable and replicable business models.
Other considerations for solutions within the climate challenge include:
- Being carbon negative in the overall lifecycle and having zero/minimal externalities.
- Being technology-based (e.g., physical, chemical) or nature-based solutions (e.g., community models).
- Demonstrating commercial viability and scalability.
- Conducting the pilot either in Singapore (for technology-based solutions) or within Southeast Asia (for nature-based solutions).
- Food & Nutrition Challenge
The food & nutrition challenge focuses on creating solutions that revolutionize food production and consumption in urban environments. Innovations should deliver breakthroughs in maximizing production yield while minimizing resource requirements and waste outputs.
Solutions are also expected to extend the shelf life of perishable food without compromising safety, addressing the critical issue of food waste. Additionally, the challenge seeks innovations that improve the quality of essential nutrients in food without compromising taste and texture.
Other considerations for solutions within the food & nutrition challenge include:
- Demonstrating commercial viability and scalability in a dense urban environment.
- Conducting the pilot in Singapore to ensure that proposed solutions are contextually relevant and adaptable to the unique challenges of urban living.
Application Details:
The deadline for Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024 applications is February 9, 2024. Interested and qualified individuals or teams can apply through the official Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge website here. The application process is designed to be accessible, ensuring that innovative ideas from around the world can contribute to shaping a more sustainable future.
Conclusion
The Temasek Foundation Livability Challenge 2024 provides a unique and unprecedented opportunity for innovators to make a lasting impact on urban sustainability. By addressing the pressing issues of climate change and food & nutrition, this challenge not only encourages creative thinking but also supports the implementation of practical solutions.
As the application deadline approaches, aspiring changemakers are urged to seize this opportunity and contribute to the global effort in creating more livable and resilient cities for future generations.
The challenges are significant, but the potential for positive change is immense, and through collaborative efforts, we can pave the way for a more sustainable and thriving future.
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