The Oxford Saïd Global Climate Tech Challenge: Turning Teenagers into Climate Innovators

Climate change is often presented to high school students as a chapter to study, a crisis to worry about or a cause to support. The Oxford Saïd Global Climate Tech Challenge 2026 asks students to go further: design a practical, technology-driven response.

Organised by Oxford’s Saïd Business School, the free global competition is open to students aged 15 to 18. Students must enter in teams of three to five; teammates may attend the same school or different schools and may even live in different countries. There is also a separate category for secondary-school teachers, who enter individually by creating technology-integrated climate lesson plans.

Student teams select one of five areas: air pollution, extreme weather, food security, biodiversity or water scarcity. The strongest projects will not merely describe a problem or recommend that people “raise awareness.” Teams must identify a specific need, research it and propose a technological solution that is innovative, feasible, ethical, sustainable and potentially scalable.

A successful entry could involve sensors that detect pollution near schools, an AI system that predicts local flood risk, technology that reduces agricultural waste, a digital tool for mapping endangered species or a low-cost method of monitoring water use. Students do not need to be advanced coders. A strong team might combine scientific knowledge, design thinking, data analysis, business strategy, storytelling and presentation skills.

The submission requires a presentation of up to ten pages, saved as a PDF, along with a video of up to three minutes. Each student must also provide a consent form signed by a parent or guardian. Entries close on 17 August 2026 at 11:59 p.m. GMT. Finalists are expected to be announced in September, with the global finals taking place at Oxford in October.

Who should participate? This is valuable for students interested in environmental science, engineering, computer science, economics, entrepreneurship, public policy, geography, design or social impact. However, it is equally suitable for students still exploring their interests. The competition rewards interdisciplinary thinking: the best climate solutions rarely belong to only one academic subject.

The benefits extend well beyond adding another certificate to a college application. Participants practise turning an enormous global issue into a defined, researchable problem. They learn to divide responsibilities, test assumptions, evaluate trade-offs, communicate complex ideas and defend a proposal. These are the habits of researchers, founders and policy-makers.

All approved submissions receive a participation certificate from Oxford Saïd. Finalist student teams and teachers receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Oxford to present their work. The winning student team earns a full scholarship to the Future Climate Innovators Summer School 2027, while the winning teacher receives a place on an Oxford Saïd Executive Education programme.

For students who have discussed climate change but have never tried building a solution, this challenge offers a starting point. Do not begin by asking, “What impressive project can we invent?” Begin with a problem you have observed, then ask: “How could technology make this measurably better?”