(CU)_ “The Commonwealth is an extremely diverse group of 54 countries, including some of the smallest and most vulnerable in the world, that have made a shared commitment under the Commonwealth Blue Charter to work together to tackle ocean-related challenge,” she noted “We look forward to receiving ideas from individuals, teams, and organisations from across our regions, which we could then support and amplify globally.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with the Satellite Applications Catapult, has launched the Hack the Planet Competition, ahead of the Earth Day on 22 April. The competition seeks to bring to light innovative, impactful and scalable solutions in order to tackle some of the most pressing ocean challenges in the world.
Lucy Edge, COO at the Satellite Applications Catapult noted that by providing a unique view of planet Earth, satellites are vital for effective monitoring and mitigation of climate change and will therefore be an important part of any solution for ocean-related challenges. She added that the Hack the Planet Competition will be a rare opportunity for people from across the Commonwealth to come together to develop ideas into world-changing concepts.
According to the Commonwealth Secretariat, with a £10,000 in prize money to be won, the contest hopes to encourage participants to utilise and explore information available from satellites to develop solutions for ocean-related issues, particularly those covered by the Commonwealth Blue Charter. These challenges include marine plastic pollution, ocean acidification, coral destruction, climate change and many more.
Announcing the initiative, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said she is encouraged by “sheer range of possibilities this competition will open up to identify new and improved ideas on how to address ocean sustainability”.
The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2021. The Commonwealth Secretariat said that the theme of the contest is closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on ocean (SDG 14), climate (SDG 13) and energy (SDG 7).
From the teams which enter the competition, 30 will be shortlisted and invited to participate in a knowledge exchange programme, during which they will learn about satellite technologies and how they could support their ideas and develop them into robust, compelling pitches. Subsequently, six finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas live in front of a panel of judges. The results will be announced during a final showcase event in October 2021, where the winner will receive a cash prize of £10,000.
