What is the Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge?
WWF-Canada is seeking innovative, cost-effective and user-friendly technologies and approaches to support carbon measurement and verification of Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS) in Canada.
Nature has been called “the sleeping giant” of the climate crisis because one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions result from the destruction of trees, ground cover, coastline plants, peatlands and other carbon-storing vegetation. By protecting and restoring these ecosystems, we can prevent the release of this carbon into the atmosphere and actively reduce emissions.
These types of actions are known as Nature-based Climate Solutions, or NbCS.
Alongside rapid decarbonization to reduce emissions across every sector, NbCS are critical in helping achieve national and international greenhouse gas reduction targets. But to ensure that NbCS are achieving the emissions reduction benefits they’re meant to over time, we must better understand exactly how much carbon is actively being sequestered by nature.
Cue the Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge!
Measuring carbon in nature will help us to enhance the role that the natural world can play in mitigating climate change. Some carbon measurement technologies do already exist, but they are often costly, difficult to implement at scale, and are both labour- and knowledge-intensive.
WWF-Canada’s Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge is designed to address the shortcomings in current technologies by encouraging innovative solutions and supporting the transitioning of technologies in unrelated fields, i.e. drones or apps that could be repurposed rather than coming up with something from scratch.
In recognizing the complexity of carbon sequestration between biomass and soils, the Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge is accepting proposals for technologies that measure carbon in:
What’s in it for you? Up to five finalists with successful proposals will receive a $25,000 grant to support their participation in the validation phase of the Nature X Carbon Tech Challenge as well as access to a spot in the Microsoft Global Social Entrepreneurship Program.
Up to three award recipients with successfully validated technologies will receive a contract totaling up to $100,000 to deploy their tech in the field with WWF-Canada and conservation partners that have NbCS projects underway.
Key Dates
Register today for exclusive content, access to WWF-Canada staff and proposal support all summer. The online proposal form will open in September. Submit your innovative technology today to leave a lasting legacy for tomorrow.
WWF-Canada’s Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge, supported by RBC Tech for Nature and Microsoft Canada, catalyzes the development of user-friendly and innovative technologies to support community-led measurement of carbon in nature. techhub.wwf.ca
