150+
Participants, experts, coaches and volunteers
5
Climate challenges that need new ideas
ZURICH
Impact Hub, Kraftwerk Zurich
Selnaustr. 25, 8001 Zurich
CURRENT TOPIC
Registrations are open
Sign up now as a participant for Climathon 2023, meet inspiring people and collaborate for local climate solutions. Below you find our preliminary agenda and this year’s challenges.
Preliminary Agenda 2023
5 Challenges in 2023
Bring in your ideas to tackle local climate challenges in Zurich.
In a country where food is abundant, it’s easy to forget the journey it takes to land on our plates. Did you know? Every Swiss wastes a shocking 330 kg of food annually.
In our pursuit of net zero 2040, addressing food waste emerges as a pivotal priority. How can we raise awareness about food’s true value – its labour, its cost, its essence? How can we nurture a culture that reveres the sustenance we often take for granted?
The arrival of a child often prompts parents toward car ownership. Young parents seek quick solutions to balance work, leisure and childcare – a space where a car still seems to check all the boxes.
Yet, to truly transform mobility choices and environmental impact, we need to ignite a shift in adult behaviour and pass on these values to the next generation. The city’s vision? To rewrite the mobility playbook for a cleaner, more vibrant tomorrow. Can we change the game, making sustainable choices just as easy and compelling?
A staggering 30% of emissions stem from consuming goods, mainly from textiles, food, and electronic devices. Predominant linear business models (produce, use, and dispose) often lead to the premature disposal of fully functional items.
As we strive for net-zero by 2040, it’s imperative to significantly reduce consumption-based emissions. How can we amplify the perceived value of pre-owned goods? How can we simplify the process of reusing goods? How can we integrate life cycle costs as a decision criterion for consumption?
Goods can fall victim to damage, theft, or obsolescence, prompting insurance to step in, offering compensation or replacement. But what happens after a claim? These goods become the responsibility of the insurance company, even if they are often not physically in their possession.
So how can Zurich Schweiz Insurance actively support customers in fostering a circular economy for damaged items?
To tackle climate change, we need a reliable and affordable energy system in 2030 that fully phases out the use of oil, coal and natural gas. It is entirely possible, and there are no technical barriers. All we need is the will to get there. Rooftop solar, led by communities, is one solution in particular, that can help us accelerate an energy transformation.
So how can we get the population on board? How might we promote and scale solar energy best practices, so that solutions and their impact can be scaled?
> CHF 150’000 of funding for ideas
In 2022, 150+ people celebrated 21 teams and their ideas at the Festival of Ideas.
6 winning teams received a total funding of CHF 40’000 by the City of Zurich directly at our Climathon Closing Ceremony.
After Climathon, > 8 other teams were funded by partners from the Impact Hub Zurich ecosystem with a total of another > CHF 110’000 and consecutive incubator programs.
The 32h Climate-Hackathon in Zurich is a unique experience that is not to be missed. Watch our video from last year’s Climathon to feel the vibes and
to learn more about the process of collectively taking climate action
Participating at the Climathon was one of my highlights of the past year. So many inspirational conversations, so much passion and incredibly good food. What do you need more?»
Individual Participant
The Zurich Climathon was a place for us to validate our idea in front of a community of innovators and gain visibility which had a great impact for us. «
Startup Team
The climathon experience is highly dynamic. Motivated participants give their very best to generate climate solutions to the most pressing problems. As an expert, it’s inspiring to be part of their journey.«
Expert
Climathon perfectly encapsulates what we so desperately need: a feeling of agency and being part of the solution as literally everybody can contribute to solving the climate crisis and every action counts»
Team Coach
OPPORTUNITY
Join us as partner
Every year, Impact Hub Zurich brings together 150+ Zurich impact-driven citizens to tackle local climate challenges. The event is perfect low-barrier opportunity to access climate topics and creates a lot of visibility. Join us as event partner!
Organiser
Main Partner
Sponsoring Partner
Our Network Partner
Meet the Project Team
Lara Mogge
Project Lead
Sandra Chellakudam
Media & Communication
Climathon Zurich is a great opportunity to drive Zurich’s net zero journey.
Climathon is a worldwide movement of people who actively combat climate change and is held in cities around the world. In Zurich, Climathon is organised by Impact Hub Zurich in collaboration with the City of Zurich and Climate-KIC.
During 32h, participants have the chance to meet inspiring people, work on climate challenges and share their ideas to inspire others. Either they create a new idea from scratch or they co-create and boost an existing climate project.
Thanks to our Impact Hub network and our collaboration with our partner the City of Zurich, we have great coaches, experts and a lot of experience to support everyone during the Climathon journey.
What awaits participants at Climathon?
At Climathon, participants are on a journey from climate challenge to climate solution. Although each Climathon is a new inspiring experience with new challenges to tackle, the event itself is always built upon the following three elements.
PLENUM SESSIONS & NETWORKING
We open and close Climathon with ceremonies in plenum.
Climathon kicks off with an exciting Opening Ceremony on Day 1, setting the goals and mood and providing inspiration from amazing speakers.
On day 2, we come back together for the Festival of Ideas, where all teams pitch their ideas and we celebrate these. Afterwards, at the Closing Ceremony, the winning teams are announced.
In between there is plenty of time to connect with other changemakers.
TEAM WORK
After the opening ceremony, participants have time to decide on the climate challenge they want to work on and to find their team in our facilitated team building session.
Having selected a challenge and fellow team members, participants are ready to dive into and freely design their team work sessions.
There are subject matter experts in areas such as food waste and coaches at their disposal to help with knowledge as well as with the overall process.
WORKSHOPS
During the team work, there is the option to visit workshops. Our workshop leaders coach on topics like «How to Pitch» or «How to Prototype».
Recharging batteries during Climathon is crucial. Therefore, we include recreational elements such as a guided yoga flow or mediation in the program, too.
More information on Climathon
The Climathon was founded in 2015 in the run-up to the historic Paris climate agreement and has grown enormously since then.
It takes place every year in a growing number of cities around the world. In 2021 the Climathon will be held in 145 cities around the globe.
The Climathon Zurich is taking place for the 6th time already and offers citizens the opportunity to become active for the climate and initiate systemic changes.
6500+ participants
145 cities
600+ ideas
6 continents
Terms and Conditions of participating at Climathon Zurich
All Climathon participants grant the Climathon Zurich Organizer, its subsidiaries, agents and partner companies, a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, publish, distribute, publicly perform, create a derivative work from, and publicly display the submission. Of course, all participants maintain the ownership and property rights of the work that they created during Climathon (e.g. source code).