Saving the planet is now a career choice

The Gigatonne Challenge

Gain the skills you need to fight climate change and make an impact in your community, no matter your background.

Tired of waiting for somebody, somewhere, to take action on the climate crisis?
So are we.

This is why we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands.

We are reducing carbon emissions across the globe – every day, right now – through the Gigatonne Challenge; a radically decentralised global climate strategy with teams contributing all over the world.

It’s a climate strategy with equity at heart. We support, train and fund community-based teams throughout the world to reduce carbon emissions in their communities, while benefiting the most vulnerable.

Would you like to join us? You do not have to already be working in the climate space. You only need courage, curiosity, creativity and commitment.

Since October 2020, 95 teams and 960+ citizens from cities worldwide have taken part in the Gigatonne Challenge and together have reduced: 2181 tonnes of CO2e emissions.
Be part of this ambitious global climate strategy with equity at the heart. The planet needs you.

JOIN THE GIGATONNE CHALLENGE

The Challenge

To reduce 1 tonne of CO2e emissions in your city in 2 weeks.

How?

  • Your team will meet daily for 90 minutes on Zoom to identify and work on prototypes to directly reduce emissions.
  • You’ll practice prototyping – testing and adjusting live interventions to reduce CO2e emissions – with the support of our coaches and faculty.

What will I gain?

  • You’ll have a direct, tangible impact on emissions.
  • You’ll build leadership skills.
  • You’ll practice strategies for tackling complex problems like climate change.
  • And you’ll be part of a global community of changemakers.
  • Learn more: FAQ document

Challenge Levels

You will start from Level 1, and once you reach this goal (reducing 1 tonne of CO2e emissions in your city in 2 weeks), you’ll move to Level 2.

These first two levels are about “practice”. From Level 3 onwards, it’s about “performance”, and if your team has a proven track record, you can begin to gain funds and resources to work on this challenge, reach higher targets and start a career in making the world a better place for future generations.

Level 2
10 Tonnes
1 Month
Level 3
10 Tonnes / month
100 Beneficiaries
Level 4
100 Tonnes / month
1k Beneficiaries
Level 5
1000 t / month
10k Beneficiaries
Level 6
10,000 t / month
100k Beneficiaries
Level 7
100,000 t / month
1M Beneficiaries

Meet our Level 3 Gigatonne Teams

Bangalore, India

Since coming together in December 2020, the Bangalore team has been diverting coconut shell waste from the city’s landfills and sending them to a farm instead.

QwaQwa, South Africa

The Qwa Qwa team is on a mission to clean up their area and provide employment and healthy food for their community. They are focused on the challenges of illegal dumping sites and food insecurity.

Hawai’i Island, USA

“I’m sitting here looking at one of the sites of the largest wildfires in our state history. There is no longer time to wait,” says Evan, an entrepreneur who gathered a team in Hawaii for the Gigatonne Challenge.

These teams need your support to continue doing their amazing job in their communities. Fund or Sponsor them.

What do other participants say about the Gigatonne Challenge?

How do I get involved?

Fill in the Registration Form to let us know you’re interested in joining the challenge, and a member of our Complexity University team will get in touch. If you don’t have a team for the challenge yet, we’ll support you in building one.

How much does it cost?

The one-time fee to join the challenge is $199/person. The fee covers training, team coaching and joining the global community.

We want to remove barriers to joining us and ensure a diverse global participation. That’s why we offer partial and full scholarships for joining the challenge, in case the fee is too much of a stretch for your budget.

Join the Gigatonne Challenge

Fight climate change and kickstart a career in saving the planet.