CivTech

What’s the challenge?

Climate change is likely to lead to an increased chance of extreme events such as flooding, extreme heat, and reduced air quality. Tackling climate change is a global challenge, but citizens and businesses of Glasgow can play a key role in making informed and greener choices. In recognition of this, Glasgow City Council has declared a climate emergency.

Data is key to making informed decisions. So, how can we harness the power of data to help Glasgow’s citizens reduce their carbon footprint and make the city more resilient to the impacts of climate change?

Since the late 1800s, our atmosphere and oceans have warmed, amounts of snow and ice have diminished, the sea level has risen, and concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have increased. This changing climate presents a number of risks for the Glasgow city region and it's increasingly important for the city region to reduce emissions to help slow the pace of climate change, and better prepare for the impacts.

The recent risk and opportunity assessment by Climate Ready Clyde has flooding, extreme heat, and air quality as the three key risks of climate change for Glasgow.

Challenge outcomes

Your solution should provide the following:

• A way of tracking climate data – rainfall, heat, air quality – in more detail and making this available, in real time, to citizens.
• A means for the Council to track interaction with the data as a measure of engagement and growing awareness of climate change (this must be anonymous and GDPR compliant).
• A way for people to calculate their typical yearly carbon footprint, or footprint for last year, then allow this to be updated a year later with their actual footprint for this year which will hopefully show a reduction.
• A way for people to calculate what their current surface water runoff contribution is from their home.
• Information on key ways to reduce carbon footprint - both for citizens and for businesses.

Challenge Sponsor: Glasgow City Council
Value: Up to £250,000 + VAT