Students Win Environmental Contest at COP29 for Oxford Summer Program

Three Year 12 students from Cambridge High School in Abu Dhabi have won the prestigious Oxford Saïd Burjeel Holdings Climate Change Challenge at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The team, called Plethora, created an innovative sludge management solution that uses a vortex and zeolite media to remove ammonia and metals while reducing CO2 emissions.

As part of the prize, the students - hailing from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - will attend the Future Climate Innovators Summer School at Oxford University in 2025, where they will collaborate with leading experts in climate change and sustainability.

Their winning project grew out of a school assignment and has since evolved into the Plethora Foundation, an initiative dedicated to promoting sustainability through hands-on, creative solutions like turning donated clothes into tote bags.

This victory marks a key moment in the students' journey, which has already seen them showcase their ideas at events like the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC). With the COP29 win, the team plans to expand their sludge management solution to South Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, as well as other regions.

The competition received more than 1,000 applications from 58 countries, highlighting the importance of youth-led innovation in tackling climate change.