On November 14th, the fifth day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), BE OPEN had an opportunity to present its work and report on the outcome of its latest student competition at the HiHouse studio in the Green zone of COP30.
BE OPEN presented video pitches by all five winners and winning teams of Designing Future 2050, the recently finalised global student competition encouraging young creatives to reframe and update the SDG agenda based on today’s realities. The project aimed to inspire them to go beyond the 2030 agenda, and actively participate in developing and implementing realistic and sustainable action plans favourable for their own future.
BE OPEN Founder Elena Baturina preceded the pitches with an address to the audience of the conference: “The future rests on the shoulders of young people and for them to be able to address the serious challenges ahead, we must give them the necessary knowledge, skills and tools, teach them to navigate through the local and global issues, and to lead the change to a more sustainable world for us all. That is why for the past six years, we have worked with schools and universities all over the world to help raise awareness of the SDGs and contribute to achieving them via recognizing and promoting the best sustainable ideas created by the youth. And this conference is an outstanding opportunity to connect talented young people all over the world with decision-makers and offer them an array of opportunities.”
Designing Futures 2050 became the 6th international competition held by BE OPEN since 2019, after ones dedicated to SDGs #2, #7, #11, #12, #13 and #17. They all aimed to involve students and recent graduates into the sustainable agenda, help ‘implant’ sustainable principles into the approaches, practices and ambitions of upcoming professionals and encourage them to create their own innovative solutions. The new, ongoing competition Design Equality with Innovation is dedicated to SDG#5, and will accept submissions till the end of year 2025.
BE OPEN rewards the best work with the monetary prizes, honorary mentions, publications, access to educational resources, and opportunities of pitching the winning projects at major sustainability-related international events, such as Climate Change Conferences.
BE OPEN strongly believes that creativity is integral in the shift to sustainable existence. The vision of the foundation is to create a foundation of knowledge for young people to navigate the challenges ahead. By providing opportunities for creative expression, collaboration, and learning, BE OPEN hopes to inspire them to take ownership of shaping the future.