How can communities adapt to more extreme weather and create low-carbon housing for all?

Challenge Overview

The climate crisis requires dramatic action from all stakeholders, and a thriving zero-carbon world will require rapid shifts for both mitigation and adaptation. A billion people lack decent housing, while current housing drives 6% of global emissions from construction and 16% from electricity and heating. Simultaneously, the world saw $268B in losses from natural catastrophes in 2022 - climate-linked droughts, floods, and heat waves that disproportionately affect countries with low cumulative emissions. With strained disaster response and recovery systems, communities need new approaches to build good housing at scale plus ways to integrate climate risk into planning across all decisions. 

Multilateral financing for adaptation and “loss and damage" are critical but underfunded. Alongside these resources, innovation is necessary to enable fast, efficient, and equitable shifts in housing and adaptation planning. There are significant data gaps for weather, agriculture, buildings, infrastructure, and challenges to integrating new data with existing systems. Hundreds of millions of homes will need to be upgraded or built, with a need for affordability and new designs often limited by inertia and risk aversion from local trade sectors. New agricultural methods will be necessary to reduce crop losses from harsher droughts or flooding, along with infrastructure upgrades for more extreme weather, or ecosystem restoration to buffer and mitigate impacts of storms or heat. Innovation on processes must go along with technological changes to meet both housing and adaptation goals. 

The MIT Solve community is looking for six technology-based solutions that help communities create quality low-carbon homes at scale or adapt to more extreme weather. To that end, Solve seeks solutions that:

• Reduce emissions from multifamily housing during construction, operation, and end-of-life while addressing barriers to local adoption. 

• Support informal communities in upgrading to more resilient housing, including financing, design, and low-carbon materials or energy sources. 

• Help communities understand and incorporate climate risk in infrastructure design and planning, including through improved data collection and analysis, integration with existing systems, and aligning financial incentives such as insurance. 

• Adapt land and coastal areas to more extreme weather, including through climate-smart agriculture or restoring natural ecosystems. 

Special Call: Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program

A housing system shaped by systemic racism and ongoing bias puts the highest energy costs and lowest access to efficient housing on communities of color while keeping them as the most vulnerable to climate-fueled hazards. As part of Solve’s ongoing work on US racial equity, we will select 2-4 solutions from the US working to address these disparities for our Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program.

Prizes

MIT Solve - Solver Award

All Solver teams selected for Solve’s Global Challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve.

The GM Prize

The GM Prize is open to solutions that help create smart, safe, and sustainable communities around the world. The Prize is funded by General Motors, which is working toward becoming the most inclusive company in the world and is dedicated to making STEM education more accessible and equitable. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across up to six recipients from the Learning for Civic Action Challenge, the Climate Adaptation & Low-Carbon Housing Challenge, and the 2023 Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

The GSR Foundation Prize

GSR Foundation will award a prize to solutions that use innovative technology to address pressing issues in their communities and the world. Preference will be given to solutions that use blockchain to improve financial inclusion. The prize is funded by the GSR Foundation, an independent charity founded by GSR, a leading cryptocurrency trading firm. The Foundation seeks to advance education, promote equality of opportunity, and contribute to a sustainable world, emphasizing blockchain and innovative technology-powered solutions. Up to $200,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve's 2023 Global Challenges.

The Health Access Prize

The Health Access Prize is open to entrepreneurs who are developing boundary-pushing solutions that empower health workers and address healthcare challenges in historically under-resourced communities. This prize is supported and funded by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, an impact fund within the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Up to $175,000 will be granted across up to four Solver teams from the Health in Fragile Contexts Challenge.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. The prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy committed to advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Up to $150,000 in funding will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve’s 2023 Global Challenges.

Living Forests Prize

The Living Forests Prize is open to solutions that help restore ecosystems or increase use of sustainable forest products, including for housing. The Prize is funded by Good Energies Foundation, which funds initiatives that work to reverse the impact of climate change in two key areas: access to clean energy and protection of tropical forests. Up to $100,000 in funding will be awarded to up to four Solver teams from the Climate Adaptation & Low-Carbon Housing Challenge.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Ocean Innovation Prize

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Ocean Innovation Prize is open to solutions supporting innovation for coasts, oceans, and the broader blue economy. The prize is funded by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which is committed to protecting and progressing planetary health. Up to $100,000 will be awarded across up to two Solver teams from any of Solve's 2023 Global Challenges.

The HP Prize for Accelerating Digital Equity

The HP Prize for Accelerating Digital Equity is open to solutions that advance digital inclusion in education, healthcare, and economic opportunity in communities across the U.S. and globally, with a focus on teams benefiting marginalized groups. This prize is funded by HP, which is a global technology leader that is innovating with purpose and intention to go beyond short-term impact to drive positive, lasting change. Up to $100,000 will be awarded across up to four Solver teams from any of Solve's 2023 Global Challenges and Solve's existing portfolio of Solver teams.

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion

The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion is open to solutions that advance the economic, financial, and political inclusion of refugees. The prize is funded by Andan Foundation, a Swiss non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting solutions that promote refugee resilience, self-reliance, and integration. Up to $50,000 will be granted across up to two Solver teams from the 2023 Global Challenges and Solve's existing portfolio of Solver teams.

Semifinalists