The food we consume and the methods use in its production significantlyimpact both our health and the environment.

The journey of food—from growth and processing to transportation,distribution, preparation, consumption, and disposal—contributes to thecreation of greenhouse gases that trap heat and contribute to climate change.Approximately one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked tofood. Agriculture and land use represent the largest contributors tofood-related greenhouse gases. These include methane produced in cattle'sdigestive processes, nitrous oxide from fertilizers used in crop production,carbon dioxide stemming from deforestation for agricultural expansion, as wellas other emissions from manure management, rice cultivation, burning cropresidues, and fuel usage on farms.

In contrast, a smaller portion of food-related greenhouse gas emissionsarises from activities like food refrigeration and transportation, industrialprocesses involved in packaging (such as paper and aluminum production), andthe management of food waste.

We need to innovate the way we produce and consume food, in order to fightclimate change effectively, and we need to do it now.

Challenges:

• How can we ensure food surplus is directed where food availability is low instead of becoming food waste?
• How can climate-smart agriculture solve/limit food insecurity?
• How can we reduce waste to ensure a more sustainable world? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.
• How can we ensure we maximise the production of crops, vegetables and livestock through technology and AI, to minize impact on earth? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.

Transportation serves as the vital link connecting people, cultures, and economies across the globe. It underpins modern societies by facilitating the exchange of goods and exploration of new territories. Furthermore, robust transport networks grant access to essential public services like education and healthcare, thereby enhancing overall quality of life. Additionally, transportation infrastructure contributes significantly to economic growth by generating jobs and spreading prosperity, especially in remote regions.

Yet, our current transportation model has significant drawbacks. The sector substantially impacts the environment and human health.

While strides have been made in improving the energy efficiency of new vehicles like cars, vans, trucks, planes, and ships, these advancements have not kept pace with the overall increase in transport emissions. The expanding volume of transport activities continues to exert pressure on greenhouse gas emissions, and demand across all transport modes is anticipated to rise further. We need to innovate the transport sector, and we need to do it fast.

Challenges:

• How can an increased collection of data and use of AI in transport planning accelerate the shift to more sustainable modes of travelling and away from single-occupancy motor vehicles?
• How can a complete change in the transport infrastructure of a congested city bring positive social, environmental and economical impacts to their users and beyond?
• How can we reduce the level of carbon emissions in our cities and roads? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.
• How do we accelerate the introduction of new transport options that improve both safety and sustainability for the world? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.

Energy stands at the forefront of the climate crisisand holds the key to its resolution. 

A significant portion of earth's enveloping greenhousegases, responsible for trapping the sun's heat, stem from energy generation.Fossil fuels, used extensively to produce electricity and heat, notablycontribute to this predicament. Coal, oil, and gas - categorized as fossilfuels - overwhelmingly contribute to global climate change, constituting over75 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of allcarbon dioxide emissions.The scientific consensus is resolute: to avert thedirest repercussions of climate change, we must slash emissions by almost halfby 2030 and attain net-zero emissions by 2050.

This imperative necessitates a departure from fossilfuel dependency and a substantial investment in alternative energy sources.These sources should be clean, readily accessible, economically feasible,sustainable, and reliable.

Presently, despite fossil fuels still dominating morethan 80 percent of global energy production, cleaner energy sources areprogressively gaining ground. Approximately 29 percent of electricity ispresently derived from renewable sources – but we need to do more, and we arein a hurry.

Challenges:

In collaboration with our co-organizer Ericsson, the following challenges have been created:

• How can we develop resilient systems to overcome crisis situations (climate, shortages etc)?
• How can we encourage citizens, governments and companies to create and share energy?
• How can we improve the knowledge of citizens, governments and companies to reduce their energy consumption and consider new forms of energy?

Education and awareness on the effects and causes ofclimate change is a fundamental need to create real action on climate change, itis the very foundation on which we could build a brighter future for ourplanet. Still, groups of people don’t have access to basic education on theeffects of climate change. Many are excluded or not permitted to go to schooleven. Negative effects arise from people not having access to education onclimate change, both on an individual level but also on a socioeconomic level.

Challenges:

• How can we increase awareness and concern for the consequences of human activities on its environment?
• What would the long term sustainable benefits be if extended reality was available to all schools and universities to support collaboration and learning? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.
• As the ability to collaborate with others through immersive experiences becomes a reality, how can we accelerate the possible sustainable opportunities working with governments around the world, to fight climate change and create a better future for all citizens? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.

More than half the world’s population is living incities and the number is expected to rise even higher in the years tocome. On the one hand, the cities contribute to economic growth andprogress but on the other hand cities are also accountable for leavingdevastating footprints on our planet. 

Technology and innovation are keys at the forefront infinding sustainable solutions for our cities, and at the same time thedigital divide is still growing. It remains a fact that many people living incities on our planet lack affordable access to energy and the Internet. Ourplanet is suffering due to our consumption and production and leaving manybehind – and the future for our life in the cities is depending on a radicaland fast change.

Challenges:

• How do we make our cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable?
• How do we ensure cities adapt and are more integrated to their natural environment and climate (and not the other way around)?
• How would day to day life improve in a hyper connected city where, for example, transport, buildings and people are connected? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson
• What novel technique should we introduce into cities to reduce pollution? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson
• How can we ensure most effective use and planning of new buildings and infrastructure (created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson)
• How can we increase the awareness of companies and governments to improve a more sustainable future for our cities. Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson

Global warming and disastrous weather conditions are all over the newsconstantly, and these ominous climate changes are undeniably caused by mankind.It doesn't matter where in the world you are living, we can all see that thedisturbing changes in our climate are increasing too rapidly. We need to createsolutions to save our forests, biodiversity and animal life.

Challenges:

• What new technologies can help the climate work towards the net zero ambitions of the world? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.
• How can we proactively support towns and cities that are increasingly effected by significant changes in weather patterns? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.
• How can we support society, industry and government to accelerate key initiatives towards developing a circular economy by highlighting the benefits it would bring and how technology can play a major role to make this happen? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson.

Looking at the world, development seems to be going in the wrong direction. In many places institutions are threatened, people are exposed to violence, organized crime is flourishing, child abuse and unequal access to justice is common. Creating partnerships worldwide is more than ever crucial to this world and us human beings.

With climate change becoming an exceedingly huge threat, we need to collaborate worldwide in supporting developing countries as well as sharing knowledge, giving and sharing access to technology, science and innovation. All this in order to make the change and find the solutions we need, to the challenges we are facing. Collaboration and effective partnerships where we stop blaming each other and start working together is key for us to fight climate change.

Challenges:

• How can we entice competitors to collaborate more to collectively lower their impacts on the environment?
• How can building self-reliant communities (at least in the areas of food, energy and water) accelerate the achievement of the SDGs?
• How to create successful partnerships with governments, companies and academia , to make them work together towards a common goal? Created in collaboration with our Co-organizer Ericsson

Our oceans are suffering from how we treat our planet and dead zones arecontinuing to spread even though we know that the oceans play a crucial role tous as human beings and to the whole ecosystem. The oceans drive globalsystems that make earth habitable for us humans but still there is a continuous deterioration of the oceans, having an adversarialeffect on the ecosystems and biodiversity. We need to find solutionsaddressing climate change for our oceans and the water existing on our planet. 

Challenges:

• How can we ensure access to clean water for all?
• How can we limit the use of freshwater in agricultureand by the industry to prevent households from suffering from shortages offresh water in regions with a precarious water supply?
• How can protect our oceans and keep them clean, sothat life below water can be preserved?