Video Library

Welcome to the Global Sustainability Challenge (GSC) Webinar focusing on Adaptation & Resilience — one of the core themes set out for this international competition.

Hosted by Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Innovation at Grantham Institute for Climate change and the Environment, Imperial College London.

🧩 Alyssa unpacks:

• What adaptation and resilience mean for people, nature, and infrastructure
• Real-world case studies, from urban flooding to drought-prone regions
• How to start your GSC journey: from local research to global solutions
• Guidance on forming teams, defining problems, and developing your idea

🎯 Get insider tips on what judges are looking for, advice for building a winning team, and practical examples to inspire your submission.

This is the full recording of our recent Info Session and Live Q&A with the Global Sustainability Challenge (GSC) organizing team.

In this session, you’ll learn:
• What the Global Sustainability Challenge is all about
• Who can participate, and how to register your team
• How the three phases—Ignite, Build, Shine—work
• What makes a strong project or submission
• Key dates, deadlines, and tips for getting started
• Plus: Audience questions answered live!

This insightful session, hosted by ​Dr Kenneth Leung - Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (‪@hkust‬), provides students participants of the Challenge with a detailed overview of the critical need for energy transformation and innovative solutions as well as important information about the 2025-26 inaugural edition of the Challenge.

🔥 The Urgency of Energy Transformation

The session highlights the major drivers for energy transformation, noting that global temperatures have been rising consistently since 1920, with the rate speeding up since the 1960s. By 2023, the world had already reached the 1.5°C increase goal set by the Paris Agreement.

This rise causes escalating climate change impacts worldwide, including stronger typhoons (especially in the Asia region/Hong Kong), droughts, extreme heat, and rising sea levels. This crisis is directly linked to the tremendous use of fossil fuels, which provide 85% of the world's energy consumption and account for close to 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

This session featured Dr. Kenneth Leung, Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Dr. Leung joined HKUST in January 2025. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London and has over 30 years of professional experience covering combustion science, air quality management, climate change, electric vehicles, and new energy applications.

Innovation doesn’t stop at technology — real change happens when ideas meet people and policy.

In this Global Sustainability Challenge webinar, Bharti Singhla (Principal, Momentum Capital) and Nidhi Pant (Founding Team, Global Sustainability Challenge, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability) explore how policy interventions and public awareness campaigns can drive sustainability impact at scale.

💡 Whether you’re working on renewable energy, community resilience, or climate education, understanding how to navigate the policy landscape and mobilize people is key to creating lasting change.

In this session, you’ll learn:

🌱 How policy can influence sustainability solutions and adoption
💬 Real-world examples of awareness campaigns that moved the needle on climate action
🎯 Practical tips for integrating advocacy and awareness strategies into your Challenge submissions
🤝 Ways to connect with fellow GSC participants and potential teammates

Speakers:

• Bharti Singhla, Principal at Momentum Capital; Co-founder, Chakr Innovation; IIT Delhi, Stanford GSB alum
• Nidhi Pant, Founding Team, Global Sustainability Challenge; LSE Social Policy alum; Terra.do Climate Change Fellow

Source: Grantham Imperial | Subtheme: Seasonality / Variability
A video introduction on how global temperature changes are affecting seasonal rainfall in the world’s tropical regions, especially Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: Down To Earth | Subtheme: Drought Prone
Brief Video to understand the causes of flash droughts and management challenges

Source: Dept of Energy, US | Subtheme: Energy Distribution
Basics of power grid transmission

Source: Ted / Sille Krukow
Simple interventions to influence behaviour, with sustainability examples.

Source: National Geographic | Sub-theme: Energy Generation
Overview of Renewable Energy Sources, their advantages and challenges

Source: Lean Launchpad / Steve Blank
A video by on how to ask the right questions and uncover real user needs.

Source: UNEP Youth Initiatives
A video overview of how to inspire young people to drive greener societies and universities

Source: NREL
Subtheme: Large-scale Transition
A quick overview of curtailment, and how it can make the grid more flexible and reliable

How can deep tech accelerate the global transition to net zero?

In this Global Sustainability Challenge (GSC) webinar, Sila Kiliccote, Partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures and a global leader in clean energy systems, shares how her journey across science, entrepreneurship, and investment shaped the frontier of climate innovation.

🌍 Learn how deep-tech ideas scale from lab to real-world impact
⚡ Discover what investors seek in climate-tech founders
💡 Explore what it takes to build solutions that can cut global emissions

Source: Ted-Ed | Subtheme: Resource-Scarce
Overview of land required for various sources of energy

Source: Engineering Institute of Technology | Subtheme: Energy Distribution
Overview of battery technologies, comparing their respective features.

Source: World Bank, COP 28 Talk
Detailed talk on water security risks and solutions, including grey and green infrastructure, sustainable irrigation practices, and modern sanitation technologies

Source: Bloomberg | Subtheme: Urban Areas
An example of Climate Resilient Infrastructure. Showcases how an aging urban infrastructure can be retrofitted with ecological design, reducing floods, improving water quality, and enhancing livability in dense cities.

Source: UNEP/Run4Salmon
Virtual Reality Tool for Public Awareness around the river ecosystems in the US

Source: UNEP/My H2O
Data Platform for Rural Drinking Water in China

Source: IRENA | Subtheme: Energy Usage
Webinar with detailed overview on smart grid and energy trading with global examples