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"The climate time-bomb is ticking.
We need to seize the opportunity to invest in credible innovations that can contribute to reaching our global targets," UN Secretary-General Ant ? nio Guterres said in March, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its most recent scientific assessment.
The UN's Office of Innovation and partners, with help from members of the global investment community, have selected 24 young innovators to take part in UNICEF Innovation30, which aims to "accelerate proven, youth-driven innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges related to climate change, the environment, and sustainability, and help advance progress toward climate-related Sustainable Development Goals," per a press release.
The innovators were chosen after independent climate scientists vetted more than 100 proposals against a robust set of criteria, including potential to contribute to climate change adaptation, positive impact on children, sustainability of the business, risk of doing harm, and patentable innovation, market setting, and competition.
Among the winners: Marybel Montoya Alvarez and Maria Isabel Gaviria, who have created a biodegradable, eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based biosurfactants, the infamous components of cleaning products, cosmetics, and other consumer goods.
Others seek to improve soil conditions and crop yields in