UAE students win prestigious environmental contest at COP29 in Baku
Three Year 12 students from an Abu Dhabi school earned honour to UAE after they won an international contest with new ideas in the area of waste management at COP29 level in Baku the waste management contest of their innovative waste management approach at COP29 level in Baku
The Cambridge High school located in the capital of the UAE managed to claim the Burjeel Holdings Climate Change Challenge intertwined with the University of Oxford.
Mehak, Parvi, and Tirushi, representing the UAE as Team Plethora, managed to come up with a code enabling effective sludge management that ensured them first place.
In addition, they will also attend the Future Climate Innovators Summer School 2025 where they will meet and work with other world’s experts. On their win, the team said, “It is an opportunity which transforms lives because it turns our idea of a better future into a possibility instead.”
Their winning creation
The project team’s novel technique employs vortex and zeolite media for ammonia and metal removal, and more. They further provide a solution to the problem of CO2 emissions by introducing potassium carbonate that converts out to potassium bicarbonate; which takes waste management to a new level and is also cost effective for the environment.
“Presenting in COP29 is an honor, I feel blessed as an Indian, a Pakistani and a Sri Lankan working together in the UAE, a tolerant and a united country,” the team expressed. “It is as though people have sent us together for a purpose. We have been together since grade 6 and have always wanted to do things that matter.”
“Being UAE representatives at COP29 is an extraordinary feeling given that we are at a young age and are women from various backgrounds. This was my reality check, the true essence of what the UAE stands for, bringing people together for a cause which, in my view, makes sense especially in the Year of Sustainability.”
The journey
Originally a school project, the Plethora Foundation is a student-run organization focusing on sustainability and well-being. The foundation's approach to volunteering is distinct and impactful by creatively making tote bags out of donated clothes, among other initiatives.
“For us, it is about all three components, ‘Plethora of People, Plethora of Passion, Plethora of Purpose’. Simply put, our goal has always been to restore the actual meaning of volunteering. Nobody should be busy trying to fulfill the requirements of sympathy in order to write their CV”; instead, the aim is to “share happiness with others and meet new people”.
From UAE to the World
At the beginning of the year, team Plethora visited ADIPEC and invested into their idea by listening to mentors from the industry. “Being aware that already succeeding professionals are ready to mentor the youngsters is so encouraging. It pushed us to aspire for greater things.”
The desire to only win competitions is not so far the teams vision. The team expects to introduce their solutions in South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan and Baku as well.
They were very particular to stress that “This is only the start. One day, you will see the Plethora Foundation on every single billboard.”
Championing climate action
A blend of pragmatism and idealism comes out of Burjeel Holdings, which emphasizes sustainable development as a part of their business model, making them an exception in the overwhelming corporate crisis of today’s world. Over 1,000 applications came from 58 countries, highlighting the efforts of the young leaders against climate change. Therefore, it is worth mentioning plenty’s win shows that in the future young people’s innovations will be extremely important to any crucial issues of the world.
We lean towards the unity of people’s standards of hospitality, especially seeing the organization’s thirst for innovation and improvement.” Opportunities associated with taking part in the project are highly awaited by the audience, for from the very first day of the project’s operations excessive interest was shown.
Looking ahead
As Team Plethora prepares to spend their summer in Oxford, the effort is to develop their foundation further and inspire more young people to get involved. Their goal is to go beyond borders and create impact on delinquent issues, many of which are ignored in times of chaos and war.
"This is pretty much not about winning a competition,” they said. “This is creating a new world in which wellness and sustainability are not fights but two sides of the same coin. From the UAE to the world, we are just warming up.”
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