Applications are now open for the 4Revs Innovation Challenge, it is a global call to identify the solutions that are already creating a path for the revolutions humankind needs to survive.

4Revs is a unique, co-creative ecosystem that aims to help humanity solve the four survival challenges in one generation - between 2020-2050. They have partnered with corporations, social ventures, sustainability practitioners and entrepreneurs, educators, public and civil organizations, and creative minds on all six continents to inspire and implement next-generation initiatives in each of the 4Revs.

Socialab is looking to solve:

• Food: Eating is about much more than survival; it is a social and political activity with a multitude of under-exploited local ideas and traditions.
  • How do they provide food, and reduce food waste, to support a population of 8.6 (2030) - 11.2 (2100) billion people on Earth?
  • How do they conduct agriculture sustainably to produce healthy food and protect both humans and our global ecosystems as a whole?
  • How do they secure a sufficient and sustainable supply of protein?
• Water: Water is the great paradox of our human survival - essential, abundant, and still so fragile and difficult to use. Closely linked to both energy and food.
  • How do they manage water resources sustainably to avoid severe water stress (projected by MIT to affect 52% of the global population in 2050)?
  • How do they help spread new water technologies and management systems for them to be useful and effective in all parts of the world?
• Resources: Ecosystem restoration and cyclical and sustainable resource use are closely related to all agricultural and industrial activity, while also being inextricably linked to lifestyle changes.
  • How do they manage both natural and mineral resources sustainably to enable a continued and sustainable supply?
  • How do they create circular economic and social systems that minimize waste and pollution of the Earth's ecosystems?
  • How do they manage land and key ecosystems sustainably?
• Energy: Human health and the continuation of life on Earth are critically influenced by the way they produce and consume energy and minimize climate disruption.
  • How do they secure sufficient energy supply for a growing population without compromising human health or contributing to severe climate change?
  • How do they rapidly decarbonize the economy and society as a whole?
  • How do they manage and adapt to future changes caused by climate change?

Award Information

• 10 finalists will be selected to showcase their solutions to the 4Revs ecosystem formed by Japanese and multinational corporations, social ventures, sustainability practitioners and entrepreneurs, educators, public and civil organizations, and creative minds on all six continents.
• Among these finalists, 6 solutions will be selected as potential case studies of an inspiring example (“seed cases”) for the 4Revs platform and will compete to additionally receive financial support:
  • USD 1,500 for the first place
  • USD 750 for the second and third place
  • USD 500 for the fourth fifth and sixth place

Eligibility Criteria

• The solution must be in the market
• The solution must contribute to at least one of the 4 Revolutions
• The person responsible for the application process must be over 18 years old by October 13, 2020, and the owner of the solution

For more information, visit Socialab.