Students across the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand to build climate solutions ahead of COP31

Suva, Fiji, 29 September 2026– Hundreds of university and TAFE students from the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union will take part in Climate Hack-tion, a 60-hour online hackathon challenging teams to build practical solutions to some of the world's biggest climate priorities, ahead of COP31 - the UN's annual climate summit.

The initiative is a first of its kind, developed by the European Union Delegation to Australia with its counterpart missions in New Zealand and Fiji.

With Australia serving as President of Negotiations for COP31, and the Pre-COP Leaders' event, being hosted in Fiji and Tuvalu from 5–8 October 2026, bringing global attention to the region’s climate priorities reflect the global cooperation that the EU spearheads regarding shared and urgent challenges.

The Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific, Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert says:

“Climate change is an existential threat to the Pacific, and the region's youth are leading the way with profound resilience and innovation to address this challenge. Through Climate Hack-tion, the European Union is proud to connect bright minds across the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe to transform urgent climate priorities into tangible solutions. This initiative reflects our deep, enduring partnership with Pacific Island nations as we work together to elevate the region’s voice and drive meaningful global action ahead of COP31.”

Running from 9am AEST Friday 2 October to 9pm AEDT Sunday 4 October 2026, Climate Hack-tion invites teams of three to five students to turn one of COP31's five priority areas - electrification, zero waste and methane reduction, resilient cities and buildings, green industrialisation, and climate awareness- — into a working prototype or realistic mock-up.

Teams will be supported by a network of Australian professionals acting as mentors, hailing from academia, industry, energy transition and finance. Winners will be announced at a closing ceremony on Monday 12 October, with a total prize pool of over A$10,000.

The European Union is a genuine climate partner to the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. Climate Hack-tion reflects the EU's direct relationships and cooperation with countries across the region, investing in shared climate priorities and in the young people who share the challenges of the future.

Registration link: https://hackjunction.app/hackathons/climate-hack-tion

*𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑖𝑗𝑖, 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎, 𝐾𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑖, 𝑁𝑎𝑜𝑒𝑟𝑜, 𝑁𝑖𝑢𝑒, 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑢, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑎, 𝑇𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑎, 𝑇𝑢𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢, 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝐼𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑉𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑢, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑎𝑝𝑢𝑎 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎.