Suncorp has come up with a cool idea to address the heatwave challenges facing Sydney, which has seen the team emerge as co-winners in Climathon Sydney 2019.
The event, one of the 140 Climathon events taking place across 56 countries as part of the largest-ever climate action that seeks to help humanity achieve zero emission in 20 to 30 years, was participated by 13 other teams of innovators from various backgrounds.
As a partner of Climate-KIC, Suncorp members used their product-design skills to create a solution that encouraged people to continue using public transport through heatwaves.
Suncorp’s winning idea was to transform bus shelters into heatwave-friendly eco-shelters by retrofitting them with modular features like a weather station, green roof, drinking water, solar power and even a water mister, to keep commuters 4°C cooler and reduce risks of dehydration and heat stroke.
The team now has priority access to Climate-KIC’s entrepreneurship program for green business ideas to help them refine and accelerate their solution, as well as the chance to be selected to attend the Global Climathon Awards in Paris in 2020.
Suncorp noted Sydney’s increasing exposure to heatwaves, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting Greater Western Sydney to experience 37 days over 35 degrees in 2020.
