A student innovation challenge for carbon removal solutions!
Climate action is needed more than ever. Carbon removal is a key climate solution, but is still far from the scale needed to avert and prevent the worst effects of climate change. To help close that gap, the OpenAir Collective is running its 4th annual global competition inviting university and college students to design and create new approaches for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The OpenAir Carbon Removal Challenge provides students from colleges and universities around the world an opportunity to work towards safeguarding their future. The very best approaches will be selected as finalists, and invited to present their solutions at Carbon Unbound in New York City in May.
Recent Webinars
Check out our Youtube channel for recordings of past webinars, as well as our 2025 final showcase!
2025 Highlights
Check out our 2025 CRC Finalists here:
| Teams | Members |
|---|---|
| EPFL Carbon Team | Alizée André, Julian Barth, Patrick Menegalli, Nicola Zali, Eloi Bernier, Arsenijs Danilko, Renata Mendoza, Matteo Piras, Estelle Baumann |
| WatAir: Open-Source Moisture-Swing DAC System with Microalgae CO2 Sequestration | Robert Duff, Laurel Pierroz-Wong, Katherine Nguyen |
| Carbon Capture Direct | Ethan Milroy, Robbie Carey, Harrison Waddell, Mateen Khalatbari, Peter Fleming |
| Electrocean | Jason Qin, Faith Qin, Gabriel Boyd |
| Terrapump | Aidan Mickleburgh |
2026 Sponsors
The Carbon Removal Challenge is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors:
Bronze-Level Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsors
Partners
Contact Us
Questions? Comments? Feel free to reach us via Instagram, LinkedIn, or send us an email at carbonremovalchallenge@openaircollective.cc.