12 April 2011: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched a Green Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Application Challenge, which aims at identifying the best and most innovative concept for an application that would help combat climate change. The challenge is open until 17 June 2011.

The applications may be any kind of software tool or game for the web, a personal computer or a mobile device. The best and most innovative concept will receive US$10,000 and the winning entrant will be invited to present his/her concept at the ITU Green Standards Week to be held in Rome, Italy, on 6 September 2011. The winning application may also be developed and showcased during a side event to be held at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UNFCCC to be held in Durban, South Africa, at the end of 2011.

Topics of interest for the challenge include, but are not limited to: mitigation of climate change through energy efficiency in sectors such as smart buildings, intelligent transportation systems and smart homes; community engagement; eco-design; monitoring climate change; measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and adaptation to climate change, for example, through the use of applications for emergency telecommunications and alerting systems for disaster relief. Contestants are asked to submit a detailed concept paper describing their idea and explaining how it will help to combat climate change and provide an ICT solution to environmental or sustainability issues. [Green ICT Application Challenge] [ITU Press Release]