International competition for promising designers ‘Better Energy by Design’ developed by Elena Baturina’s think-tank to support the UN’s SDGs

“Transition to clean, sustainable energy is no longer an option… Clean renewable energy-based green growth is the ONLY alternative to sustainable development”, said Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations. It has become obvious that despite notable progress toward energy targets set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is necessary to further strengthen efforts on SDG7. It is also agreed by the world’s leaders that SDG7 calling for “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030” lies at the heart of the rest SDGs and without progress on SDG7 it will be impossible to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

‘Better Energy by Design‘ is an international competition held by the philanthropic educational initiative BE OPEN and its partners. It is open to all students, graduates and young professionals who specialise in the fields of art, design, architecture and media globally. The competition aims to encourage the creation of innovative solutions by younger creatives, for a more prosperous and sustainable future, and the focus of the competition is the United Nations’ SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy.

Since 2015 a number of specialized institutions and initiatives on SDG7 and climate change have been launched under the aegis of the United Nations. UN also keeps encouraging governments, businesses, financial institutions, centers of innovation and non-profit organizations like BE OPEN to take joint action to come up with new technologies and accelerate the shift towards low-carbon energy infrastructure.

In November 2021 UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a global roadmap to achieve a radical transformation of energy access and transition by 2030 which sets an aggressive timeline to ensure noticeable progress on SDG7 and requires significant investment in the energy sector.

BE OPEN strongly believes that creativity is integral in the shift to sustainable existence. To attain the UN SDGs we need to think out of the box about the goals. We need creative thinking – design thinking – and creative action. Design has a crucial role to play as an instrument or vehicle for the implementation of the UN SDGs.

Elena Baturina, founder of BE OPEN explains the objective of the project: “I believe that the series of competitions that BE OPEN has centered on the SDG agenda is an efficient tool for search of innovative ideas and potential partners able to bring them to life in the energy sector. With this competition we can raise awareness about SDG7 and contribute to achieving it via recognizing, showcasing and promoting the best design ideas and their creators.”

Achievement of SDG7 is impossible without ensuring that a growing number of households, communities and production companies use green energy technologies. Therefore participants of “Better Energy by Design” are asked to reflect on “What can be done to prompt breakthrough of clean energy technologies into our lives?” Whether you propose to make those more affordable, more modern, or more appealing to energy users – it’s your call.

Projects for the competition must relate to one of the following submission categories: Powered by Renewables, Save More Energy, Reducing Energy Gap.

BE OPEN will reward the best work with monetary prizes as well as honorary mentions:

• First prize — €5,000
• Second prize — €3,000
• Third prize — €2,000
• BE OPEN Founder’s Choice prize — €3,000
• Public Vote prize – €2,000

The international jury will select the top 50 honourable mentions, then decide amongst the strongest submissions and name the winners of the first, second and third Prizes out of all submissions.

The Founder’s Choice prize is allocated by the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina who will select the awardee out of 50 honourable mentions. The Public Vote prize winner will be decided upon by the majority of votes in an online open vote from 50 honorary mentions.