Nepal stands at a critical crossroads when it comes to climate change. While environmental education is part of the curriculum, a significant gap remains between classroom theory and practical action. To bridge this divide, the Shequal Foundation, in collaboration with UNESCO Kathmandu, UNICEF, and the Norway Embassy, has launched a national-level innovation initiative: Hacking for a Carbon-Free Future -- a national youth co-design hackathon aimed at creating a school-friendly carbon footprint calculator that students and teachers can use every day.
Why this hackathon matters
Nepal is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Yet inside classrooms, there's a stark disconnect: students learn about environmental issues in theory but have no practical way to measure their school's own carbon impact.
"A school may not know how much CO₂ is produced from students commuting by bus, or how switching to energy-efficient lighting could cut emissions. Without a tool, awareness rarely becomes action."
Electricity use, waste generation, transportation, cafeteria operations - these everyday school activities all produce emissions, yet they go untracked. The hackathon is designed to change that.
The vision behind the initiative
The core goal of Hacking for a Carbon-Free Future is to strengthen climate awareness and encourage climate-responsible behavior among students, educators, and school communities. The hackathon focuses on:
Encouraging youth-led climate innovation
Bridging climate theory with real-world application
Building a scalable digital solution for schools
Supporting Nepal's Green School Implementation Standards
Promoting sustainable habits through technology and education
Rather than creating solutions in isolation, the program uses a co-design approach where youth actively shape a tool intended for real implementation in schools across Nepal.
Who can participate
Applicants must be currently enrolled students; undergraduate (Bachelor's level) candidates are preferred, though professionals are also encouraged to apply. Students from IT, engineering, environmental science, and management backgrounds are particularly welcome.
Team size: 4 members (2 male and 2 female)
Participants can be from any of the 7 provinces
Teams must be capable of developing the carbon footprint calculator and able to implement the stated solution features
Teams selected in the virtual semi-final pitching must commit to all 3 days of the residential hackathon
Key dates
Application close date: May 15, 2026
Virtual semi-final pitching: June 1, 2026 (tentative)
Residential hackathon: End of June
You may use any coding language you see fit, and your solution can be a mobile application, hardware, software, IoT product, or any other form. Participants will be required to present a working MVP prototype of their carbon footprint calculator at the end of the hackathon.
Application link: register
Note: A physical pre-event information session will be held on May 11, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM at the Security Pal Office. The registration link can be found here.
Hackathon process and rewards
From all applications, the top 15 teams will be selected and provided with mentorship and support.
These 15 teams will participate in a virtual semi-final pitching round.
The top 7 teams from the semi-final will advance to the final 3-day residential hackathon.
The winning team will receive an impact fund and collaborate with Shequal Foundation and UNESCO to fully develop and finalize the carbon footprint calculator.
The winning team must complete the development and hand over the final tool to UNESCO.
About the organizers and partners
The hackathon is implemented by Shequal Foundation, a Nepal-based, women-led non-profit working at the intersection of youth empowerment, education, and technology. In collaboration with UNESCO Kathmandu, UNICEF, and the Norway Embassy, Shequal brings its track record in co-design methodologies, youth facilitation, and school-based program delivery to this national-scale initiative. The outreach and engagement partner for the hackathon is Nepal Climate Hub – a climate-tech non-profit dedicated to educating, connecting, and empowering Nepalese youth for meaningful climate action. The hackathon is further supported by community partners across Nepal: CSIT Association of BMC, Delta Academy, Sagarmatha IT Club, STEM Sisters, CSIT Association of Nepal, The Algorithm, Digital Rights Nepal, Tensor, Developers Association Jhapa, PK IT Club, and the Research and Innovation Unit.