Climate Solutions Summit
Our Signature Spring Conference
THE CSS IS BACK FOR SPRING 2026!
Our biggest event is back and better than ever! Registration for the open-major undergraduate Climate Solutions Summit (CSS) Case Competition focused on creating societal and environmental impact through innovating business solutions is now OPEN!
We encourage participants to register as a team of 4 or 5. If you register as an individual, we will place you on a team with other participants. However, priority will be given to teams.
Registration is FINAL. By registering, are committing to the responsibilities of the case competition, meaning you are not allowed to drop out of the competition. We will confirm on the morning of April 13th if you/your team are competing.
TIMELINE:
• Registration Deadline: April 12th @ 11:59 PM PST
• Case Release & Workshop: April 13th from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM, Paccar Hall 297
• Competition Preliminary Rounds: Saturday, April 18th, from 10 AM - 12 PM, Founders Hall
• Competition Finals: Saturday, April 18th, from 2 PM - 5 PM, Founders Hall
DETAILS:
• The competition starts on Monday April 13th, from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in PACCAR 297. Teams will receive the business case during this kickoff event. Attendance from at least one team member is mandatory and attendance will be taken.
• Teams have until 11:59 PM PST on April 17th to analyze the problem, develop a solution, and create a PowerPoint presentation or similar visualization.
• Preliminary presentations will occur on Saturday, April 18th, between 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at Founders Hall.
• Free lunch will be provided to all competitors, volunteers, and judges.
• The top teams from each flight will present in the final round on Saturday, April 18th, between 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM at Founders Hall.
FINAL ROUND PRIZES:
1st: $1,500
2nd: $1,000
3rd: $500
All competition participants are invited to attend the case competition final rounds.
Please feel free to email netiuc@uw.edu with any questions or concerns!
Read about the history of the Climate Solutions Summit below.
The beginning of student-driven innovation.
What is the Climate Solutions Summit?
In Spring 2023, a coalition of sustainability and business organizations launched the first ever Climate Solutions Summit.
The event explored scaling and implementing clean energy technology in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The centerpiece of the summit was a cross-disciplinary conference that connected over 150 enthusiastic students with clean energy professionals. The conference featured a keynote speech from Governor Jay Inslee and dynamic panel discussions focused on Disruptive Innovation, Scaling Adoption, and Workforce Development.
The second element was a residential decarbonization case competition. 16 student teams learned about the IRA and proposed solutions to increase the speed and scale of decarbonization projects. Teams presented their ideas to expert judges and the top teams competed in a final round for cash prizes.
The Climate Solutions Summit returned in Spring 2024, featuring a convention on disruptive innovation and community solar.
The event featured a keynote speech from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and speakers such as Washington State Representative David Hackney and Nora Hawkins of the Washington State Department of Commerce.
This year’s case competition was focused on making residential solar renewables accessible and affordable for diverse individuals, where 20 student teams competed for $6,000 in cash prizes.
The Climate Solutions Summit returned again in Spring 2025, featuring a convention about gender equity in the climate space.
The event featured a keynote speech from Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon, and speakers such as Kris Nelson (Senior Director & Head of Sustainable Investing Management, Russell Investments), Lisa Dulude (Director of Sustainability, UW), and Paul Lee (Project Manager, Natural Power).
This year’s case competition focused on developing innovative approaches to advancing gender equity within the climate space. The case charge will task student teams to develop recommendations for a local organization to improve its sustainability initiatives through promoting gender equity and intersectionality.
