Powering inclusive solutions for people and planet through Digital Public Infrastructure.

Founding partners:

In partnership with:

About the challenge

The DPI for People and Planet Challenge is designed to spark a global wave of experimentation, nurture a new generation of climate-tech builders, and surface solutions that are ready to scale - or already scaling - worldwide.

Launched in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Co-Develop, the Gates Foundation, the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI), and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and in official partnership with the COP30 presidency - this first-of-its-kind initiative invites global innovators to design climate solutions using Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

It goes beyond a one-time competition, focusing on mission-critical use cases and culminating in a showcase at COP30. The ambition: enable real-world pilots in the months ahead, supported by global funders, implementers, and DPI custodians.

The aim is to:

Generate project concepts that demonstrate how a DPI approach can be adopted by governments and / or scaled by the private sector to benefit people and planet.

Build a vibrant community of practice to accelerate action.

Create momentum around the “People & Planet x DPI” agenda.

Why DPI for People and Planet

According to the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the environmental crisis is accelerating, with over 3.6 billion people already vulnerable to its impacts. Meeting this challenge demands systems that are faster, fairer, scalable, and more inclusive - and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) delivers exactly that.

DPI is reshaping how societies deliver services at population scale. It refers to foundational digital systems that support essential societal functions - much like roads or electricity grids, but in the digital realm. This includes systems like digital identity, payment platforms, and data exchange layers.

DPI is fast emerging as a key enabler of climate action, with applications in energy transition, green mobility, disaster prevention, and agricultural resilience. Examples include:

Digital energy grid

Integrating renewable energy sources and enabling decentralized energy distribution.

Transport stack in India

Using digital infrastructure to support green mobility, reduce emissions, and optimize transit systems.

Digital land verification for carbon credits in Brazil

Using the Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) to validate land eligibility and streamline carbon credit project registration through verified forest and land data.

To explore more examples, refer to the application guide.

Despite these opportunities, most climate innovations do not yet leverage these digital rails. This challenge aims to close that gap - bringing climate solutions onto DPI to enable true scale.

Indicative use cases

The examples below illustrate how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can be applied to tackle specific environmental and development challenges across key sectors.

These examples are illustrative and intended to inspire applicants. We welcome and encourage proposals that go beyond these suggestions, including innovative applications of DPI in other climate-relevant areas.

Energy

Use DPI to forecast grid stress and automate demand shifts with distributed energy resources, enabling faster response, grid stability, and better renewable integration. Create a decentralized biofuel marketplace connecting small producers and refineries, boosting low-carbon fuel use.

Transport

Use DPI to integrate multi-modal mobility data for real-time discovery of green transport options and rewards. Aggregate traffic data across systems to dynamically manage congestion and optimize public transit.

Forest and biodiversity

Use forest registries and satellite data to streamline carbon credit project registration and monitor reforestation potential. Implement digital forest health monitoring using GIS tools, remote sensing and centralized forest data platforms.

Agriculture

Use DPI to connect farmers with buyers and suppliers through secure payment-enabled platforms, improving yields and incomes. Register and track climate-smart farming practices to offer tailored advisory and incentivize sustainable agriculture.

Disaster resilience

Integrate real-time sensor and location data to deliver early warnings to at-risk populations. Enable pre-disaster cash transfers through digital ID and payment infrastructure for anticipatory aid.

Water

Use DPI to link SCADA and sensor data to predictive AI for real-time water quality alerts and asset maintenance optimization.

Public health

Combine self-reported symptoms, mobility data and government alerts in a DPI-based platform for real-time outbreak detection and health risk alerts.

We also welcome solutions that address two or more sectors or themes simultaneously. These cross-cutting use cases can enhance systemic efficiency, transparency, and climate impact by combining datasets and infrastructure layers across domains.
Examples include:

Climate finance: Use harmonized carbon credit metadata to help climate-fintech companies detect risks and enhance credibility in carbon credit investments.

GHG emissions reporting: Aggregate sensor and regulatory data to generate real-time emissions dashboards for industries, ensuring compliance and transparency.

Important information

Read the application guide before applying. It contains the following:

Background and context: provides an overview of the challenge objectives, climate context, and the DPI landscape.

Technical guide and requirements for the challenge: explains the definitions of DPI and DPG, principles, and the DPI approach for the challenge.

Indicative problem statements and use cases: showcases potential DPI/DPG-enabled solutions aimed at inspiring potential applicants.

Challenge process and selection criteria: highlights the different rounds and requirements. It also provides a detailed overview of the parameters used to shortlist the most promising innovations.

Eligibility criteria

We invite bold, transformative ideas from all sectors and regions globally.

All legally registered organizations are eligible, including:

01Startups and well-established companies

02Non-profits and social enterprises

03University labs and research institutions

What's in it for you

Global visibility and networking with DPI and climate leaders

Top 5 finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their solution at COP30 in Brazil

Top finalists to receive monetary grants to build prototypes for their solutions

Up to $100,000 in grant funding will be awarded to the finalists, to support the development and field testing of their solutions

Access to investors and ecosystem partners

Leading innovators will benefit from downstream opportunities to scale their solutions

Post-challenge support

Winners may receive ongoing implementation support, strategic guidance, and valuable networking opportunities at high-profile global events

Evaluation criteria

Does the submission clearly define the climate challenge it aims to solve?

Timeline

This innovation challenge invites participants to develop climate solutions that leverage DPI. Through an application round followed by a 2-round selection process, innovators will design and prototype their solutions, culminating in a final showcase at COP30 Pitch in Brazil.