SIPs competition: and the winner is...

Last year we  launched a competition asking if you had a great idea for a Sensitive Intervention Point (SIP) that can accelerate our transition to a post-carbon society.  We had a tremendous response with suggestions ranging from global to local, from large scale government initiated projects to small changes we can each make on a personal level.

We narrowed down our entries to a shortlist of seven and asked the finalists to expand their entries. These are:

• Central bank "brown" collateral haircuts: reducing the value of collateral posted with the central bank based on its carbon intensity to shift investment from “brown” to “green”

• Net zero aviation: net zero synthetic jet fuel, made from a combination of CO2 pulled out of the air and hydrogen from surrounding air/water – powered by renewable electricity

• Post-carbon corps network: addressing the balance of responsibility between individuals and corporations with a new standard to avoid the greenwashing associated with sustainability self-reporting

• Carbon-free careers: a public manifesto signed by student bodies and universities across the UK demanding viable, hard net-zero commitments both from their own universities and the companies that recruit within them

• Road transport decarbonisation: new designs for electric vehicles where the car itself becomes the battery

• Impact traffic-lighting for everyday products: introducing an environmental ranking system for retailers, similar to the “traffic lights” food-labeling system

• True permanence: creating a new, net-zero compliant carbon offset product based on permanent storage

> Read more about these ideas on our Competition Finalists page

After much deliberation, we are pleased to announce that the winner is is Central Bank "Brown" Collateral Haircuts, a great idea for a SIP proposed by Andrew McConnell, who will receive the €1000 prize. Andrew's entry met all our criteria in terms of embodying the SIPs characteristics that ensures out-sized results. His entry was also unique, well thought out, concise, and practical - an idea we are keen to help Andrew pursue as a SIP. Congratulations to Andrew and looking forward to seeing him present his great idea to our eminent Policy Advisory Board in November.

Thank you again to all our entrants and to the other finalists all of which provided great entries that we will also be providing to our Advisory Board and look forward to working on with the entrants. This competition was a great starting point for us to get a critical mass of ideas for SIPs that can help us accelerate the transition to a post-carbon society. But we still need your help. All of the competition entries have been input into our SIPs pages at www.postcarbontransition.wiki: please look through them, be inspired and sign up to contribute. You can collaborate by helping people improve their ideas or add your own new idea. It could be the idea that tips the balance to a post-carbon society!