Reading sponsors TSL’s ‘Navigating El Niño’ competition
10 November 2026
The Trust for Sustainable Living (TSL) has opened entries for its 2027 International Student Competition, ‘Navigating El Niño’, and announced the University of Reading as the competition’s exclusive Higher Education Sponsor for the next two academic years.
The competition invites students aged 7 to 18 from around the world to explore the question: how do you want world leaders to respond to our new extreme weather world? Entrants are asked to consider El Niño, a natural climate pattern whose impacts are becoming more severe as the climate warms, and to share their views in a format of their choosing, including essays, artwork, music, video, poetry and more.
Now in its 17th year, the competition has grown into a global event. Since launching in 2011, TSL has received over 17,000 entries from 120 countries, covering themes ranging from biodiversity and sustainable cities to climate justice, eco-anxiety and sustainability culture.
Students will compete in two age categories: Primary (7–11) and Secondary (12–18). One overall Grand Prize Winner will receive £1,000 and a trophy, with the Runner-Up receiving £500 and a trophy; where an entry is submitted through a school’s Teacher Champion, the school also receives a cash prize. All participating Teacher Champions, finalists, honourable mentions and International Debate participants receive personalised certificates. Top-performing students from each country will be invited to take part in TSL’s International Student Debates, held on 1 and 2 July 2027.
“Every year we’re struck by how much young people have to say about the world they’re inheriting – they just need a platform to say it,” said Karl Hansen, Director of the Trust for Sustainable Living. “El Niño affects communities on every continent, so it felt like exactly the right theme for a competition that now reaches students in 120 countries. We’re delighted to have the University of Reading on board as our exclusive Higher Education Sponsor, and we’re looking forward to building on this partnership together.”
“The University of Reading is proud to be the exclusive Higher Education Sponsor of the Trust for Sustainable Living’s International Student Competition,” said Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading. “Understanding how our climate is changing is only half the challenge; the other half is how we choose to respond. Young people will live longest with the decisions being made today, and this competition gives them a platform to tell world leaders what they expect of them. We’re looking forward to hearing what students around the world have to say.”
“El Niño is a natural part of our climate, but in a warming world its impacts, from floods and droughts to failed harvests, are being felt by communities everywhere,” said Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez OBE, Head of the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences at the University of Reading and national co-lead of the Climate Ambassador programme. “Every young person deserves a climate education that helps them understand these changes and gives them the confidence to ask what should be done about them. I can’t wait to see students turn the science into ideas for action.”
Entries are now open and close on 1 March 2027 (midnight UTC). Teachers wishing to register can do so now via the TSL competition platform: trustforsustainableliving.submittable.com/submit
The competition invites students aged 7 to 18 from around the world to explore the question: how do you want world leaders to respond to our new extreme weather world? Entrants are asked to consider El Niño, a natural climate pattern whose impacts are becoming more severe as the climate warms, and to share their views in a format of their choosing, including essays, artwork, music, video, poetry and more.
Now in its 17th year, the competition has grown into a global event. Since launching in 2011, TSL has received over 17,000 entries from 120 countries, covering themes ranging from biodiversity and sustainable cities to climate justice, eco-anxiety and sustainability culture.
Students will compete in two age categories: Primary (7–11) and Secondary (12–18). One overall Grand Prize Winner will receive £1,000 and a trophy, with the Runner-Up receiving £500 and a trophy; where an entry is submitted through a school’s Teacher Champion, the school also receives a cash prize. All participating Teacher Champions, finalists, honourable mentions and International Debate participants receive personalised certificates. Top-performing students from each country will be invited to take part in TSL’s International Student Debates, held on 1 and 2 July 2027.
“Every year we’re struck by how much young people have to say about the world they’re inheriting – they just need a platform to say it,” said Karl Hansen, Director of the Trust for Sustainable Living. “El Niño affects communities on every continent, so it felt like exactly the right theme for a competition that now reaches students in 120 countries. We’re delighted to have the University of Reading on board as our exclusive Higher Education Sponsor, and we’re looking forward to building on this partnership together.”
“The University of Reading is proud to be the exclusive Higher Education Sponsor of the Trust for Sustainable Living’s International Student Competition,” said Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading. “Understanding how our climate is changing is only half the challenge; the other half is how we choose to respond. Young people will live longest with the decisions being made today, and this competition gives them a platform to tell world leaders what they expect of them. We’re looking forward to hearing what students around the world have to say.”
“El Niño is a natural part of our climate, but in a warming world its impacts, from floods and droughts to failed harvests, are being felt by communities everywhere,” said Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez OBE, Head of the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences at the University of Reading and national co-lead of the Climate Ambassador programme. “Every young person deserves a climate education that helps them understand these changes and gives them the confidence to ask what should be done about them. I can’t wait to see students turn the science into ideas for action.”
Entries are now open and close on 1 March 2027 (midnight UTC). Teachers wishing to register can do so now via the TSL competition platform: trustforsustainableliving.submittable.com/submit
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