Young people were looking for clean air solutions
For the second time CLIMATHON GZM took place at the Silesian University of Technology. It is a 24-hour race of creativity taking place concurrently in over 100 cities around the world. Its aim is to find new solutions that can serve the climate. Students and PhD students from all over Poland took part in the competition at the Silesian University of Technology.
On the 5th and 6th of November 2025, CLIMATHON GZM was held at the Silesian University of Technology for the second time. Every year, the event is held under a different theme, which is also the subject of the 24-hour challenge faced by teams of students and doctoral students from universities from all over Poland. This year’s theme was “Clean Air in the City.”
- This is a very important topic. Young people must take into account not only indicators and reports, but above all, think about what we want to breathe on a daily basis, without fear and without the help of an application that may warn you not to leave the house due to poor air quality - said Dr Eng., Prof SUT Joanna Ferdyn-Grygierek, director of the Centre of Climate and Environment Protection at the Silesian University of Technology, who supervised the organization of the event on behalf of our University. - Young people will have to deal with the problem in an interdisciplinary way. They are students of various fields, so we are hoping for interesting solutions – she added.
For the second time the partner of the event was the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis. The competition was addressed to students of all universities throughout Poland.
- The idea of Climathon is to draw young people's attention to climate problems. We are involved in this event every year because we see it as an opportunity to find new, simple solutions – said Blanka Jędrzejewska, Director of the Department of Infrastructure and Environment in the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis.
We encourage students to make these simple solutions. Students are those people who, in the future, will also have an impact on this, and already have an impact on the environment in which we live, so their ideas can make a difference – she said. She also cited one of the examples that could be implemented in real life. During one of the previous editions, the youth proposed to reduce the amount of waste generated by participants of international student exchanges, the so-called Erasmus, by organizing events where they share or exchange what could end up in the garbage. This is how these things gain a second life.
- This is an example that shows that it is possible to reduce consumption, reduce waste production through small actions, and this is the solution we are looking for, because it can be easily implemented, - she added.
There was no shortage of people willing to face the climate challenges this year. Year after year, the event is becoming more and more popular. More than a hundred participants entered the competition this year, but only sixty of them could actually compete. The participants came from Łódź, Wrocław or Kraków.
Oliwia Szadkowska, a student of the Cracow University of Technology in the field of landscape architecture, admitted that she applied for the event precisely because of her interest in climate problems.
- I think it’s a fairly innovative competition that can bring a lot of new ideas to the city and I think it will open our minds and create interesting solutions - she said.
After listening to the introductory lectures, students had 24 hours to prepare the presentation and propose their solution before the competition jury. The main prize of PLN 12 000 awaited the authors of the best idea, and but above all there were great emotions and great satisfaction.
Ultimately, the challenge was best handled by the team called “Atomówka” with the participation of students of the Wrocław University of Economics and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
The awards were presented to the winners by, among others, the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Marek Pawełczyk.
The event was also held under the patronage of the Mayor of the City of Gliwice – Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka.
photos courtesy of GZM,
photo: Arkadiusz Klimczak
