Strengthening the role of forests in carbon sequestration and storing. Top breakthrough Decreasing the cost and increasing the scale of quantifying the carbon sequestration of forests. Additional ideas Optimal landscaping techniques for tree and plant species, and the density of their distribution to increase size of forest carbon pool. Finding ways to enhance efficiency of photosynthesis. Technologies to measure precisely carbon density and value of standing forests Technologies to bring trust, radical accuracy, efficiency of forest carbon credits to increase the flow of capital to forest protection. Questions How does this breakthrough help achieve a desired future for forests? Is anyone else, other than XPRIZE, likely to do this? If so, who? What other things must occur beforehand to make this breakthrough successful? When is this breakthrough needed? By what year? How audacious is this breakthrough (in terms of global impact)? Instructions Please answer one of more of the questions in the discussion below. Feel free to discuss the breakthrough, and additional ideas, in general as well. To recommend a breakthrough that has not yet been discussed, click on the "Start a New Discussion" button in the top-left widget.

Welcome to the Future of Forests XPRIZE Idea Box!

Over the last four months, the XPRIZE Impact Team has worked on The Future of Forests ImpactMap, sponsored by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. This work has identified six topic areas (please see below) where potential breakthroughs could be transformed into prize ideas.

The Future of Forests Prize Idea Box is a six-week exercise that results in multiple prize ideas, from which six winning ideas emerge; one for each of the six topic areas. Selected prize ideas have the potential to be refined further by XPRIZE staff and potentially become an XPRIZE in the future. Participants will be eligible to win prizes of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2500) in value.

How the winners are chosen

Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of three criteria:

Is this a great XPRIZE?
Will this prize make a tremendous impact?
Does this prize have a high likelihood to launch?

Click here to see what a winning prize idea looks like.

How to design an XPRIZE

Watch XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis' videos to learn more about designing a prize competition.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

XPRIZE Foundation Community

Category List

Future of Forests - Prize Idea Topic Areas
Carbon Sequestration

Strengthening the role of forests in carbon sequestration and storing. Top breakthrough: Decreasing the cost and increasing the scale of quantifying the carbon sequestration of forests.

2 discussions 0 comments Most recent: Prize Idea by Rebecca Strachan on November 13 November 13
Alternative Wood Products

Sustainable and bio-friendly wood alternatives to assume the market share of traditional wood products. Top breakthrough: Microbial cellulose from waste (e.g. food waste) to develop fiber characteristics suitable to various applications (e.g. fiber length, strength, etc.)

0 discussions 0 comments
Fighting Deforestation

New technologies and science to regenerate and maintain forests globally. Top breakthroughs: 1. A functioning, transparent, and accessible global ecosystems services market that will reduce deforestation. 2. Scalable reforestation with automation preserving existing forests against climate change, fire and drought, and restoring those we have lost.

0 discussions 0 comments
Decoupling Land from Food Production

Sustainable and affordable alternatives to agricultural products and existing production methods to diminish or remove the need for unsustainable farming and forest conversion. Top breakthrough: Lab-grown meat to replace animal meat, thereby eliminating deforestation-causing cattle ranching and feed production.

0 discussions 0 comments
Value of Forests

Cultural shift to severely reduce consumer demand for unsustainable forest products. Top breakthrough: Technology to help promote intrinsic value of standing forests for humans and the environment.

0 discussions 0 comments
Renewable Energy Production

Clean and renewable energy sources replace coal and firewood, and reduce land footprint of biofuels, solar panels, and wind turbines. Top breakthrough: "Do It Yourself" biomass energy to decrease unsustainable small holder forest harvesting.

0 discussions 0 comments
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Data

Data collection and sharing

-2 discussions 0 comments
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General

General discussions

3 discussions 0 comments Most recent: How to start a great discussion by Karen A. Thomas on September 21 September 21