Google.org has announced the launch of a $30 million initiative to advance climate innovation using digital technology.

The Impact Challenge on Climate Innovation seeks to drive advances in climate information and action by accelerating the collection of data and development of tools—using open data, AI, machine learning, and other digital technology—that advocates, policy makers, businesses, and individuals need to create change. Through the initiative, six projects with the potential to drive tangible, real-world impact for both climate and people will be awarded $5 million each to support data collection and tool development needed to scale. Grantees will also receive in-kind donations of Google products and technical expertise through Google.org Fellowships. Applications for the challenge are open, with priority consideration to be given to those received by July 29, 2022.

“Open data and advanced digital tools, including AI and machine learning, can give way to new climate solutions that simply wouldn’t have been possible in the past,” wrote Google.org chief sustainability officer Kate Brandt in a blog post. “These technologies can reveal patterns and insights that were otherwise hidden in a mountain of data.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Tanawat Thipmontha)