Realms/02 Environmental Business

Gaia's Exchange

Think smart. Take risks. Stay green. Make your move.

Think you can keep a business thriving while the planet is under pressure? Welcome to the chaos. You'll face surprise environmental crises, tricky business decisions, limited resources, and competitors ready to steal your spotlight. Keep your profits up, your planet-friendly choices smarter, and your business alive. Just when you think you've got it figured out, the market shifts, resources disappear, and suddenly your next move matters.

Category Head

Maryam Akram

Category Co-Head

Zainab Shafiq

Rounds

Three rounds

Delegate cap

1 to 3 delegates

The rounds

  1. 01

    The Cascades of Challenges

    • 1 to 2 delegates
    • Non-elimination

    One quiz competition split across three phases, each built to push your team to think like a sustainable executive. Phase 1 assigns each delegation a company with controversial environmental decisions, and you explain those choices from an entrepreneurial point of view. Phase 2 is rapid-fire visual clues and corporate designs on the main screen. Phase 3 puts real corporate crises in front of you, with materials assigned by draw and a proposal to draft in the time given.

    • The first team to hit the buzzer answers.
    • 5 points for a correct answer.
    • 3 points deducted for an incorrect one.
    • Questions cannot be skipped once the buzzer has been hit.
  2. 02

    The Arcana Audit

    • 2 to 3 delegates
    • Elimination. The top 5 teams move to round 3

    All personal devices are locked away to put your team into total isolation. Inside, you receive a confidential case file on a major environmental business crisis. Under a strict timeline you cut through the data, build a profitable and eco-friendly strategy, and write it into a two-page report before the countdown ends. Then you step into the boardroom to pitch it and defend your model in a live Q&A, with cross-questioning from other delegates.

    • Reports must address every mandatory section listed in the case file.
    • A report that misses any compulsory section cannot be considered by the panel.
  3. 03

    The Boardgame

    • 2 delegates maximum
    • The top two teams take Winner and Runner-Up

    Your delegation becomes a company competing in a live business environment. You operate within a designated city, manage and develop factories, generate revenue, and decide how to invest limited capital. As it runs, teams negotiate and trade with each other, forming alliances and deals. Forty minutes, after which your company is judged on financial success and sustainability together.

    • Environment points and manufacturing output are counted separately.
    • Your green meter score is counted alongside them.
    • Maximising profit alone will not win the round.

Study guide

The full brief for this realm, as a PDF.

Enter Gaia's Exchange

Environmental Business. Add it to your delegation's realms when you register.

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