As part of NZSA Climate Week 2026, the NZSA Sustainability Group is running the Actuary of the Overshoot Student Competition, open now until the 5th of November.

We’re inviting student actuaries to get creative and share their vision for how our profession can help limit the climate overshoot. The SIG are also delighted to confirm a prize of $200 for the winning entry!

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In December 2015, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius pounded a leafy green gavel to mark the adoption of The Paris Agreement. This was a historic victory for those who work tirelessly to protect our communities, livelihoods, and the planet from climate change. This was when 195 countries pledged to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”.

In September 2026, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), published a glaring report ‘Limiting Overshoot – Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return’. According to the UNEP the “World set to cross 1.5°C global warming, but can still limit, adapt to and return from higher temperatures”.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP further added that “There are no good outcomes if we remain above 1.5°C. Across the globe, extreme heatwaves are already proving that climate impacts will strike faster, hit harder, and last longer – costing more lives and causing deeper disruption. Now is the time we must double down on climate action. We can and must get on the right path. By cutting greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening resilience and adaptation, and ensuring exceedance of 1.5°C is as small and short as possible.”

We invite student actuaries to tap into your imagination and share with us your vision of the ‘Actuary of the overshoot’.

How can we leverage our actuarial skills to contribute to the doubling down of climate action that is urgently required? What is our role in limiting the overshoot?

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Student Competition Rules

• The competition is open to Student members of NZSA and New Zealand university students interested in the actuarial profession.
• Participants are requested to submit an essay, short story, poem, poster, or video in response to the questions posed above.
• We encourage participants to be imaginative and creative, rather than purely basing your response on heavily researched and referenced content.
• Written entries must be limited to 1,000 words and video recordings should be limited to three minutes.
• Participants must disclose the extent to which AI tools are used in formulating your response.
• The competition will be live from Thursday 8th October to 5th November 2026.
• All entries must be submitted during this window via the submission link below.
• Winners of the NZSA Climate Week 2026 – Student Competition will be announced at NZSA’s Future Pathways event hosted from 4:30pm to 8:00pm on Thursday 12th November 2026.

Please contact Shashini Abeygunawardena of the NZSA Sustainability Interest Group if you have any questions.