Innovate4Cities AI x City Climate Action Hackathon 2026
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)
📌About the Event
Innovate4Cities – AI x City Climate Action Hackathon 2026 is a global climate-tech hackathon where innovators, students, researchers, professionals, and technologists build AI-driven solutions for city climate action. The challenge focuses on using AI, data, geospatial tools, dashboards, and digital innovation to help cities reduce emissions, improve resilience, expand energy access, and solve real urban climate problems. The 2026 edition follows a three-phase journey across Nairobi, Cambridge, and Viladecans, with finalists getting a chance to pitch at the University of Cambridge and winners getting support for real-world city pilots.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Theme: AI for city climate action, with extra focus on Transportation, Informal or Marginalised Settlements, and Misinformation & Disinformation.
- Mode of conduct: Hybrid / global participation — participants can join the launch online or in-person at I4C26 in Nairobi, finalists can pitch online or in-person at the University of Cambridge finale.
- Hackathon format: Three-phase journey — Ideate, Hack, and Pilot. The hackathon begins with the I4C26 launch, continues with webinars and solution-building, and ends with finalist pitches and pilot support.
- Recommended for: Students, researchers, professionals, technologists, AI builders, climate innovators, urban planners, data scientists, and startup teams interested in AI, sustainability, smart cities, and climate action.
📅 Important Dates
- I4C26 Conference: 21–24 June 2026
- Hackathon open period: 22 June 2026
- Submission deadline: 31 August 2026, 11:59 PM GMT.
- Finale / pitch round: September 2026, hybrid finale at the University of Cambridge, in partnership with CHIA.
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility: Open to students, professionals, or mixed teams. Participants must be 18 years or older.
- Global participation: Open for all (Across the Globe)
- Registration rule: All team members must complete the official registration form to make the submission eligible.
- Solution requirement: Teams must develop a methodology that addresses the challenge and demonstrate it fully or partially through an AI application, geospatial tools or data, dashboards, data science applications, or case studies.
- Priority areas: Solutions can address any city climate action problem, but extra points are given for work on Transportation, Informal or Marginalised Settlements, and Misinformation & Disinformation.
- Evaluation criteria: Submissions will be judged on Innovation, Impact, Feasibility, and Presentation.
🏆 Prize Details and Value
- Certificate: Participants who meet the submission guidelines will receive a Certificate of Participation.
- Finalist opportunity: Up to 10 finalists may get the opportunity to pitch at the University of Cambridge, either online or in-person.
- Travel support: A representative from the top three teams may receive travel and accommodation support to attend the UTM Global Innovation Summit in Spain.