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Global Hackathon calls for AI solutions to cities’ climate challenges – EnviroNews
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The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), through its Innovate4Cities initiative, has joined forces with the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA) at the University of Cambridge and the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) to challenge innovators around the world to use artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle pressing urban climate problems.
Applications are open for the third edition of the AI x City Climate Action Hackathon, which brings together students, researchers, professionals, AI developers, climate innovators, urban planners, data scientists, startups and multidisciplinary teams.
Applications close on August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. GMT.
The organisers said the competition is designed around a practical approach: identifying the climate challenges facing cities and local governments first, and then determining how AI can provide effective solutions.
While participants can address a broad range of urban climate issues, this year’s programme places particular emphasis on three areas: transportation, informal and marginalised settlements, and climate-related misinformation and disinformation.
In transportation, participants could develop AI applications for predictive routing, efficient management of electric vehicle fleets and other measures aimed at improving urban mobility and reducing emissions.
For informal and marginalised communities, solutions could focus on improved hazard mapping, climate-risk assessment and more equitable allocation of essential services.
The third priority area seeks to address misinformation and disinformation on climate change, with the aim of strengthening public trust and supporting informed decision-making and climate action.
Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of GCoM, said cities urgently need innovative and practical responses as the impacts of climate change increasingly test their resilience.
He said the Urban Transitions Mission was demonstrating integrated pathways to help cities accelerate decarbonisation and strengthen resilience, adding that the Hackathon would connect cities with innovators to develop solutions based on rigorous methods, responsible AI and local accountability.
“Through the Hackathon, cities and innovators can respond to real-world challenges with AI assistance,” Deacon said, stressing the importance of ensuring that technology supports people-centred solutions that can ultimately be tested and implemented on the ground.
Previous editions of the Hackathon have already produced solutions with potential for real-world deployment.
The 2024 winner, DUCTExplorer from Singapore, worked with Belo Horizonte in Brazil to develop city-scale heat maps and assess options for mitigating urban heat.
The 2025 winner, Polisense.AI, received $15,000 in seed funding and was matched with cities to explore the application of its technology in Greater Amman in Jordan, Chisinau in Moldova and Cordoba in Argentina.
Lu Sun, Director of AI and Tools at C40 Cities, said AI could help cities transform complex data into practical tools for climate action.
According to Sun, the Hackathon provides an opportunity to understand how local governments can benefit from AI solutions that combine ambition with technical robustness and responsible development.
From Ideas to Implementation
The 2026 Hackathon will follow a three-stage process — Ideate, Hack and Pilot — designed to move promising concepts from initial development towards real-world implementation.
Launched at the Innovate4Cities Conference 2026 in Nairobi, the programme will provide participants with expert-led webinars, virtual collaboration hubs, mentorship, technical assistance and networking opportunities.
Up to 10 finalists will be selected to pitch their solutions at the University of Cambridge in England on September 22, 2026. Participation will be available both online and in person.
The three leading teams will subsequently be invited to the Urban Transitions Mission Global Innovation Summit in Viladecans, Spain, in November 2026.
To further support implementation, UTM will match selected winners with partner cities where their solutions can be tested and potentially deployed.
Two additional special prizes will be presented in partnership with Hack for Earth and Tech to the Rescue, providing further opportunities for participants to develop and scale their innovations.
Dr. Ramit Debnath, Executive Director of CHIA at the University of Cambridge, said the Hackathon reflects the centre’s commitment to developing AI that responds to real human and societal needs.
He described climate change as one of the defining challenges facing cities and said the initiative would enable innovators to apply AI to concrete urban problems while working directly with experts and city practitioners.
Debnath said the ultimate goal was to produce solutions that are technically innovative but also practical, people-centred and capable of delivering measurable impact.
He added that bringing academics, practitioners and innovators together could create a valuable feedback loop between knowledge generation and practical application — a key principle of human-centred AI.
The initiative represents a growing effort to bridge the gap between emerging AI technologies and the urgent climate challenges facing cities, while ensuring that technological innovation remains grounded in local needs and real-world implementation.
