TRACE takes first place in this year’s edition, which drew nearly 700 registrations and 75 projects, and will now move toward exploring a real-world city pilot

Cambridge, United Kingdom, 23 September 2026 — Project TRACE,  developed by a team from the United States and Cameroon, is the winner of the 2026 AI x City Climate Action Hackathon, an initiative by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), through Innovate4Cities, supported by the Centre for Human Inspired AI at the University of Cambridge and the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM). Almost 700 participants across 77 countries registered for this year’s Hackathon, submitting 75 projects, demonstrating strong global interest in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address practical urban climate challenges. 

Eleven finalist teams from the United Kingdom, Colombia, the United States, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, India and Indonesia advanced to the final stage. On Tuesday, September 22, the finalists presented their solutions at the University of Cambridge, where TRACE was selected by the jury as the winning project. As the first-place winner, TRACE will be paired with a city to pilot its solution and will also join the Build for Earth acceleration program as a recipient of the Hack for Earth special prize.

TRACE’s solution addresses flooding and other climate-related vulnerabilities by making critical data more accessible to cities, with a particular focus on understanding who is affected by disasters—often the most vulnerable communities.

The AI-powered system turns recorded conversations, including those in regional languages such as Zulu, into actionable data that helps cities identify disaster-affected families and better understand their specific needs.

A key highlight of the presentation was that TRACE goes beyond simply collecting data on affected residents: it helps cities identify who has not yet been reached, enabling support to be directed to people who might otherwise be overlooked.

“Winning the AI x City Climate Action Hackathon is an incredible opportunity to take our solution beyond an idea and move it closer to real-world impact. Throughout the Hackathon, we were able to strengthen our approach, learn from experts and focus on what matters most: developing a solution that responds to a real challenge cities are facing. We are excited about the next phase and the opportunity to work with cities to test, refine and ultimately put our solution into practice.” said Elke-Esmeralda Dikoume, founder of TRACE.

The projects for the 2026 AI x City Climate Action Hackathon addressed critical challenges ranging from informal settlements, urban transportation and misinformation and disinformation to extreme heat, flooding, waste management and early-warning systems. The top three teams have been invited to attend the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) Global Innovation Summit in Viladecans, Spain, on 3 November 2026. 

In third place was FloodFactAI, from Kenya, with a flood-response solution focused on combating misinformation through alerts that use AI-verified data and existing systems to build trust among Nairobi residents. Second place went to I-AdapT, from India, a community platform that creates city-specific digital spaces for collaboration with diverse communities and tools. I-AdapT also received the special prize Tech to the Rescue, offering additional recognition, promotion, acceleration support and opportunities to further develop and scale their solutions.

“The real test for cities is moving from promising ideas to lasting, real-world impact,” said Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. “These winners have shown how data, AI-enabled tools, and machine learning can be applied thoughtfully to concrete challenges that cities are facing today. The next step is what matters most: bringing this work closer to cities, testing it in real-world contexts, and turning innovation into practical solutions that can strengthen climate action and improve people’s lives.”

From Ideate to Hack to Pilot

The 2026 Hackathon followed a three-phase journey — Ideate, Hack and Pilot — designed to help promising ideas progress towards practical application. Participants received access to expert mentorship, technical support, curated datasets and opportunities to connect with climate and urban practitioners.

“A winning idea is only the beginning. At Hack for Earth, we use our Dream–Hack–Build method to help citizen-driven innovation continue beyond the hackathon and move towards real-world impact. Through the Hack for Earth Special Prize, one selected winning team from the AI x City Climate Action Hackathon will join our six-month Build for Earth acceleration program, receiving tailored support, expert mentorship and access to a global network. Our goal is to help them strengthen their solutions, build sustainable pathways to implementation and create meaningful impact in cities”, said Ann Molin, Founder & Secretary General, Hack for Earth Foundation.

The initiative puts real city challenges at the centre of AI innovation, encouraging participants to start with the problem cities need to solve rather than with the technology itself. Following the competition, selected solutions will move towards the Pilot phase, where winning teams will have the opportunity to work with cities to test and refine their ideas in real-world settings.

Previous editions have demonstrated how solutions developed through the Hackathon can progress towards real-world application. Past winners include DUCTExplorer, developing city-scale heat maps, and Polisense.AI, which helps local governments in developing countries improve resource planning. 

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About the AI x City Climate Action Hackathon

The AI x City Climate Action Hackathon is a global initiative delivered by GCoM, through Innovate4Cities. Designed to bridge the gap between innovation and impact, the hackathon convenes cities, academia, and innovators to develop AI-enabled solutions for pressing urban climate challenges and accelerate their path toward real-world deployment.

For 2026, the initiative is co-delivered alongside the Center for Human-Inspired AI (Knowledge Partner) and the Urban Transitions Mission, and supported by a global coalition of technical, advisory, and ecosystem partners, including C40 Cities, ICLEI, Open Earth Foundation, ESRI, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Future Cities Laboratory, Hack for Earth, Tech to the Rescue, Tactical Tech, and the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure.

About the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)

GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting a global coalition of over 14,000 cities and local governments and 100+ supporting partners. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and towards a resilient and low-emission society. GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision. Led today by UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg and European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera, the coalition comprises cities across 6 continents and 150 countries, representing over 1 billion people or more than 13 percent of the global population.

To learn more about GCoM, please visit our website, or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media contact

Fernanda Salem
Senior Manager, Media and Communications
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)
Email: fsalem@globalcovenantofmayors.org
WhatsApp: +55 21 97310-5812