Climathon rallies an international city movement to tackle climate change

• More than 100 global cities gather for world’s largest climate action hackathon

Thousands of people in major cities across the world are uniting for a 24-hour hackathon on 27 October to accelerate our ability to respond to climate change on a global scale.

More than 100 cities in 44 countries across 6 continents will host Climathon’s worldwide and is set to be the biggest event of its kind in history.

Organised by Climate-KIC, the EU’s initiative for climate innovation, Climathon brings together the challenges of the world’s cities with the people who have the passion and ability to solve them.

You can just turn on the news to see that #ClimateChangeIsReal. Thank you for supporting #Climathon, @nikolajcw! #ClimateAction #GoT pic.twitter.com/5f4o9p8jq2

— Climathon 🌍 (@GlobalClimathon) October 25, 2017

24-hour marathon session

Innovators, entrepreneurs and big thinkers in cities such as London, Berlin, and Melbourne will pull all-nighters to work on innovative solutions to climate challenges in their cities such as major flooding and extreme heat, or air pollution and waste related issues.

Challenges addressed by participants in Europe include London‘s future of mobility, Helsinki‘s circular economy needs and the air quality strategy in Warsaw. Other cities registered to participate in the Climathon include Wellington, Bogota, Hong Kong and Moscow. Check out the overview for the full list of cities.

 A mainstage event in Tallinn, Estonia will act as a connection point for all Climathon events running across the globe. As a central hub, the mainstage will help highlight the global collaboration and climate action that takes place. Climathon’s global hackathon is a COP23 endorsed event, with the Tallinn main stage supported by the Estonian Ministry of Environment, and an official EU Presidency activity.

Climathon 2017 will be officially opened from Tallinn by Siim Kiisler, Estonia’s Minister of the Environment and the current president of the EU Environment Council.

Says Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment, Estonia: “During the EU presidency Estonia focuses on a low-carbon climate-friendly circular economy. The achievement of this goal will be assisted by the implementation of the climate agreement via different legislations as well as by eco-innovation. Now it is time to spread some ideas and develop real solutions to reduce climate-related risks.”

“I am honoured to host Climathon 2017’s main stage event in Tallinn. My hopes are high that some of the solutions that will be launched in Tallinn, will go viral all over the world.”

“I look forward seeing the innovative solutions coming out of the Climathon challenges and encourage all innovators around the world to use this opportunity to help solve your city’s local climate challenge, and make your city more resilient to climate change.”

Growing Momentum

Supported by Climate-KIC, an EU climate innovation initiative funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the global movement depends on a rapidly growing number of local hosts such as startup incubators, universities and local businesses.

The goal of the global Climathon hackathon is to bring together the challenges of the world’s cities with the people who have the passion and ability to solve them.

Says Dr Kirsten Dunlop, Climate-KIC Chief Executive Officer: “It has been incredibly inspiring to see the Climathon movement and the momentum for global climate action grow so rapidly.”

“Climathon really helps build communities, not only locally within each city, but a global movement of change makers. The Climathon hackathon encourages big thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs take on the climate action challenge, but the Climathon movement doesn’t stop come 28 October.”

“The momentum for global climate action reaches far beyond 24-hours and Climate-KIC is there to help innovators continue their great work started during the hackathon.”

Climate-KIC organised the first Climathon in 2015, in the run up to the historic climate negotiations in Paris. Since its inception, the global movement has grown rapidly and Climathon 2017 is now set to be the biggest international climate change hackathon in world history.

In 2016, 59 cities took part in the worldwide hack, more than doubling the number of participating cities in 2015. Climathon 2016 created over 2330 ideas and reached 16.8 million online, with events taking place across all six continents.

Live from “mainstage” Tallinn

The events on the mainstage in Tallinn will be streamed online via regular Facebook Live broadcasts during the 24-hour event. The live streams will feature a programme of inspirational speakers and interviews with innovators and organisers in cities around the world. You can follow the developments via the Climathon website and hashtag on Facebook and Twitter.

                                                                           -ENDS-

Editors notes

Website: www.climathon.global
Twitter: @GlobalClimathon
Facebook: @Climathon

Climate-KIC

Climate-KIC is the EU’s largest public private partnership addressing climate change through innovation to build a zero carbon economy. We address climate change across four priority themes: urban areas, land use, production systems, climate metrics and finance. Education is at the heart of these themes to inspire and empower the next generation of climate leaders. We run programmes for students, start-ups and innovators across Europe via centres in major cities, convening a community of the best people and organisations.

Our approach starts with improving the way people live in cities. Our focus on industry creates the products required for a better living environment, and we look to optimise land use to produce the food people need.

Climate-KIC is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

– climate-kic.org