2026 Innovate4Cities

The 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) is the fourth global convening at the crossroads of city climate science, decision-making, and implementation. Co-hosted by the Global Covenant of Mayors and UN-Habitat, it brings together the people who generate evidence, make decisions, shape policy and implement urban climate action across local, regional, and national government, alongside academia, civil society and industry. I4C26 convenes both cutting-edge science on climate change and cities as well as the translation required to ensure it informs – and accelerates – policy and practice at scale. The conference responds to and builds on outcomes from global climate processes, including the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities) and the decisions taken under the UNFCCC at COP30. It tracks progress and co-generates evidence for the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) and Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) initiatives, engages with the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement (NDC 3.0), and draws on the momentum of the Montréal Call to Action on Cities, Climate Research, and Governance, connecting city-level evidence with national and global processes. Held previously in 2018, 2021, and 2024, the 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference is coming to Nairobi, Kenya on 21-24 June 2026. Innovate4Cities is a core initiative of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), running in concurrence with the Invest4Cities and Data4Cities initiatives. It is the role of I4C to identify and tackle the identified data, information, and technology gaps prioritized by cities and local governments for climate action. I4C is positioned to facilitate science-based, technology-driven, replicable sustainable action and implementation at local level, across the world. The conference will: Synthesize and mobilize research, knowledge, and innovation generated across science, policy, practice, and business to address high-priority GRAA areas, with a view to supporting the finalization of SRCities and informing processes such as COP and the World Urban Forum. Support the SRCities process by gathering evidence, case studies, and experience from local governments, networks, and practitioners, aligned with the evidence needs of SRCities and the GRAA. Strengthen partnerships across research, practice, business, and innovation, connecting opportunities linked to CHAMP, the UN Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact, while using tools such as the Climate Innovation Readiness Navigator (CIRN) to support city climate action journeys.