Winners Announced at the 2025 AI x City Climate Action Hackathon at Climate Week NYC Hosted by the Global Covenant of Mayors and NY Climate Exchange

Two Teams Awarded for Transformative AI-Powered Urban Climate Solutions

New York City, New York (September 23, 2025) - The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) has unveiled the winners of the 2025 AI x City Climate Action Forum and Hackathon, held during Climate Week NYC in partnership with the New York Climate Exchange (The Exchange). The Hackathon Finale-serving as the grand conclusion to the AI x City Climate Action Forum-capped a day that brought together more than 300 city leaders, pioneering AI innovators, and sustainability experts from around the world, all united by a bold mission: to harness artificial intelligence and accelerate the future of inclusive and ambitious urban climate action.

This year's winners are Polisense.AI from Peru , taking the top spot in the Expanding Energy Access & Alleviating Energy Poverty track, and EcoGuardian.AI from Algeria , taking the top spot in the City-led Climate Action track. Chosen from a highly competitive global pool of finalists, both teams impressed the judges with their ability to clearly define a pressing local problem, back it with data-driven evidence, and present solutions with strong potential to scale.

Each team will receive $15,000 in seed funding and will be matched with a city from the Urban Transitions Mission to pilot their solutions. Each winner will also receive access to the digital edition of the Build for Earth acceleration program, along with tailored support from Hack for Earth's program for early-stage climate innovators.

Polisense.AI's "AI Energy Access Co-Pilot" helps local governments make smarter energy investments by highlighting priority regions where funding will have the greatest impact, turning plans into real progress for communities. EcoGuardian.AI uses AI, GIS, and remote sensing to detect land degradation in real time, generating interactive risk maps and early alerts that empower cities, NGOs, and citizens to coordinate reforestation, water management, and anti-desertification efforts.

Finalists were also invited to participate in a deep-dive hybrid workshop at the University of Cambridge with climaTRACES Lab, and receive pro bono support from impact-driven tech companies through the Tech To The Rescue AI for Climate Innovation Prize.

"Cities are on the front lines of climate action, and AI is helping transform ambitious ideas into real, scalable local solutions. These prizes and the tailored support that comes with them are designed to turn bold concepts into tangible progress-empowering innovators and cities alike to deliver measurable benefits for people and the planet," said Andy Deacon, Global Covenant of Mayors Co-managing Director.

"The AI x City Climate Action Hackathon was the perfect kick off to Climate Week NYC. The level of dedication and ingenuity demonstrated by 17 teams from four continents was truly inspiring. Partnering with GCoM on this forum shows how collaboration can elevate breakthrough urban solutions from idea to implementation" said Steve Hammer, CEO of The New York Climate Exchange.

This year's event builds on the momentum of the 2024 Hackathon, which saw the winning team DUCT*Explorer (*Digital Urban Climate Twin) pilot its AI-driven heat risk modelling in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The 2025 edition continues to turn bold ideas into actionable, scalable projects for cities worldwide.

For more information, visit: https://www.innovate4cities.org/hackathon2025/

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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 13,000 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. The coalition comprises cities across 6 continents and 146 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 .

About The New York Climate Exchange

The New York Climate Exchange ("The Exchange") is a new nonprofit designed to accelerate climate solutions. By leveraging the perspectives of a cross-sector network of diverse partners and New York City's global influence, The Exchange engages in cutting-edge research, delivers impactful education and training, hosts world-class convenings, and scales climate technology solutions. The Exchange is developing a state-of-the-art climate campus on Governors Island that will bring climate scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers under one roof-sparking the collaborations and breakthrough ideas we need to build a sustainable future. Learn more at nyclimateexchange.org .