Tallinn, Estonia, announced as global hub for international climate change hackathon, Climathon

TALLINN, ESTONIA, 2 OCTOBER 2017

Organisers have announced that Tallinn, Estonia, will serve as the “mainstage” for Climathon 2017, a worldwide 24-hour hackathon focused on climate change challenges for cities. The activities in Estonia, which currently holds the EU presidency, will be broadcast globally via Facebook Live.

During the annual worldwide hackathon – this year’s edition takes place on 27 October 2017 – students, entrepreneurs, big thinkers, technical experts and app developers come together in cities across all six continents of our planet.

Hackers in cities such as Berlin, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney 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.

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.”

Tallinn’s hosting of the Climathon mainstage coincides with the Estonian EU Presidency. As a main event in the Estonian EU Presidency activity calendar, the Climathon mainstage will also put a spotlight Estonia’s cleantech, low-carbon development and climate action agenda.

Growing Momentum

Brought together by Climate-KIC, the European Union’s climate innovation initiative, the global Climathon 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 Ebrahim Mohamed, Director for Education, Climate-KIC:

“It has been incredibly inspiring to see the momentum for global climate action grow so steadily year on year. The sheer number of participants and organisers reaching out to us to take part in the 2017 event has been overwhelming.”

“Climathon really helps build communities, not only locally within each city, but a global movement of change agents. We listen and learn from each other as we speak together, share ideas, and work together to come up with innovative solutions to climate challenges.”

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

Because the event keeps growing, Climathon organisers decided to designate a special “mainstage” city for the first time this year. The events in Tallinn will help showcase the global collaboration happening across the world by bringing it together in one place.

The mainstage in Tallinn 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.

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 hackers and organisers in cities around the world.

More information about how to take part in the Climathon is available at www.climathon.global.

Links

Website: www.climathon.global
Twitter: www.twitter.com/globalclimathon
Facebook: www.facebook.com/climathon
Instagram: www.instagram.com/globalclimathon/

Media contact

Kelsey Hunter
Climathon Communications Manager
Kelsey.hunter@climate-kic.org