14 September 2014: The UNFCCC Secretariat and Ecofys participated in the first global ‘hackathon,’ which brought together leading software engineers, hackers, thought leaders and community-oriented organizations worldwide to build projects and technology solution prototypes that seek to address 15 global climate change-related challenges. Taking place from 12-14 September 2014, the event, titled ‘#hack4good 0.6,’ attracted more than 3,000 developers in over 40 cities on six continents.

The event was organized by Geeklist, a “social network for developers and the tech community,” with support from a large number of businesses, non-governmental and non-profit organizations, and governments. The UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit also featured among the hackathon ‘Global Challenge Partners.’

The event was described by the organizers as the “biggest hack against climate change ever mobilized.” Participants were able to address 15 challenges, including: public awareness; digital activism; international negotiations; resilient communities; extreme water impacts; energy production; responsible finance; and collaboration.

Participating in the “collaboration” category, the challenge chosen by the UNFCCC and Ecofys was titled: ‘How can we realise the full potential of International Cooperative Initiatives (ICIs) to help mitigate global climate change?’ Describing the challenge, participants explain that a lack of a clear overview of the multiple existing ICIs, including what they do and where they operate, leads to lack of connection to and awareness about the initiatives among governments and other investors.

The aim of the UNFCCC and Ecofys challenge project was to: help identify existing and new ICIs by automatically searching the Internet for related information; and/or help better communicate data about ICIs in order to connect these with governments and investors.

A panel of judges composed of technology leaders and subject matter experts will select the most promising solutions, based on their potential impact. Subsequently, the shortlisted solutions will be evaluated by a global judging panel. The final selection will be presented as part of the Climate Week NYC, to be held from 22-28 September 2014, alongside the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit, in New York, US. [Ecofys Press Release] [#hack4good 0.6 Hackathon Website] [UNFCCC and Ecofys Challenge Website]