The 2026 Innovate4Cities Conference (I4C26) is the fourth global convening that brings together local, regional and national governments, academia, civil society, and industry to close priority knowledge gaps and provide an evidence base that can be used to deliver city climate action. Held at UN-Habitat’s Headquarters in Nairobi, I4C26 supports the climate action ambition of thousands of cities around the world, the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCities), Sustainable Urban Resilience for the Next Generation (SURGe) and the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP). Learn more at innovate4cities.org/conference-2026
Key Themes of I4C26
Anchored in the updated GRAA, the I4C26 programme is structured around 5 thematic tracks that link scientific insight, innovation, and implementation at the city level. These tracks guide plenaries, parallel sessions, and workshops.
- Multilevel Governance & Partnerships
- Housing & Infrastructure
- Digitalization & AI
- Justice & Equity
- Finance & Implementation
What is Innovate4Cities?
Innovate4Cities (I4C) is the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)’s city-focused research and innovation initiative. Built around the needs of cities, I4C connects policy, practice, and science – locally and globally – to unlock climate solutions at speed and scale. Through hosting dedicated spaces for knowledge exchange, global conferences, and pioneering research and innovation outputs, I4C creates and strengthens opportunities for cities across the globe to turn ambition into action. Learn more at innovate4cities.org/
