CATAL1.5°T Climathons igniting local climate action across West Africa

In the face of escalating climate challenges, local communities hold immense potential to drive meaningful change. With their deep understanding of local environments, actors, opportunities, and barriers, these communities are uniquely positioned to create solutions that build resilience and adaptation. By leveraging local knowledge and innovation, these efforts unlock a powerful mix that can elevate climate action to the global stage. The CATAL1.5°T Climathons are designed precisely to serve this purpose.

Throughout October and November, climathons were hosted in eight West African countries—Guinea, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mauritania, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Sharing a common goal to raise awareness around climate change, citizen engagement, and local ecosystems, these dynamic events brought together citizens, entrepreneurs, and experts to co-create practical solutions to pressing local climate challenges. Each city tackled unique issues, reflecting its specific environmental and socio-economic realities.

In total, the climathons attracted approximately 1000 applications and engaged 331 participants, with an average gender distribution of 70% men and 30% women. These events were structured as two-day innovation sprints, where participants engaged in workshops, team-building exercises, and intensive climate hackathons to ideate, prototype, and pitch solutions. With guidance from expert mentors and facilitators, the projects addressed a range of issues, from urban waste management to sustainable energy and biodiversity conservation.

During the events, a total of 67 ideas were generated, spanning sectors such as nature-based solutions, sustainable transportation, and bioeconomy. Notably, the top two areas of focus were Agriculture & Land Use and Circular Economy, which accounted for 17 and 20 ideas, respectively.

Across these cities, the atmosphere was a fusion of urgency, creativity, and purpose. In Conakry, led by Jatropha Hub, the event began with an inspiring opening session where speakers highlighted the critical local challenges, such as deforestation and waste management. Participants dove headfirst into ideation sessions, eventually presenting innovative solutions like converting organic waste into energy.

In Lomé, organised by Impact Hub Cotonou, the air buzzed with energy as attendees gathered to address the city’s staggering plastic waste problem. The workshops and team activities focused on turning waste into resources, with one team envisioning sachets repurposed as building materials. This tangible approach to "turning trash into gold" captured the imagination of participants and the jury alike.

Ouagadougou offered a unique twist, led by Sira Labs and YikiLab Center, holding its Climathon at the lush Bangr Wéoogo Park, dubbed the “green lung” of the city. The event emphasized sustainable practices, such as using biodegradable materials and reusable badges, while fostering a sense of shared responsibility. Participants brainstormed ways to mitigate the city's challenges stemming from drought and floods, with several standout solutions gaining interest for further development.

Dakar’s Climathon, by Ecolotrip, unfolded against the backdrop of the city’s urgent need for agricultural resilience. Farmers, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists teamed up to tackle water scarcity, producing creative irrigation solutions to reduce dependency on rainfall.

Each city addressed unique challenges with its Climathon: Nouakchott, led by AE Tech Consulting, focused on decentralized energy access; Abidjan, coordinated by Incub’Ivoir, tackled agricultural emissions and productivity; and Porto-Novo, organizedby Impact Hub Cotonou, explored biodiversity preservation. Meanwhile, in Niamey, POLE G collaborated with the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Environment to drive solutions for urban waste management and green infrastructure.

To learn more about the winning ideas from each city, click the link below: