City Climate Innovation Challenge
Helping cities pilot innovations that reduce emissions and serve local needs.
Cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. The innovation we advance in urban hubs can make an immense difference in curbing emissions while serving local needs.
Delivering proven results that advance sustainability goals in cities across the U.S.
Discover how participating cities in the City Climate Innovation Challenge test new climate solutions, accelerate implementation, and share learnings.
How the Challenge Works
A simple path for cities to test climate solutions.
The City Climate Innovation Challenge is a program to help cities across the country incorporate innovation to achieve climate goals related to specific priority topics. We work with selected cities to identify startup and corporate solutions to be piloted in innovation “sandboxes” along with access to pilot funding for select startup solutions, technical support, data analysis, peer-to-peer learning, and convenings with key private sector companies.
Define Challenge
LACI defines a climate challenge to guide each new cohort.
Submit Applications
Cities and counties apply, identifying a local need they want to address.
Develop Solutions
With LACI’s support, participants shape technology, policy, or business model solutions.
Pilots Deployed
Cities implement pilot projects through partnerships with LACI and cohort peers.
What This Looks Like in Practice
The Zero Emissions Delivery Challenge
The explosion of e-commerce and related goods movement has led to an increase in air pollution, urban traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions in cities across the United States. While major delivery fleets have announced pledges to deploy zero-emission vehicles and many startup and corporate innovations have entered the market the progress to move toward zero emissions has been slow.
The ZED Challenge is spurring the move to zero emissions delivery by seeking and deploying technology and policy innovations among a national multi-city cohort that is committed to advancing transformative climate solutions.
CCIC Reports & Resources
These cohort cities collaborated to develop resources that other cities can use to implement their own zero-emission delivery initiatives.
Browse four new resources produced through the City Climate Innovation Challenge.
Who’s Involved
Cities and partners participating in the Challenge.
In January 2024, we announced the cities joining the first cohort of the Challenge, focused on zero-emission delivery. They are: Los Angeles, Santa Monica, CA, and Pittsburgh, PA as anchor cities along with: Louisville, KY; Miami-Dade County, FL; New York City, NY; Oakland, CA; Portland, OR; and Washington, D.C. as cohort participants.
The inaugural cohort is supported by funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, MUFG Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, State of California, U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and Wells Fargo.
Why this program matters for cities.
