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Mexico City, October 16, 2026 – What happens when young people with diverse knowledge, experiences, and perspectives come together to seek solutions to their city’s challenges? For two days, the “Youth for a Just Energy Transition in Mexico City” Hackathon provided an answer: new ideas emerge, connections are forged, and possibilities open up to transform the environment.
Hackathon Fosters Innovation for Sustainable Future
On October 8 and 9, over 40 young people participated in this event organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mexico and the Secretariat of Economic Development (SEDECO) of Mexico City, at the Utopía Elena Poniatowska Amor in Coyoacán.
Throughout the two days, the youth shared ideas, worked in teams, and put their creativity into action to imagine solutions to the challenges of energy transition. The result was eight projects that explored different possibilities: from leveraging waste, oil, and organic residues to produce clean energy and promote the circular economy, to facilitating more sustainable student mobility, bringing energy information closer to citizens, and creating solar climate shelters to protect communities from extreme heat. Although the proposals addressed different challenges, they all shared a common vision: putting innovation at the service of people and contributing to a more sustainable, inclusive, and just city.
From Diverse Perspectives to Shared Solutions
The meeting of young people from different disciplines, backgrounds, and experiences led to new connections and ways of addressing the challenges of energy transition. The conversations allowed for an understanding of very different realities in Mexico City and recognized the value of listening, respect, and the complementarity of knowledge to build solutions that respond to people’s needs.
During the first day, participants explored these challenges and, through methodologies such as Design Thinking, digital tools, and artificial intelligence, began to transform their ideas into prototypes. With the guidance of mentors, the teams combined their knowledge, questioned their initial proposals, and found new ways to address the identified problems.
The second day was dedicated to perfecting the projects and strengthening skills to communicate their ideas clearly, concisely, and convincingly. The teams exchanged suggestions to enrich their proposals and took on the challenge of going on stage, presenting them to a jury, and conveying why their solutions were important and deserved to become a reality.
Eight Projects, Three Winning Proposals
The eight proposals demonstrated how creativity and collaboration can become solutions that allow the energy transition to respond to the real needs of people and that its benefits reach more communities.
At the close of the hackathon, three projects were recognized for their innovation and potential impact:
- First place – BeeOil: an application that connects homes and businesses with a used oil collection network, facilitating its use to produce biodiesel and offering economic incentives to participants.
- Second place – Energía Clara: an application for citizens to easily and accessibly understand their household energy consumption and what measures they can adopt to optimize its use.
- Third place – Solar Climate Shelter Network: a proposal to create community spaces that integrate solar energy and green infrastructure, offering protection against extreme heat, especially in areas of greater vulnerability.
The three winning teams received scholarships to participate in PROMTEC 2.0, an entrepreneurship program by CETIEM S.C., an organization specializing in the development of technological and business projects. For eight weeks, the winners will access practical training and accompaniment to transform their ideas into viable projects, from validating their proposals to developing a functional product.
An Experience That Continues Beyond the Hackathon
Beyond the projects developed, the hackathon left new knowledge, connections, and opportunities for young people to continue exploring their interest in a just energy transition, strengthening their capacities, and discovering new ways to participate, innovate, and contribute to the development of their communities.
All participants received recognition and free six-month access to a platform with 22 specialized courses, offered by the Institute of Development, Energy and Environment (IDEA), the Mexican Climate Initiative (ICM), and Eneryou. The content ranges from renewable energy and circular economy to green hydrogen, decarbonization, and data science applied to smart grids.
This is an opportunity to continue learning, strengthen their capabilities, and take the ideas and connections that emerged during the event further.
Sustainable Development is Built by Listening
The “Youth for a Just Energy Transition in Mexico City” Hackathon is part of UNDP Mexico’s efforts to open spaces where young people can actively participate in the decisions and solutions that will shape the future of their communities.
The collaboration with SEDECO allowed the challenges of local energy policy to be brought closer to the ideas, concerns, and capacities of a new generation, demonstrating the value of building bridges between public institutions and citizens.
The experience left an important lesson: to face complex challenges, it is not enough to gather technical knowledge. We also need to listen to other experiences, recognize different realities, and learn to work with people who think differently.
A truly just energy transition cannot be built from a single perspective. It needs the participation of those who experience the city’s challenges in different ways, and of those who can contribute ideas, knowledge, and experiences to find shared solutions.
For two days, more than 40 young people demonstrated that when spaces are opened for meeting, listening, and creating together, diversity becomes a source of innovation and ideas begin to transform into concrete possibilities.
With initiatives like this, UNDP and SEDECO reaffirm their commitment to promoting youth participation and fostering an energy transition that is not only cleaner and more sustainable, but also more inclusive, participatory, and people-centered.
Source: https://www.undp.org/es/mexico/noticias/hackaton-juventudes-por-la-transicion-energetica-justa-de-la-cdmx
