OUR IMPACT
How ICLEI is working across the globe
Every year, ICLEI’s works on hundreds of activities with thousands of cities, towns and regions around the globe
Search our activitiesOur activities and action plan
Every three years, ICLEI commits to a Strategic Vision. Our action plan of hundreds of activities around the world gives a roadmap for how we will fulfill this vision.
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WHAT WE DO
ICLEI's network of impact
ICLEI is engaged in hundreds of activities in more than 2,500 cities, towns and regions worldwide. Our activities, guided by five interconnected pathways, are designed to facilitate integrated sustainable urban development.
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ICLEI in numbers
Our Impact
465+
global activities
2500+
local & regional governments involved
1200+
local & regional governments reporting climate actions
560+
jurisdictions committed to climate action by 2030
Living in harmony with nature
Nature and biodiversity in cities
Following the 16th Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) in Colombia in October 2024, negotiations will resume in Rome, Italy, from 25 to 27 February 2025 to finalize key agreements. Discussions will focus on biodiversity finance and resource mobilization, monitoring frameworks for planning and reporting, and cooperation with other conventions and organizations.
As the first CBD COP since adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), COP16 saw unprecedented whole-of-society mobilization. Now, subnational governments must seize this momentum to shape the biodiversity agenda, aligning with the GBF’s vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050 and curbing biodiversity loss by 2030.
Active
ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center
Since 2008, ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) has convened successive summits as official p...
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Active
CitiesWithNature Partnership Initiative
Through CitiesWithNature (CWN), local and regional governments are able to enhance the potential of ...
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Active
INTERACT BIO – Integrated Action on Biodiversity
Nature provides wide ranging benefits and essential services. Unfortunately, current development pat...
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Active
CONNECTING NATURE
Most cities see blue/green infrastructure as being necessary for absorbing episodic rainfall, as spe...
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Active
Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Development in Gangtok
Situated in close proximity to the Eastern Himalayan global biodiversity hotspot, the city of Gangto...
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Active
Nature-Based City: Biodiversity and Climate Resilience on Urban Development
Recognizing the urgency of adopting measures to reverse the loss of global biodiversity, and aware o...
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Completed
Urban Biodiversity International Forum (Kunming)
The alarming loss of biodiversity poses an imminent threat to the urban environment, infrastructures...
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Completed
Establishment of regional biodiversity strategy and Implementation plan study
It is necessary to lay the foundation for the advancement of local biodiversity in accordance with t...
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Active
Integrated Action on Biodiversity
INTERACT Bio is a 4-year project designed to improve the utilization and management of nature within...
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Active
Nature Based Solutions Capacity Building Programme
As part of the journey towards sustainable urban development, ecosystem services support municipalit...
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Eliminating waste in cities and regions
Circular economy
The recent setback in global plastic treaty negotiations highlights the urgent need for cities to lead the way in adopting circular economy practices. As linear production and waste systems continue to strain natural resources and pollute the environment, cities can champion a transformative approach that reduces waste, extends the life of materials, and fosters sustainable consumption patterns. From promoting zero-waste strategies to encouraging innovative reuse and recycling initiatives, ICLEI supports local and regional governments in creating sustainable loops that benefit communities and ecosystems alike.
Active
ICLEI Circulars
Local governments are at the frontline of the pressing waste and resource challenges triggered by th...
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Active
Circular Food System
By estimation, in 2050 cities will consume 80% of the food. On the other hand, Asia is responsible f...
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Active
Circular Public Procurement (PP)
Throughout its evolution, the industrial economy has never moved beyond a linear model of resource c...
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Active
Circle Lab for Cities Program
For cities, a circular economy offers great benefits, ranging from reduced greenhouse gas emissions,...
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Active
EU SWITCH-Asia-Transitions to CIRCULAR economy practices in TEXTILE and apparel MSMEs along the lifecycle in Huzhou and Shaoxing
The textile and apparel industry now face various challenges in achieving a complete transformation ...
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Active
Green Circular Cities Coalition
The Green Circular Cities Coalition responds to the urgent need for the circular society in cities i...
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Active
Towards circular economy in the plastic packaging value chain
Plastics production has surged over the past 50 years, from 15 million tonnes in 1964 to 311 million...
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Featured city
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ICLEI Member since January 2025, Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, serves as the country’s cultural, financial, tourism, political, and economic hub. Under the leadership of Mayor Maimunah Sharif—COP29 International Advisory Board Member and advisor to the ICLEI Global Executive Committee—the city is setting ambitious climate goals and expanding its efforts toward renewable energy, emissions reduction, and integrated urban sustainability.
Actively engaged in global climate initiatives, Kuala Lumpur continues to enhance its environmental policies, advance data-driven decision-making, and foster international collaboration to drive meaningful progress toward a more resilient, sustainable future.
Active
carbonn Climate Registry / CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System
Local and regional governments can’t manage what they don’t measure. The climate reporting proce...
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Active
100% Renewables Cities and Regions Network
The 100% RE Cities and Regions Network supports the renewable energy transition in cities, towns and...
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Active
Global Protocol for Community Scale GHG Emissions inventories
The further enhancement and development of the GPC responds to the needs of local governments in str...
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Our five pathways
How we are working across the five pathways
With more than 2500 cities, towns and regions from around the world engaged in our work, ICLEI is the largest network of local and regional governments committed to sustainability