Our Activities
Cities are complex systems. The components of urban systems, from food distribution networks and energy grids to transport and greenways, are interconnected and dynamic. Intervening to create change in any one of these components may impact others, creating systemic change. Designing solutions that take these interconnections into account is critical to sustainable development.
The five ICLEI pathways towards low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development are designed to create systemic change. When these pathways guide local and regional development, urban systems becomes more sustainable. The pathways provide provide a framework for designing integrated solutions that balance the patterns of human life and the built and natural environments. They encourage holistic thinking. For instance, working together, the local and regional governments and global experts of ICLEI consider how nature-based development contributes to resilience, or how to bring equity into low emission development.
We design our work to integrate as many pathways as possible. Each individual pathway is multidimensional, incorporating numerous strategies for sustainable development. When more pathways are integrated into any given activity, such as a project, partnership or initiative, a greater degree of change can occur. Often, our activities are guided by a predominant pathway or set of pathways. In any given city or region, multiple activities may be implemented along each pathway.
This searchable digital collection of our activities worldwide includes technical resources, including digital platforms, methodologies and tools, as well as networks, projects, programs, partnerships, events and initiatives that guide action along the pathways, spark new partnerships and create city-to-city and city-to-region connections.
Each entry in this digital collection is marked with predominant pathways, keywords and related Sustainable Development Goals.
ICLEI works with four Brazilian cities to develop an action plans to achieve emissions neutrality and climate resilience by 2050. This includes emissions inventories, scenario modeling, vulnerability analysis and adaptation actions, and the implementation of already consolidated tools, such as CIRIS (developed by C40).
CAP (Climate Action Planning Framework Development)
ICLEI operates the Helpdesk on behalf of the European Commission, with the goal of providing an easy entry point to GPP for all European public authorities to increase the uptake and professionalization of GPP. Part of the GPP Helpdesk service are the publication of monthly newsletters, answering Helpdesk queries, semi-annual educational webinars on a content […]
BuyZET, coordinated by ICLEI, aims to understand and optimize the impact of public procurement activities on transport patterns in cities – and to find innovative and sustainable delivery solutions for goods and services, which can help to address these challenges. The goals of the project are to boost demand for zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and […]
ICLEI enables mobility planning authorities across Europe to embrace sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMP) as the European-wide strategic planning approach, especially in countries where the take-up is low and the negative effects of transport are severe. The project also improves urban transport efficiency while effectively mitigating the negative effects of transport and enhancing the attractiveness […]
This project will support regional governments with existing GHG reduction targets to achieve their targets, and for the ones without targets, the project will help governments to set and achieve them through the improved capacity to track GHG emission levels in detail – as well as the impacts of mitigation actions. ICLEI is supporting in […]
The Climate Footprint Project
SPP Regions promoted the creation and expansion of European regional networks of municipalities working together on sustainable public procurement (SPP) and public procurement of innovation (PPI). The regional networks help increase the capacity of public bodies for SPP and PPI, and send a stronger signal of demand for sustainability to suppliers. They provide support, improve […]
ICLEI has been appointed as the BEA Regional Lead in South Asia to act as the lead organization to plan and execute the work plan alongside Nagpur City. ICLEI acts as as a technical advisor and will facilitate stakeholder engagement and events, technical support, city recognition and peer learning. The project will build local capacity […]
Building Efficienty Accelerator (BEA) – South Asia
ICLEI enhances the socially inclusive and environmentally sound market uptake of wind energy by increasing its social acceptance in ‘wind energy scarce regions’ (WESR). The specific objectives are screening, analysing, discussing, replicating, testing and disseminating feasible solutions for increasing social acceptance and thereby the uptake of wind energy. ICLEI actively contributes to driving the transition […]
Through Ambitious City Promises, target local governments across Southeast Asia participate in in-country consultations to facilitate capacity building, policy advice and technology transfer support; develop new or improved comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventories; actively engage city residents and key local climate stakeholders; prepare concrete climate action plans – called City Promises – that include ambitious […]
ACP (Ambitious City Promises)
ICLEI is helping to develop a Sustainable Urban Development framework in South Asia. The framework is to be based on UNEP’s Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability framework, addressing the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals, through actions developed on the basis of the framework. The goal of the framework is to adopt an integrated approach where […]