The African Capital Cities Sustainability Forum (ACCSF) draws together mayors and technical officers from the continent’s most prominent cities to provide a guiding light for how African cities must think about the future and lead sustainability efforts. It facilitates the exchange of knowledge and learning and provides a platform for exploring how to develop truly African solutions to African problems. The event marshals the collective power of capital cities to contribute to, and influence, the pan-African and global discourse on sustainability.

ICLEI, as the co-convener of the ACCSF, is responsible for the
content development and program design of the ACCSF. By hosting the annual event, which brings together mayors and city managers of African capital cities, ICLEI facilitates the exchange knowledge and information on potential interventions, opportunities and threats that influence the potential for economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection.

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 skills and increase regional impact.

ICLEI supported the establishment of new procurement networks in 8 European regions. All participating networks implemented eco-innovative tenders achieving significant CO2 savings, which ICLEI supported through an intensive capacity building program. The project has produced a series of reports and guidance on sustainable procurement, including four key SPP and PPI topics: market engagement, life cycle costing, output or performance-based specifications, and circular procurement. The series of “”eco-innovative”” was published as guidance material as well. The project has also produced “”how-to”” videos on various aspects of sustainable procurement.

The ‘Platform on Coal Regions in Transition’ supports coal regions (local and/or regional governments) to take on the challenge of the clean energy transition by building capacity through needs-oriented technical assistance, focusing on key areas of the transition process; developing support materials, toolkits, guidelines, and reports, focusing on issues such as employment, governance, financing, environmental rehabilitation, clean air, and technologies; and connecting stakeholders and facilitating dialogue among regions and the wider stakeholder community. ICLEI aims to build awareness of the Platform and develop a reputation for the Platform as a valuable source of expertise and information among primary target audiences. ICLEI fosters the creation of dynamic knowledge-sharing communities among the Platform’s primary target audiences and encourages participation in cooperation and knowledge-sharing activities.

The Procura+ East Asia Green Procurement Network aims to accelerate climate and environmental actions by equipping local governments and public authorities in East Asia with advanced knowledge and skills to upscale green and sustainable procurement practices at the local level. Through Procura+ East Asia, participating local authorities will be equipped with GPP approaches and tools via training programs, and will be provided with access to expert guidance on formulating local green specifications and procurement strategies, as well as tender advice on targeted climate and environmental issues. Participants will also have various opportunities to showcase their successful stories and achievements in green procurement on the international stage by participating in forums/workshops, the Procura+ Award, and publishing case studies on the Procura+ Online Platform. The project connects public authorities, solution providers and advocacy in the region to collectively mainstream green procurement practices at the local level, and promote advanced GPP knowledge and experiences for peer learning and exchange internationally.

ICLEI is implementing the BEA project Phase 2 in Africa through three initiatives.
1. BEA Africa Regional Network: ICLEI Africa coordinates the Africa Regional Network for BEA where organisations working across Africa on issues of building efficiency share lessons, current practices, and coordinate their work. Through this network, organisations are able to connect and align their efforts to ensure cities across Africa are well-supported to improve building efficiency. ICLEI is actively recruiting cities and private sector partners to be members of the BEA Partnership.
2. BEA Deep Dive in City of Tshwane, South Africa: ICLEI Africa, in partnership with the Green Building Council of South Africa, is implementing one of eight global BEA Deep Dive engagements in the City of Tshwane, South Africa.
3. Leadership Grant: Audit and training of implementtion of South Africa’s national building efficiency legisation in three municipalities in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Procura+ is a network of European public authorities and regions that connect, exchange and act on sustainable and innovation procurement. The network has 45 participating public authorities from 16 European countries. ICLEI offers the Procura+ participants a range of activities and resources to advance their sustainable public procurement work, including recognition through the Procura+ Awards; a city twinning program to facilitate staff exchanges; a platform to share plans and publicize successes; education and professional development opportunities; and the Procura+ manual, an accessible guide supporting public authorities in successfully implementing sustainable public procurement.

In the past, we had primarily two ways of addressing global problems: nation-states and global corporations. The City Climate Cup propose a third, complementary way of addressing global problems: through networks of cities and the mobilization of civil society. City Climate Cup would produce novel solutions to global problems, and encourage their implementation and the learning of cities from each other. We propose to measure and benchmark sustainability progress, celebrate achievements and organize the sharing of good practices.

ICLEI is a Founding Signatory of the City Climate Cup initiative and aims to engage with cities to both encourage participation and highlight achievements through its available channels of communication in order to advocate for urban climate leaders to take the sherpa role for its peers.

This activity is designed to encourage citizen participation through the use of apps and other measuring methods in support of its city climate goal in low emission development.

In order to increase effectiveness of the advocacy of local and regional governments at the global processes, ICLEI will improve internal strategic planning, networking, coordination and dissemination activities of the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments and its relations to UN member states and decision making bodies UN bodies.

In order to improve visibility and enhance recognition of, and mobilize support for its action and network, ICLEI enhances dialogue, collaboration and engagement in the UN system, with a specific focus on those related to its fields of its expertise such as the secretariat of the other multilateral environmental agreements, the UN Environment Management Group, Local2030 and UN SDG Knowledge Development Center, as well as regional and global processes outside the UN such as G7/G20, OBOR, BRICS or other regional initiatives.

In order to ensure that the work of the UN fits the mission of the new sustainable development agenda and align with the spirit of enhanced collaboration with all levels of governments, ICLEI provides active contributions to the work of the UN Secretary General in the UN development system reform and 2019 UN Climate Summit, including development of customized strategies at the national level.