25 Years of ICLEI
2015 marks our 25th anniversary. Watch the video to find out what we’ve achieved so far!
2015 marks our 25th anniversary. Watch the video to find out what we’ve achieved so far!
Water is a “blue thread” connecting human rights, the SDGs, and the three Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity, and land. Embedding water resilience into urban planning is not optional; it is essential for climate-smart, inclusive, and livable cities, and local and regional governments are already delivering. Explore how we are supporting them to step up to the challenge and scale their impact.
The discussions showed how financing, peer learning, and cooperation across regions can help protect migratory species in the habitats and corridors they depend on.
Once a parking lot and dumping ground, Chennai’s first wetland sponge park is leading the way for a climate-resilient city. Today, it functions as a natural water treatment system to manage stormwater and prevent floods, proving the power of nature-based solutions in shaping sustainable, thriving communities.
ICLEI’s Town Hall COP Initiative is emerging as a powerful model to make climate action truly locally led, transformation-oriented, and, most importantly, nationally relevant.
Without equity, circularity risks optimizing food systems without transforming them – a distinction matters for millions of people.
To wrap up 2025, we look back at six stories that resonated most with our readers. From urban biodiversity and nature-based solutions to extreme heat, green finance and global sustainability agendas, these pieces capture a defining year for cities and regions.