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.
Every year, ICLEI works with local and regional governments, partners, leaders and other experts to develop and publish state-of-the-art, context-specific resources informed by our work around the world, featuring exemplary real-world city practices and guidance for sustainable cities and regions. All resources are freely accessible in the ICLEI e-Library, one central place to explore our…
Under the theme “Stronger national climate plans through multilevel action,” the sixth edition of Daring Cities aims to serve as a pivotal platform for local and regional governments to influence global climate negotiations. Explore what Daring Cities 2025 is bringing to the table.
As we begin a pivotal year, many global north countries are facing elections and leadership changes, testing the world’s commitment to sustainable development. Last year, we witnessed several key global processes needing to continue into 2025 – like the biodiversity negotiations and the Plastics Treaty – or delivering a disappointing lack of ambition, such as the climate COP. Here are the ten things we’re watching for in 2025 regarding the global sustainability agendas.
From rural mobility services to neighborhood climate hubs, these cities — on the island of Taiwan and in Germany — show how climate action designed with local organizations can improve daily life, deliver social benefits, and advance climate goals.
Across Africa, food entrepreneurs across the coffee, fisheries, poultry, and dairy sectors are reshaping how food is produced, packaged, reused, and valued.
For better or worse, the year ahead brings a mix of reforms, political shifts and global milestones that will shape how urban sustainability agendas are governed and delivered. Here’s what local and regional governments should be on the lookout for this year.
While climate resilience assessment tools help cities understand their risks, adaptation projects often need a final push to become a viable investment opportunity.
Owning a car is a common aspiration for many Filipinos. But they also believe their cities can be more walking- and cycling-friendly in the future. The SPARK project helped turn that vision into action in Quezon City and Pasig City through tactical urbanism interventions that made streets safer and more accessible for active mobility.
Wrapping COP30, and as the world now moves from negotiations to implementation, the need to transform ambition into measurable, investable action has never been clearer. Cities and companies sit at the heart of this transformation. Together, they shape the systems that drive both emission reduction and solutions – and together, they hold the key to…
Seoul is finding clean energy where most cities don’t look: Underground geothermal power, sewage-to-electricity systems, and solar built into windows, walls, and façades. With little land to spare, Seoul is proving that climate solutions can be bold and still blend seamlessly into everyday urban life.
Across the Malmö Commitment network, cities apply intersectional approaches, showing that equity is an ongoing practice shaped by residents’ realities.