The concept of circular development has been gaining a lot of traction in the last few years for its potential to tackle global challenges like the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and waste. Many cities are starting to explore and implement measures to move away from the linear “make-use-dispose” economy model, but some obstacles remain. We
The linear economic model relies on a continuous process of extraction and processing of natural resources, which is responsible for more than 90 percent of biodiversity loss. This take-make-waste model is contributing to all drivers of biodiversity loss, from land and sea use change, to ecosystem exploitation and to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing
Nature and its services are the greatest resources local and regional governments have to mitigate the current climate emergency and support a more resilient and sustainable urban future. That, in essence, was the silver thread of the second edition of the UNEA Cities and Regions Summit, held virtually on 23 February 2022. “We now have
Throughout 2022 to 2024, IHRB, ICLEI and other partners advance a research and action agenda on just transitions in the built environment, with deep-dives in specific contexts as well as international-level advocacy. This resulting blog is written by Annabel Short, Senior Advisor, Built Environment, IHRB, and Dr. Ying-Chih Deng-Sommer, Sustainable Built Environment Officer, ICLEI. As
This statement is endorsed by the ICLEI President and ICLEI’s Global Executive Committee War is the most unsustainable act of human beings on this planet. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability urgently calls on all national leaders to stop the armed conflict and to settle for a peaceful resolution in accordance with the UN Charter
(24 February 2022) The Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag), the Global Parliament of Mayors and ICLEI have launched a urban alliance to accompany the German G7 Presidency. The alliance will support the G7 Presidency program, which has highlighted the importance of “harnessing the transformative power of cities.” Cities can offer immense contributions to the
In 2014, the city of Malmö experienced extreme precipitation, causing widespread damage and big financial losses. Now, the city is rethinking its approach to flood resilience and how this can be achieved together. A cloudburst is known as an extreme amount of rainfall in a short period of time. These occurrences may lead to massive
As local governments assess their agendas for 2022 onwards, including understanding their territories’ contributions to national climate commitments, climate action remains one of the top priorities. More frequent and extreme weather events, growing trends of urbanization, rising energy demand, and an increase in global temperatures, require an urgent response. What can they do to reduce
This blog was written by Braoin MacLauchlan and Matteo Bizzotto, with contributions by Einav Grinberg, Laura Noriega, Carla Marino, Maryke van Staden (ICEI World Secretariat) and George Bush (CDP). A growing sense of urgency, propelled by the IPCC reports, COP26 discussions, and the need for real impact by 2030 mean climate policies have never been
This article is written by Anina Hartung and Dr. Nazmul Huq from the ICLEI Global Resilient Development Team. It should come to no surprise for anyone that COVID-19 has brought about unprecedented disparity to the fragile interconnected systems that make up our urban spaces, rendering them vulnerable to a host of challenges. Additionally, while cities
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