Top five most-read ICLEI stories in 2024
To wrap up 2024, we delve into the diverse array of stories that proved to be our most popular of the year – five stories that resonated, shaping and informing perspectives on sustainable urban development.
How ICLEI engaged youth voices in 2024
From COP29 and the AfriFOODLinks Consortium to the ICLEI World Congress and key conferences across Europe, here’s how ICLEI took charge to involve youth in shaping the sustainability agenda during 2024.
Scaling climate finance: From COP29 to COP30 and beyond
The urgent call for increased climate finance for local and regional governments has resonated globally with stakeholders rallying to address this challenge. Initial commitments and progress on mechanisms at COP29 in Baku, while encouraging, mark just the beginning of a critical journey toward COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Two years, no agreement on plastics: Where to from here? The Local and Subnational Government Coalition asks after INC-5
The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) to develop a Global Plastic Treaty concluded without an agreement, pushing further negotiations into 2025 – prompting the Local and Subnational Governments Coalition to End Plastic Pollution to advocate for stronger inclusion.
From Daring Cities to Town Hall COPs, how ICLEI is taking on local-to-global climate action
Throughout 2024, Daring Cities spotlighted the Town Hall COPs initiative as an innovative mechanism linking local climate emergency action to national and global efforts. How do the Town Hall COPs fit into the current global climate arena? We brought this discussion to COP29.
The collective action agenda for water: Locally-led adaptation and multilevel governance
At the Water for Climate Pavilion at COP29 on 19 November, the importance of locally-led initiatives and multilevel governance approaches in implementing effective water management was in the spotlight.
A new menu? Bringing stakeholders to the table for urban agrifood systems transformation
From 9 to 11 September 2024, over 100 participants from five continents gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome for the Urban Agrifood Systems Global Workshop, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and ICLEI. The workshop laid the groundwork for the co-creation of a five-year Roadmap toward transforming urban agrifood systems.
Building the legal backbone for net-zero cities: Insights from COP29’s Korea Pavilion
At COP29, this session at the Korea Pavilion presented how to build net-zero cities through legal innovation and citizen engagement.
After WCAS, local and subnational leaders rally for enhanced multilevel collaboration
As the world’s attention turned to COP29, leaders from the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, gathered on 13 November at a special session to respond to COP29 and the World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WCAS).
Saitama City brings the G7 to COP29
Despite cities being home to the majority of G7 citizens, local governments are not yet systematically consulted by national governments on critical decisions affecting their communities. The Urban7 (U7) is seeking to change that within the G7 group of countries.
Local government representation in international fora doesn’t end with the United Nations agendas, such as the Climate COPs. Local and regional governments are advocating for representation – especially with regards to sustainable development objectives – on multiple fronts, including the G7, G20 and other multilateral platforms.
Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion High-level Opening: The home for where local action goes global
The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion launched at COP29 in Baku with a powerful message: Addressing the climate emergency requires…
At COP29, California and Tokyo leaders urge cities to lead on climate action
At COP29, California and Japan’s local leaders emphasize that cities must lead the charge on climate action, showing that bold, independent initiatives can drive sustainable futures beyond national policies.