Leaders convened on 10 June at the Daring Cities 2026 Bonn Dialogues Opening Plenary to examine the changing landscape of climate governance and explore how cities and regions can move from ambition to implementation.
Without equity, circularity risks optimizing food systems without transforming them – a distinction matters for millions of people.
The discussions showed how financing, peer learning, and cooperation across regions can help protect migratory species in the habitats and corridors they depend on.
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…
In fiscal year 2024, ICLEI Members in Japan engaged in various activities connected to ICLEI’s five pathways toward sustainable urban…
As global Plastics Treaty negotiations failed to reach consensus, cities and regions cannot wait. Read four takeaways to guide local action against the plastic waste piling up daily in cities.
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.
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.
Recognizing youth as powerful drivers of change, local and regional governments are creating meaningful spaces for their voices, leadership, and ideas. This International Youth Day, discover how ICLEI Members are actively involving young people in shaping inclusive and impactful climate action.
To truly harness youth leadership, local and regional governments must go beyond consultation, co-creating processes where young people set agendas, influence decisions, and hold institutions accountable.
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.