On 17-18 March 2021, the Ministry of Environment of Japan will convene the Zero Carbon City International Forum, which has been recognized as 2021’s first global dialogue to advance multilevel action under the Paris Agreement. This dialogue is convened in collaboration with the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES),…
ICLEI just released Multilevel climate action: The path to 1.5 degrees, our 2018 analysis of data from the carbonn Climate Registry. This post captures the key findings. For more, read the full report here. — The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C, released in October 2018, is unequivocal on a few key fronts: first, human activities…
The Talanoa Dialogue launched at COP23, the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2017, is designed to take stock of and strengthen climate action globally. It also opens the door to a more inclusive and collaborative approach to climate governance by connecting nations and climate stakeholders. The Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues, facilitated by ICLEI – Local Governments…
Every year, there is a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP). The next one (COP23) will be in Bonn, Germany in November 2017. In between COPs, the UNFCCC organizes mid-year climate negotiation sessions – the so-called intersessionals – which are usually held in Bonn. The May…
Across Africa, rapid urbanization, affordability gaps, and climate risks are pushing low-income households into informal settlements. Explore how housing inequities deepen poverty and vulnerability, and why housing must be treated as a structural equity issue.
Many local governments still struggle to access affordable, long-term capital at scale. Green finance can help – when it is embedded in systems and treated as an institutional responsibility.
*This blog was written by Liz Cormack and Ana María Cruz Ochoa, both from ICLEI World Secretariat. What does it really take to move cities toward climate-neutral, people-centered mobility, beyond strategies, pilots, and policy frameworks? As we enter the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035), this question is becoming increasingly urgent, as cities are under…
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.
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.
As co-focal point of the Local Authorities Major Group, ICLEI ensures cities’ and regions’ voices are represented in the UNEA process, with subnationals calling for stronger synergies with the Rio Conventions and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
“During the so-called ‘implementation COP’, the absence of commitments on issues related to urbanization is not a mere technical detail – it is a symptom of a structural gridlock in climate multilateralism. Is the game, then, already lost?” reflects Philip Yang, Special Envoy of the COP30 Presidency for Urban Solutions, in this special guest op-ed.
Brazil’s pioneering multilevel coordination effort is reshaping multilevel governance and collaboration at home and inspiring global pathways. From the beginning, the intention of this group was to bring climate federalism to life: National, state, and local actors aligning positions, sharing knowledge, and building a unified narrative that could travel from the streets of Brazilian cities to the negotiation rooms of the UNFCCC.