Opinions, ideas and knowledge you can apply to local and regional sustainable development.

Explore this blog to learn from local leaders, municipal staff and experts from around the world.

UrbanShift Asia Forum 2023: Transforming cities for a sustainable tomorrow

This blog was written by Rene Nüsslein, Karishma Asarpota, and Matteo Bizzotto from ICLEI, and Eillie Anzilotti from WRI In the last ten years, the population of Delhi’s metro area has nearly doubled. Over 30 million people now live in India’s capital region, which spans five states and around 1,500 square kilometers. In Delhi, it’s 

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Three pillars to empower women in climate and disaster risk financing: Bridging the gender gap

“Natural hazards, such as floods, droughts, and earthquakes, are gender-neutral, but their impacts are not.” This statement from the World Bank highlights the inequalities women face when experiencing climate hazards, especially when it comes to finance. With 742 million women excluded from financial services worldwide and half struggling to secure emergency funds within a month, 

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ICLEI at the UN High-Level Week: Local Governments as the ‘Rescue Plan’ for the SDGs and climate

Each year in September, the heart of global diplomacy beats in New York City for the UN General Assembly meetings. This year, Heads of States are additionally expected to renew their commitments on sustainability and climate through the Sustainable Development Goals Summit (16 – 19 September) and the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit (20 

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Cities in Drive: Lessons from EcoLogistics Pilot Projects Towards Sustainable Urban Freight

In nine cities spanning Argentina, Colombia, and India, a movement towards a more eco-friendly and efficient urban freight system is gaining momentum. From Rosario’s innovative public cargo bicycle network to Panaji’s reimagined last-mile delivery services, these cities are making substantial strides toward a future dominated by zero emissions. These remarkable efforts among the Stakeholders working 

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Strategies for efficiency in urban cooling: A focus on Asia and beyond

Asia’s urban areas have experienced a dramatic increase in electricity consumption, especially for cooling systems. To address this issue, UrbanShift gathered regional experts through a webinar in collaboration with ICLEI Energy Exchanges, to explore energy-efficient urban planning and building design strategies. From cost-effective ways, such as using vegetation for shading, or changing the roof color 

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Nine ways design can forge a circular economy in cities

Ecodesign and the circular economy are interconnected concepts that share the common objective of addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices. While they share the same goals, they operate at distinct phases within a product’s lifecycle, resulting in a comprehensive approach to sustainable development.   What is Ecodesign? Ecodesign, also known as sustainable design or 

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Cities empowering youth for climate action: Lessons to replicate (and how to do it)

International Youth Day on 12 August recognizes young people as drivers of change. How can local and regional governments effectively engage them? From energy mentoring programs and youth councils to video campaigns, here are cases for inspiration on how ICLEI Members include youth voices in climate action and a checklist for city leaders to get 

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Cities and subnationals make their case for multilevel climate action at the kickoff of Daring Cities 2023

Daring Cities 2023 started with a bang with a hybrid two-day event alongside the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Talks (SB58) in Bonn, Germany this past week. Local leaders sat face-to-face with national negotiators to make the case for urban inclusion in national goals and implementation strategies, and our host City of Bonn celebrated entry into the 

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Cities and Subnationals Weigh in on a Global Plastics Treaty at INC-2

This blog was written in collaboration with Ariel Dekovic, Charis Hoffmann, Kobie Brand, and Togo Uchida from ICLEI. In early 2022, during the resumed Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA5.2), nation states agreed to establish a binding global plastics treaty by 2024, which should work towards ending plastic pollution. The process to arrive at such 

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Gyeonggi-do unveils ‘Gyeonggi RE100 Vision’ for a sustainable future

At the end of last year, Gyeonggi-do(province) was selected as the host local government for ICLEI Korea from 2023 to 2027. As the head of the host local government, Governor Dong-Yeon Kim was appointed as a member of the Global Executive Committee for the 2021-2024 term. Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI, welcomed this 

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