ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

About

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is a global network of more than 1,750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 100+ countries, ICLEI influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. The ICLEI network and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability including addressing the need for reducing SLCPs.

In line with the approach of forming strategic alliances and partnerships to reinforce sustainable urban development, ICLEI has been an active member of the CCAC since 2014 and committed to empower local and regional governments and their communities to take effective action on climate and air quality - tackling air pollution to safe levels by 2030. It is in this vane that ICLEI’s work within the CCAC and beyond generally hovers around the following priorities:
   

1. As a focal point of the LGMA constituency of the UNFCCC, ICLEI works to create the enabling environment via stakeholder engagement, political advocacy and engendering multilevel governance for ambitious local action on climate change and air quality in cities, towns and regions;
2. Raising awareness and increasing understanding of the urgency to reduce emission of climate forcers and air pollutants like methane, hydrofluorocarbons, black carbon and tropospheric ozone to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as well as the WHO guideline of limiting fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air to levels below 10 μg/m3 particularly in the near term; 
3. Building local capacities and offering ICLEI tools and methodologies, including the GHG inventory tool ClearPath and the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System, to enable cities to track and report on their emission reduction targets, action plans, actions and performance. The Solutions Gateway as an online resource platform and the TAP hold promise to build local capacities and access financing for local action;
4. Leveraging on the East Asia Clean Air Cities, a joint program by ICLEI and Seoul Metropolitan Government to accelerate local action on air pollution through regional multilateral cooperation, and further scaling up promotion to other cities and regions;
5. Reaching out beyond the ICLEI network to other subnational governments at global events like the ICLEI World Congress 2021-22 and the Daring Cities fora, as well as other international conferences like the Climate COPs, etc. to raise awareness and share good practices and strategies.

Other activities

• Implementing ICLEI’s flagship Urban-LEDS project (phase I from 2013-2015 and phase II from 2017-2021). The project activities address integrated low emission and resilient development in more than 60 cities in 8 countries: Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa (from Phase I) and countries added in Phase II: Bangladesh, Colombia, Lao PDR and Rwanda – with 16 European cities acting as source cities.
• Supporting the work of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy as a founding partner of the initiative and supporting the direction to increase focus on air pollution.
• Founding and running of the EcoMobility Alliance since 2011 in support of local and regional governments strive to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel-based personal automobiles and create vibrant cities where people and the environment are prioritised when it comes to transport planning.