ICLEI

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI, originally International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes sustainable development. ICLEI provides technical consulting to local governments to identify and meet sustainability objectives. It has a strong focus on biodiversity and has worked across local, national, and global levels. ICLEI was the first and is the largest transnational network of local governments engaging in climate action.

ICLEI is considered a bridging organization, playing important roles in knowledge sharing and in intermediation processes between local initiatives and regulatory actors. It has recognized the significance of cities for urban sustainability and helped to support their activities for over three decades.

The international association was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at its inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York in September 1990. As of 2020, more than 1,750 cities, towns, counties, and their associations in 126 countries are a part of the ICLEI network. As of 2023, over 2,500 cities towns and regions were listed as members.