01 - A brief history of Local Government climate advocacy

Local Government Climate Roadmap - mission [almost] accomplished!

On the eve of the COP21 and what is hoped to be an ambitious and breakthrough global climate agreement, ICLEI takes a look back at 25 years of climate advocacy by local and subnational governments. In particular, the Local Government Climate Roadmap is concluding its eight year quest for the recognition, engagement, and empowerment of local and subnational governments as governmental stakeholders in the global climate regime.

02 - Vertical Integration

between levels of government to effectively address climate change

03 - Friends of Cities

Good practices in multi-level partnerships for scaling up climate action

To tackle climate change, all levels of government must work together. To enhance local and subnational climate action, the Friends of Cities at the UNFCCC strive to ensure the recognition of the important role of local and subnational governments as well as their engagement and empowerment in national and global processes on climate change.

04 - Forging Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable actions to tackle climate change

Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable (MRV) action at the local level

is paramount for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation in order to avoid breaching tipping points of dangerous and irreversible anthropogenic changes to the global climate system. This brief explains what MRV entails and what its benefits are.

05 - Reporting Platforms

for local and subnational climate action

06 - The Transformative Actions Program (TAP)

Linking with finance to TAP the potential of local climate action

The Transformative Actions Program (TAP) is a collaborative initiative to improve access to existing capital flows for cities and regions, catalyzing and accelerating additional capital flows, and maximizing investment in low-carbon and climate resilient urban development and governance processes.

07 - Cities and Regions are ready for COP21! #WeAreReady

But what is happening and where?

Cities and regions have made it clear that they are ready to scale-up their climate action at and beyond the COP21 in Paris. And while a considerable amount of this activity is going to be focused around the Cities & Regions Pavilion in the Green Zone, the power of local action is going to influence an ambitious Paris Climate Package through advocacy efforts in the Blue Zone and throughout the City of Paris. This briefing sheet outlines what is happening and where.

Come rain or shine: Water resource management lessons from Bangkok

Bangkok, as the major economic and political hub of Thailand and one of the largest metropolises in Southeast Asia, is a beacon of efficient water management in the region. The City’s actions, undertaken despite a failing centralized system and rising climate change pressure, could benefit millions of people.

Building Urban Resilience in Small Island Cities, Towns & Provinces

Land degradation and cities: The essential role of local and regional governments

Global concern for the challenges posed by land degradation has been affirmed by target 15.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is aimed at halting and reversing land degradation. Engaging with the challenges posed by land degradation in the 21st century requires a systematic approach that recognizes urban activities as a meta-underlying driver and includes the existing and potential contributions of local and regional governments as part of the solution.

List of References

Nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development

Planting trees to improve urban air quality, converting abandoned industrial sites into urban parks, greening roofs to reduce buildings’ energy use, and restoring
degraded wetlands to prevent floods: Nature-based solutions are increasingly being implemented in urban areas to enhance resilience, support sustainable development, and safeguard biodiversity. Good practice examples from Germany and China showcase the potential of nature-based solutions for urban areas emphasizing their multiple social, environmental and economic benefits.

(German Version)(Chinese Version)

China's 'Sponge City' Concept