Since 2010, Seoul has hosted annual international forums on air quality and biennial mayoral forums on climate change to foster discussions on urban air quality improvement and climate actions. Based on the past years’ experience and recognizing the interconnectedness of air pollution and climate issues, Seoul has merged these forums into a single event called the “Seoul International Forum on Climate and Environment” to streamline efforts towards sustainable development and achieving carbon neutrality. As an official partner, ICLEI East Asia leverages it global network to support the organization of the Forum and supports Seoul Metropolitan Government to spotlight innovative solutions and fosters a collaborative environment for stakeholders to drive meaningful change in urban sustainability.

Over the past two decades, ICLEI, has worked closely with the United Nations Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and a range of partners to elevate the voice of local and subnational governments and ensure that strong action is taken to create vibrant cities and regions, where people and biodiversity can thrive, including organizing “Global Biodiversity Summits of Cities & Subnational Governments”. At the CBD COP, local governments play a critical role in shaping global biodiversity agendas, ensuring that the voices of cities and regions are heard in international discussions. This involvement is crucial for aligning local conservation efforts with global targets and policies, highlighting the importance of integrated approaches across different governance levels for effective biodiversity conservation.

Since the 1992 Earth Summit, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency has been the voice for networks of local and regional governments under the UNFCCC, representing them since the first Conference of Parties (COP) in 1995. The LGMA serves as the primary channel for these groups, coordinating their inputs and influencing global climate negotiations, and ICLEI has been serving as the LGMA’s focal point. Each year, LGMA supports the COP Presidencies and advance initiatives such as the transition from “Friends of Cities” to the broader “UNFCCC Friends of Multilevel Action” to ensure that local perspectives shape the decisions in UNFCCC processes. Also, ICLEI leads the organization of LGMA pavilion under each COP, serving as a global stage to highlight the challenges, achievements, and commitments of local and subnational actors in climate action. This inclusive platform united cities, towns, regions, and various stakeholders within the LGMA Constituency, fostering collaboration to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

CityFood is a flagship program of ICLEI that aims to accelerate local and regional government action toward sustainable food systems transformation. It spans a number of projects and initiatives across all of ICLEI’s Regional Offices and brings together local and regional governments as well as critical global and regional partners. Our clear mandate is leveraging the power of food for resilient futures.

Managed by the ICLEI European Secretariat, the Sustainable Procurement Platform provides up-to-date news, case studies, events, guidance, and more on sustainable procurement from across the world.

Find out more at sustainable-procurement.org