Guiyang City has officially joined ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability as a new Chinese member after the approvals from the National Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Guizhou Province. ICLEI warmly welcomes Guiyang and hopes to develop closer cooperation with the city to promote its sustainable development and ecological civilization.

Founded in 1990 by 200 local governments from 43 countries who convened for the first World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future at the United Nations headquarters in New York, ICLEI is the largest global network of local governments committed to sustainable development. Currently, ICLEI has over 1,000 members worldwide, covering 12 megacities with more than 660 million people, including Bangkok, Berlin, Chicago, Copenhagen, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto.

ICLEI maintains a good cooperative relationship with Guiyang City and Guizhou Province. In November 2015, during the visit of a delegation of high-ranking officials from Guiyang to Berlin, a letter of intent expressing Guiyang’s interest in joining ICLEI as a member was signed by Zuoxun Li, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guiyang Municipal Committee and Secretary of the CPC Guanshanhu District Committee, and Monika Zimmermann, ICLEI’s Deputy Secretary General.

Since 2010, ICLEI has been attending and supporting the Eco-Forum Global (EFG) and EFG annual conference Guiyang continuously. The EFG annual conference is the only national-level global forum focusing on ecological civilization. Through hosting sub forums during the EFG, ICLEI has not only built up a solid cooperative foundation with the city but has also shared valuable global experience with Chinese cities, while allowing cities worldwide to learn about China’s achievements in pursuing ecological civilization.

In June 2015, ICLEI organized the “EcoProcura© China 2015: International Dialogue on Green Public Procurement” sub-forum during the Eco-Forum Global Annual Conference in Guiyang. About 80 participants attended the meeting, where they exchanged experiences and knowledge on Green Public Procurement (GPP) policies and solutions. Coming from China, Korea, Japan, Germany, and Finland, these participants included government officials in charge of public procurement, experts, and representatives from business and non-profit organizations. One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was the announcement of the “Initiative on Green Public Procurement China Partnership”. The aim of this partnership is to build up a platform to facilitate Chinese cities, other stakeholders, and partners to share GPP information and experience.

Located in Southwestern China, Guiyang is the provincial capital of Guizhou. By the end of 2014, the city’s population had reached 4.7 million. Guiyang’s achievement in implementing ecological civilization ranks top in China. In December 2012, the city has been approved by the national government to become the country’s first national model city for ecological civilization, the pilot city for urban innovation development, the leading area for coordinated urban and rural development, and the exchange and cooperation platform for national ecological civilization. Guiyang is also the first city in China to propose and implement local regulations on the development of a circular economy and ecological civilization.

After the joining of Guiyang, ICLEI will provide greater assistance to promote the city’s achievement in sustainable development and ecological civilization. By leveraging resources and networks from both sides, it is expected that ICLEI’s cooperation with Guiyang will strengthen learning and experience exchange between cities in China and beyond.