ICLEI is actively involved in a number of processes and initiatives which fall under several topics:

Sustainability:

• ICLEI was selected as a member of the jury for the European Green Capital Award for both the 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 cycles. The organisation has been asked to take on this role once again for the 2014 award.
  
  
• The Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign has been co-managed and supported by ICLEI since its launch at the first conference in Aalborg, Denmark, in 1994.  In 2004 the conference was staged in Aalborg once again and served as starting point for the next decade of action for local sustainabilty in the Campaign framework, with the agreement on the Aalborg Commitments. In 2006, the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted in the European Council. The Strategy acknowledges the important role of Local Agenda 21 processes and the Aalborg Commitments in implementing its objectives.
  
  
• ICLEI's campaigns, programmes, and projects promote Local Agenda 21 as a participatory, long-term, strategic planning process that addresses local sustainability while protecting global common goods. Linking local action to internationally agreed upon goals and targets such as Agenda 21, the Rio Conventions, the Habitat Agenda, the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation is an essential component.
  
  

Procurement:

• ICLEI has been running sustainable public procurement awareness-raising campaigns since 1996, with peak periods between 2002 and 2004 in connection with the ruling from the European Court of Justice in favor of environmental criteria, and during the negotiations on the then new EU Public Procurement Directives - 2004/17 and 2004/18. Since 2006, ICLEI has been supporting the work of the European Commission regarding green public procurement (GPP), contributing expertise to discussions held by the GPP Expert Group of the EU-27, chaired by DG Environment. ICLEI also takes part in the United Nations Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement, launched in June 2007.
  
  
• In April 2011 ICLEI submitted a response to the Consultation on the Modernisation of EU Public Procurement Policy. The Green Paper published by the European Commission sets out a number of areas which may be addressed in the upcoming revision of the EU Procurement Directives (2004/18/EC and 2004/17/EC). This includes the strategic use of public procurement in response to new challenges - such as environmental, social and innovation objectives. ICLEI's response looks at the use of life-cycle costing, technical specifications, award criteria and contract performance clauses to further sustainable procurement. It also analyses some of the general barriers to broader uptake of SPP, such as lack of capacity and expertise, legal uncertainty and verification issues. Download ICLEI's submission here.
  
  To learn more about ICLEI's work in this area, visit our page on Sustainable Procurement.
  
  

Climate:

• The Local Climate Action Roadmap for Cities and Local Governments, was started by ICLEI and several other leading Local Governments Associations in 2007. The Roadmap works towards the UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COPs) and advocates for a strong and comprehensive post-2012 global climate agreement, which recognises key role of cities and local governments in climate protection. The Roadmap has steered ICLEI’s activities at COP15, COP16 and most recently at COP17.
  
  
• The Mexico City Pact is a voluntary initiative of mayors and local authority representatives that encourage its signatories to advance local climate action and report their progress through the carbonn Cities Climate Registry. It was signed at the World Mayors Summit on Climate Change, which was convened by Mexico City in conjunction with the World Mayors Council on Climate Change, ICLEI and UCLG.
  
  
• The Durban Adaptation Charter for Local Governments was adopted at an ICLEI organised event held in parallel with COP17, the Durban Local Government Convention: adapting to a changing climate. The Charter sees local governments make a concrete political commitment to strengthen local resilience to climate change.
  
  
• The role of ICLEI within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to ensure that the local government viewpoint is heard, and that a united worldwide local authority response to climate change is taken into account during important international negotiations, ICLEI holds official Observer status with the UNFCCC, and is the lead organisation representing local governments at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP).
  
  To learn more about ICLEI's work in this area, visit our page on Climate Change Mitigation.
  
  

Energy:

• ICLEI is a Supporting Structure to the Covenant of Mayors, and pledges to promote the initiative, liaise with ICLEI members to help them fulfil their commitment to reduce their CO₂ emissions, facilitate exchanges of experience and convey the message of the Covenant.
  
  To learn more about ICLEI's work in this area, visit our page on Energy.
  
  

Water:

• ICLEI is a key player in promoting sustainable water management at local level through bringing the Istanbul Water Consensus to the attention of national governments and international organisations. The Consensus was launched by Istanbul's Mayor Kadir Topbaş in March 2008, and developed in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the World Water Council.
  
  To learn more about ICLEI's work in this area, visit our page on Water.