Urban sustainable governance plan
Introduction
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is an international organization of local governments and state and regional organizations that have committed to sustainable development. ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.
The international partnership was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries agreed to it at its inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York in September 1990.[1]
Today, more than 1,200 cities, counties, and their associations in 84 countries make up ICLEI's growing membership.[2] The association works with these and hundreds of other local governments through international performance-based, results-oriented campaigns. It provides technical consulting, training, and information services to increase administrative capabilities, share knowledge, and support local governments in the local implementation of sustainable development initiatives. The basic premise of ICLEI is that locally designed initiatives can provide a cost-effective way to achieve local, national and global sustainability goals.[3].
Members
As of October 2018, more than 1,500 local governments from more than 124 countries were members of ICLEI,[4] with more than 600 in the United States. ICLEI membership in the US grew 58% in 2008 and 25% in 2009.[5][6] US members include towns, cities and counties of all sizes, from New York City and Los Angeles County to Dubuque, Iowa ("Dubuque (Iowa)") and Arlington, Texas ("Arlington (Texas)").[7].
The only requirements to join ICLEI are a defined commitment to climate protection and the payment of an annual membership fee based on the number of inhabitants.[8].
History and structure
ICLEI was founded in 1990, with its global secretariat initially in Toronto, Canada.[9] The US office formally opened in 1995. The US executive office is based in Washington, D.C., and the global secretariat is now located in Bonn, Germany.[10].
Its initial name was "International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives". But in 2003 ICLEI members approved revising the organization's mission, its founding charter and its name to better reflect its challenges and the broad topic of sustainability. The official name was "ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability" (in English ).