ICLEIIN THEURBAN
ERA
JUNE 2018
OUR VISION FOR A
SUSTAINABLE URBAN WORLDThis publication should be cited as ICLEI - Local Governments for
Sustainability, 2018. ICLEI in the urban era. Bonn, Germany.
Publisher

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability e.V.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse 753113 Bonn, Germany
www.iclei.orgtel.:+49 (0)228 / 976 299 00
fax:+49 (0)228 / 976 299 01
e-mail: iclei.ws@iclei.org(c) 2018 ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability e.V.
All rights reserved.

CO NT EN T S>>ICLEI in the urban era

2>>ICLEI governance and leadership

4>>Forewords

12>>The ICLEI Montréal Commitment
and Strategic Vision 2018-2024

18>>Montréal Action Plan
2018-2021

38>>Ville de Montréal

80

ICL E I I N TH E U R BA N E RA
Cities and their surrounding regions are on the front lines of globalchange. They adapt to shifts in nearly every dimension of urbanlife and confront the impacts of rapid urbanization, demographic
change, climate change, technological advancements and a range
of development challenges. As cities rise, grow and change, poverty
and inequity remain and natural systems degrade.
In this urban era, cities are centers of opportunity and prosperity.
They are where innovation sparks and takes root. We need toharness this energy to reorient and rebalance the patterns of daily
life, the built environment and the natural systems in and aroundcities across the world. This is how we will shift the trajectory of
global development.
ICLEI is responding directly to global challenges. At the ICLEI World
Congress in Montréal, local and regional leaders are rallying behind
the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision to guide themthrough 2024. It lays out five interconnected pathways for change,demonstrating their commitment to low emission, nature-based,
circular, resilient and equitable and people-centered development.
Through these pathways, the ICLEI network transforms individual
communities and collectively drives sustainable urban development
worldwide.
Local and regional governments across our network makesustainability an inextricable part of all development. They
undertake collective efforts for global change and urge action by all
sectors and levels of government.
ICLEI has long recognized and called attention to the early warning
signs of global change. Today, the world is opening up to thosesigns, by adopting game-changing global frameworks like the 2030
Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Agreement and the New
Urban Agenda. Cities are also now recognized as beacons of change.
ICLEI sees the opportunity that lies in this moment.
The ICLEI network is more prepared than ever to take on global
challenges. After years of work, local and regional governments are astronger and more visible force, ready to drive transformation.

2

The urban century is placing urban governance at the center,
and what happens now in cities is crucial. Local and regional
governments have a global platform, and the world looks to themfor answers.
Local and regional governments across the ICLEI network have
responded through the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic
Vision. It informs how ICLEI delivers on the global sustainable
development agenda.
ICLEI is already moving at a rapid pace, and at a global scale. Thisis demonstrated in the ICLEI Montréal Action Plan, a compendiumof our worldwide efforts to carry forward the ICLEI Montréal
Commitment and Strategic Vision.
To seize the urban century, ICLEI has its sights set on deep,
systemic change that fundamentally transforms cities and theregions that surround them. ICLEI is undertaking a collective global
effort to make sustainability a permanent fixture on the global
development landscape.

FOR ICLEI, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS NOTJUST WISE BUT FUNDAMENTAL TO LIFE ON EARTH.
IT IS A RIGHT FOR ALL AND NOT A PRIVILEGE OF
THE FEW.

3

ICLEI
GOVERNANCE
AND
LEADERSHIP

4

STEERING OUR VISIONICL E I G L O BAL EX EC U T IV E
CO MMI T EE 2 0 1 8 - 2 021

ASHOK
SRIDHARAN
PRESIDENT

Mayor, Bonn,
Germany

CATHY OKE
FIRST VICEPRESIDENT

Councilor,
Melbourne,
Australia

FRANKCOWNIE

VICE-PRESIDENT

VICE-PRESIDENT

Councilor,
Catbalogan,
Philippines

Mayor, City of
Des Moines,
USA

YEOM, TAE-YOUNGDARIO NARDELLAREGIONAL SEAT,EAST ASIA
Mayor, Suwon city,
Republic of Korea

REGIONAL SEAT,EUROPE
Mayor, Florence, Italy

MAURICIO VILADOSALREGIONAL SEAT,MEXICO, CENTRALAMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN
Governor, State ofYucatan, Mexico

6

STEPHANYUY-TANICL E I G L O BAL EX EC U T IV E
CO MMI T EE 2 0 1 8 - 2 021
KIM LE CERF

KINLAY DORJEEREGIONAL SEAT,OCEANIA
Mayor, Darebin, Australia

REGIONAL SEAT, SOUTH
ASIA
Mayor, Thimphu
Municipality, Bhutan

BIMA ARYA

PARK, WON SOONREGIONAL SEAT,SOUTHEAST ASIA
Mayor, Bogor, Indonesia

CO-CHAIR, ICLEILEADERS NETWORK
Mayor, Seoul, Republicof Korea

KATRIN STJERNFELDTJAMMEHMANUEL DE ARAÚJOSUSTAINABLE LOCALECONOMY AND
PROCUREMENT
Mayor, Malmö, Sweden

MOHAMED SHAFEEG
MAHMOODCOOPERATION WITH
SMALL ISLANDSDEVELOPING STATESCEO, Local Government
Authority, Maldives

CO-CHAIR, RESILIENCE
Mayor, Quelimane,
Mozambique

ZHANG, ALEXICLEI CHINA STRATEGY
ENVOY
Executive Director,
Eco-Forum Global, China

7

ICLEI COUNCIL 2018-2021
AFRICAABEL LANGSINGWASOHMANUEL DEARAÚJO

Mayor, Bafut Council, Mayor, Quelimane
Cameroon
Municipality,
Mozambique

VINCENT DE
PAUL KAYANJA
Mayor, Entebbe
Municipal Council,
UgandaEAST ASIADAISAKU
KADOKAWAYEOM,
TAE-YOUNG

YOON, JOONBYEONG

Mayor, Kyoto, Japan

Mayor, Suwon,
Republic of Korea

Vice Mayor, Seoul
Metropolitan
Government,
Republic of Korea

MARTIN HORNCHERYL JONES FUR DARIO NARDELLA ADAM ZAWADA

EUROPE

ANNA-KAISAHEINÄMÄKI
Deputy Mayor,
City of Tampere,
Finland8

Lord Mayor, City of
Deputy Mayor of
Freiburg im Breisgau, Växjö, Sweden
Germany

SHU-CHUAN LEE
Deputy Mayor,
Kaohsiung, Chinese
TaipeiMayor, Metropolitan
City of Florence, Italy

SAINBUYANAMARSAIKHAN
Governor, Mayor,
Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia

Deputy Mayor of
Wrocław, Poland

ICLEI COUNCIL 2018-2021
MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

JUAN NASRYASFURA ZABLAH

VERNY VALERIO
HERNÁNDEZ

MAURICIO VILA
DOSAL

Mayor, Central
District, Tegucigalpa,
Honduras

Mayor, Municipalityof San Rafael de
Heredia, Costa Rica

Governor, State ofYucatan, Mexico

NORTH AMERICAFRANK COWNIEMARK BROSTROM PAM O’CONNOR

Mayor, Des Moines,
Iowa, USA

Director, City
Former Vice Mayor,
Environmental
Santa Monica CA,
Planning, Sustainable USA
Development,
Edmonton, Canada

MATTHEWAPPELBAUM

LYNN
ROBICHAUDFormer Mayor,
Boulder, CO, USA

Sr. Sustainability
Coordinator, City of
Burlington, Ontario,
CanadaCATE COOREYCHARLES KELLY

OCEANIAKIM LE CERF
Councillor, City of
Darebin, Australia

AARON HAWKINS CAROLINEKNIGHT
City Councillor,

City Councillor,
City Clerk,
Dunedin City Council, City Councillor, City of Byron Shire, Australia Honiara City Council,
New Zealand
Solomon Islands
Mandurah, Australia

9

ICLEI COUNCIL 2018-2021
SOUTH AMERICARAFAELVALDOMIROGRECA DE
MACEDOGERALDO JULIODE MELLO FILHOMayor, Recife, Brazil

Mayor, Curitiba, Brazil

SOUTH ASIA

KINLAY DORJEEASHOK BYANJU

NANDA JICHKAR

Mayor, Thimphu
Municipality, Bhutan

President, Municipal
Association of
Nepal, Nepal

Mayor, Nagpur
Municipal
Corporation, India

SOUTHEAST ASIA

DR. BIMA ARYA
Mayor, Bogor City,
Indonesia

10

ATTY. LETICIA O.
CLEMENTESR HJ ROZALI BIN
HJ MOHAMUDCity Budget Officer,
City of Baguio,
Philippines

Municipal President,
Municipal Council
Of Seberang Perai,
Malaysia

MOHAMEDSHAFEEG
MAHMOOD
Chief Executive
Officer, Local
Government
Authority ofMaldives, Maldives

IC L E I S EN I O R M AN AGE M E NT

GINO VAN BEGIN EMANI KUMAR
Secretary General,
ICLEI World
Secretariat

Deputy Secretary
General, ICLEI World
Secretariat
Regional Director,
ICLEI South Asia
Secretariat

EDGAR
VILLASEÑOR
FRANCORODRIGODE OLIVEIRAPERPETUO

Regional Director,
Regional Director,
ICLEI Mexico, Central ICLEI South America
America & Caribbean Secretariat
Secretariat

ZHU SHUSTEVE GAWLER

Regional Director,
ICLEI East Asia
Secretariat

Regional Director,
ICLEI Oceania
Secretariat

KOBIE BRAND
Regional Director,
ICLEI Africa
Secretariat

VICTORINO
AQUITANIAWOLFGANGTEUBNER

Regional Director,
ICLEI Southeast
Asia Secretariat

Regional Director,
ICLEI European
Secretariat

TOGO UCHIDAMEGAN MEANEY

YEONHEE PARKANGIE FYFE

WAN-TIEN TSAI

Executive Director,
ICLEI Japan Office

Executive Director,
ICLEI Canada Office

Executive Director,
ICLEI Korea Office

Executive Director,
ICLEI USA OfficeDirector,
ICLEI Kaohsiung
Capacity Center

11

MESSAGE FROMASHOK SRIDHARAN
Mayor, Bonn, Germany and ICLEI President
June 2018

In our urban era, the ICLEI network is leading a global
transformation through sustainable urban development the key to greater equity in our communities and tobuilding a more sustainable and just urban world.
City and regional leaders across the ICLEI network are scaling up
ambition and taking worldwide action. We have come together at
the ICLEI World Congress in Montréal to invigorate collective action
and hold ourselves up as the torchbearers of change in the urban
context. By convening in Montréal and directing our joint path,
we set an important marker in our efforts to build the sustainableurban future which ICLEI envisions for all citizens of this world. We
are determined to leave no one behind.
As ICLEI President, you have entrusted me with an important
responsibility and placed your confidence in my actions andadvocacy in the next years to come. I will proudly carry forward the
ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024. It isin our hands to act with a sense of urgency as we transform urban
areas across the world, and secure a sustainable future for what
will soon be two-thirds of humankind, while taking into account themutual interdependence of urban and rural development.
As a network, we have laid out interconnected pathways for change
in the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024,
which demonstrate our commitment to low emission, nature-based,
circular, resilient and equitable and people-centered development.
These pathways are designed to change individual communities and,through collective action, drive sustainable development globally.
Home to the ICLEI global headquarters for 10 years, Bonn has beenan active part of a decade in which ICLEI has strengthened the action
and voices of local and regional governments on the global stage. My
city is fully committed to global leadership. We will continue scaling up
our actions on the ground in order to send a clear signal that the local
and regional governments of ICLEI are driving global change. Both for
my own city and for our pioneering ICLEI network: now is our time totake this momentum and use it to ignite global change.

12ME S S A G E FR O M
VA L É R IE PL AN T E
Mayor of Montréal and host of the ICLEI World Congress 2018
June 2018

As host of the ICLEI World
Congress, it is an honor for
the Ville de Montréal to hostthe ICLEI network of local
and regional governments
driving sustainable urban
development worldwide.
Montréal shares your ambition
for a more sustainable future,and is proud to be a leader in
the ICLEI network. We apply
a sustainability lens to all
development policy, projects
and initiatives across ourcity, working closely with ourpartners and the Montréal
community to shape andrealize our goals. It is ourintent to make our approach tosustainability as inclusive as it
is transformative, representing
our diverse community.

En tant qu’hôte du Congrès
mondial ICLEI 2018, c’est
un honneur pour la Ville deMontréal d’accueillir le réseauICLEI des gouvernements
locaux et régionaux moteurs dudéveloppement urbain durable à
travers le monde.
Montréal partage votre ambition d’unavenir plus durable et est fière d’être
un chef de file du réseau ICLEI. Nous
adoptons une optique de durabilité àl’égard de toutes les politiques, de tous
les projets et de toutes les initiativesde développement de notre ville, en
travaillant en étroite collaboration avec
nos partenaires et la communauté
montréalaise pour définir et réaliser
nos objectifs. Nous avons l’intention derendre notre approche de la durabilité
aussi inclusive que transformatrice,
reflétant ainsi la diversité de notre
communauté.

The ICLEI World Congress2018 is a chance for the ICLEI
network to collectively showwhat the future holds. It is
a forum for us to discover
innovative ideas and solutions,forge new partnerships – andthen apply some fresh creativity
to our own sustainability
strategies at home.

Le Congrès mondial ICLEI 2018 est
l’occasion pour le réseau ICLEI deprésenter collectivement ce quel’avenir nous réserve. C’est un forum
pour nous permettre de découvrir
des idées et des solutions innovantes,
de nouer de nouveaux partenariats,
puis d’appliquer une créativité
renouvelée à nos propres stratégies
de développement durable.

It is my hope that the World
Congress is a distinct marker
that invigorates our efforts.
Together, we will carry out thevision ICLEI has laid out forsustainable development in
our urban century.

Je souhaite sincèrement que leCongrès mondial soit un signe
distinctif qui dynamise nos efforts.
Ensemble, nous mènerons à bien
la vision qu’ICLEI a tracée pour ledéveloppement durable au cours dece siècle urbain qui est le nôtre.

13

ME S S AG E F R O M
GI NO V AN BEG IN
Secretary General of ICLEI
June 2018

In our urban era, the way cities and their surrounding regions
grow, develop and change will play a decisive role in global
development. Today, ICLEI is leveraging the power of our
network to ensure urban sustainability delivers on the goals
and aspirations of the global sustainable development agenda.
Our growing network of more than 1,500 local and regional
governments worldwide represent small, large and often fast
growing cities, vast metropolitan areas, provinces and regions. ICLEI
embodies the diversity of the urban world, and the challenges andopportunities it presents us.
Unprecedented global change is shifting the state of play in urban
environments. ICLEI is confronting the impacts head on, knowing fullwell that systemic change is critical to real transformation.
Through the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision
2018-2024, the ICLEI local and regional governments have set a way
forward towards that transformation. It is a guide that will makesustainability a permanent part of all development. It informs theactions that ICLEI offices take on in the ICLEI Montréal Action Plan tofacilitate that deep and lasting change globally.
ICLEI is and has always been committed to sparking global change
through work that starts on the ground, at the local level. This isa core part of what it means to be part of ICLEI from the start andthrough our urban era.

14

15

This ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision Building a Sustainable Urban World - was adopted by the
ICLEI Council on 30 May 2018, in advance of the ICLEI World
Congress 2018 in Montréal, Canada and is referred to as the
ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024.
The ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision
2018-2024 provides strategic orientation for action by the
ICLEI network Members, of any size, at any subnational
level, on any continent and where a sustainable model ofdevelopment may soon take hold or is already well ongoing.

ICLEI IS DRIVINGSUSTAINABLE
URBAN
DEVELOPMENT
WORLDWIDE

16

1750+ CITIES,TOWNS ANDREGIONS

124

COUNTRIESWORLDWIDEIt lays out how the ICLEI network will advance sustainableurban development, now through 2024, locally and globally,in an era where new game-changing global frameworks havecome into force, including the Paris Climate Agreement, theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban
Agenda, and where a new stakeholder-driven model ofsustainable development governance is emerging.
The ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 20182024 informs the ICLEI Montréal Action Plan 2018-2021,
which is a compendium of programs, projects, initiatives,
research, capacity building and advocacy which ICLEI offices
will undertake, now through 2021, with the ICLEI local andregional governments.

22 OFFICES

9 ICLEI REGIONS

20% OF

37% OF THE

THE GLOBALPOPULATIONGLOBAL URBANPOPULATION
17

THE ICLEIMONTRÉAL
COMMITMENT
AND STRATEGICVISION
2018-2024

18

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE
URBAN WORLDCOMMITMENTS

THE MONTRÉAL COMMITMENT
AND STRATEGIC VISION 2018-2024

SCALE UP

MAKE SUSTAINABILITY A

SUSTAINABLE

PART OF ALL LOCAL AND
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTAND EXPAND

CITIES AND REGIONSFUNDAMENTAL

LOW EMISSIONPATHWAYS

DEVELOPMENTCIRCULARDEVELOPMENT

NATURE-BASEDPOLICYDEVELOPMENT20

OUR POLICY APPROACHESTO DRIVE GLOBAL

TRANSFORMATIONSUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE& MANAGEMENT: SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT IS A
COLLECTIVE EFFORTTACKLE THE MOSTPRESSING ISSUES OFOUR TIME TO PROTECT THE

LONG-TERM INTERESTSOF CITIZENSUNDERTAKE A

COLLECTIVE

EFFORTFOR GLOBAL CHANGE ACROSS ALL
SECTORS AND LEVELS OF GOVERNMENTRESILIENTDEVELOPMENTEQUITABLE AND
PEOPLE-CENTEREDDEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTFINANCE: SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT NEEDSAND FOR ALL

MODELS OF FINANCEINNOVATION & SCIENCE:

MUST WORK WITHINNOVATIVE

21

W E L I V E I N AN
U R B A N C EN TU R Y

22WE LIVE IN AN URBAN CENTURY
More than ever, our cities and surrounding regions are on the frontline of a globally changing world and need to rapidly adapt to shifts
in nearly every dimension of urban life.
The impacts of increasing urbanization, demographic change,
climate change, technological advancement and development
challenges, including public health crises, and the need to end
systemic inequities and poverty, are particularly visible in our urban
environments.
Many perceive our cities and surrounding regions as centersof opportunity and prosperity and, indeed, they are importanthubs of economy, innovation, production, consumption, socialand cultural interaction. At the same time, numerous cities areplaces where deep poverty and inequity prevail, and where severe
natural degradation proliferates with ecosystems pushed past theirthresholds.
As our cities rise, grow and change, so do the demands on our
finite natural resources, thus further reinforcing disparities incommunities across the world.
Therefore, the only way forward is to urgently reverse this trend
and drastically re-orient the patterns of our daily life, our built
environment and the natural systems in and around our cities.
Over centuries, we have built urban environments and today they
accommodate half of humanity. For decades we experimented,
pioneered and made efforts to create sustainable cities andneighboring regions. In many cases we have been successful.
Now, we must accelerate and scale up these experiences to create
an entire urban world that is sustainable.

23

O U R M O N T R ÉAL
CO MMI T M EN T :BUILDING AS U S T A IN ABL E
U R B A N WO R L D

24

OUR MONTRÉAL COMMITMENT:BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE URBAN WORLDWhen a group of forward-thinking cities founded ICLEI in 1990, they
took action before sustainable development was the predominantmodel for change. Today, in ICLEI, we are mainstreaming sustainable
development in all aspects within and interacting with our sharedurban future.
Being part of ICLEI nurtures our collective potential for creatingchange. Our ICLEI network of more than 1,500 Members andnetwork-cities is widely recognized as a leading organization withvisionary local leaders acting worldwide. We represent small, large
and often fast growing cities, vast metropolitan areas, capitals,
provinces and regions. Yet, we are deeply united in our commitment
to inspire, learn from and work with each other on our shared
journey towards a sustainable urban world.
With new UN sustainability frameworks in place towards 2030
and 2050, notably the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda – each forwhich we advocated so intensively over the last decades – we cannow, more than ever, shape the global sustainable development
agenda in collaboration with nations, subnational governments,
business and civil society.
Therefore, we - the ICLEI Members - commit:>>to scale up and expand the model of sustainable cities andregions to create a sustainable urban world. We regard
sustainable development not just as smart but as fundamental
to life on Earth; it is a right of all and not a privilege of a few.
>>to shift the balance towards sustainable development in andamong our jurisdictions and make sustainability a fundamental
and inextricable part of all local and global development.
>>to tackle the most pressing issues of our time in more
fundamental and systemic ways than ever before and, in doing
so, take profound decisions in the long-term interests of our
citizens.
>>to undertake a collective effort for global change, pushing foraction by all sectors and levels of government. The sum of ourefforts, actions and policies will be a catalyst for the globalchange that humanity needs in this urban century.

25

OUR VISION:
A CT I NG TH R O UG H 5
S T R A T E G I C PATH W A Y S
As a compass to manage our rapidly changing urban andglobal environment and to transform our cities and regionsthat surround them, we – the ICLEI Members- will drive
action through five critical and strategic pathways which areclosely interlinked.

26

OUR VISION: ACTING THROUGH
5 STRATEGIC PATHWAYS
To achieve a sustainable urban world, we will undertake
transformative actions that support:

LOW EMISSION DEVELOPMENT
to curb climate change, create new economic opportunities andimprove the health of people and natural systems.
>>We will drastically reduce all environmentally harmful pollutantsand emissions from heating, cooling, lighting and food systems
as well as reduce noise. We will reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions in all our activities, especially in our transport, waste
and building sector. We commit to implement the Paris Climate
Agreement goal of keeping the global warming increase to well
below 2°C and will pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
>>We will aim to achieve climate neutrality in our own infrastructure
and operations before mid-century and actively promote therenewable energy era, by divesting from fossil fuels, by committing to
100 percent renewable energy and by using nature-based solutions.
>>We will promote sustainable passenger and freight mobility,
prioritize clean fuel policies and electric vehicles from renewableenergy where possible, and give priority to walking, cycling, public
transit and shared mobility as part of people-centered solutions.

NATURE-BASED DEVELOPMENT
to protect and enhance the biodiversity and ecosystems in and aroundour cities, which underpin key aspects of our local economies and uponwhich we depend for the well-being and resilience of our communities.
>>We will prioritize healthy local environments, in which air, water,
soil and all natural resources that sustain life and health areprotected and nurtured.
>>We will deploy strategies and plans that use the potential nature
has to provide essential ecosystem services and to unlock new
economic opportunities in our jurisdictions.
>>We will apply nature-based solutions, use blue and green
infrastructure options and promote green zones to reconnect
and engage with nature in our new urban world.
27

CIRCULAR DEVELOPMENT
and new models of production and consumption to build
sustainable societies that use recyclable, sharable and regenerative
resources, to end the linear model of “produce, consume, discard”
and to meet the material/development needs of a growing
global population.
>>We will decouple urban, economic development from resource
consumption and environmental degradation and factor
environmental and social costs into the price of goods andservices. We will encourage equitable access to resources andcreate closed-loop urban and peri-urban systems to end linear
economic activity.
>>We will support new local economies that are productive and not
extractive, where resources are exchanged and not wasted. We
will prioritize sustainable waste management options including
prevention, re-use and recycling of waste.
>>We will work with the business sector from early-market
engagement to the delivery of solutions that support local
sustainability goals and that meet the needs of all citizens. We
will use our procurement power to green our economies.

RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT
to anticipate, prevent, absorb and recover from shocks andstresses, in particular those brought about by rapid environmental,
technological, social and demographic change, and to improve
essential basic response structures and functions.
>>We will make resilience a core part of our municipal strategies
and prepare for new risks and impacts taking into account therights and needs of vulnerable sections of our society.
>>We will continuously strengthen our essential systems, including
our municipal operations, to prevent, absorb and recover fromshocks, stresses and unforeseen changes, alleviating the burden
on people and the environment.
>>We will pursue a transparent and inclusive approach on
resilience that will enhance trust in our institutions and theprocesses that support them.

28

EQUITABLE AND PEOPLE-CENTEREDDEVELOPMENT
to build more just, livable and inclusive urban communities andaddress poverty.
>>We will pursue processes and patterns of an “inclusive
development for all” that safeguard the natural support systems
for human life.
>>We will ensure that the natural and built environment in andaround cities improves livability and safety, mitigates disease,promotes human health and well-being. We pursue secure andsafe access to food, water, energy, sanitation for all, culture andeducation, as well as clean air and soil.
>>We will create and sustain human-centered, safe, and culturally
vibrant communities where tangible and non-tangible cultural
heritage activities are important assets and where diversity is
woven into the social fabric.

29

O U R P O L I C Y APPR O A CH E S
T O D R I V E G L O BALT R A NSF O R M AT I O N
By applying sustainable development
principles within a local and regional
context, ICLEI Members can effectively
address and even reverse detrimental
practices, bridging divides andconnecting actors, sectors andregions of the world.
To support this commitment andstrategic vision, we will strengthentransformative, innovative
niches of sustainability, undertake
necessary regulation, mitigate
and manage social andenvironmental risk and halt
the many manifestationsof unsustainable behavior
in our jurisdictions.

N I C E I M AG E

30

SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE &MANAGEMENT: SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORTWE WILL PRIORITIZE DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSIVITY ACROSS OURADMINISTRATIONS AND COMMUNITIES.
Diversity in race, color, religion, creed, gender, age, physical andmental capabilities and sexual orientation will be a source ofstrength, innovation and new ideas. We celebrate the diversity of thecommunities we represent and ensure that the distinct voices andinterests within them are heard.

WE WILL STRENGTHEN COOPERATION
AT A REGIONAL SCALE.
Cities are inextricably linked with and depend on the peri-urban
and rural areas and their ecosystems. We will therefore formulate
and implement urban sustainable development strategies that aredesigned with a territorial and supply-chain approach.

31

WE WILL BRING THE VOICE OF OUR
CITIZENS TO THE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT DEBATE.
Local, national and global policy must be shaped from the groundup. Our governments are the closest to the citizens of the world,
and we can best demonstrate how development decisions impact
their real lives, every day. It is our duty to engage with the peopleof our communities, to understand their perspectives and to
spread the message globally. We will unite our voices and advocate
for appropriate, formal consultation and hearings at all relevantinternational organizations, agencies and institutions.

WE WILL FOSTER STRONG PARTNERSHIPS TOADVANCE GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY.
Delivering on the global sustainable development goals requires
coordinated action across national, regional and local governments,
multilateral organizations, international agencies, research anddevelopment institutions, as well as civil society. We will push to
redefine sustainable development as a joint effort, positioning
all levels of government to rapidly advance global sustainability
goals and seek support for our actions, including finance, capacity
building, research and innovation. We will work in partnership, fromthe UN level to the local level, to expand sustainability across theurban world.

32

INNOVATION & SCIENCE:SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MUST
WORK WITH AND FOR ALL
WE WILL USE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ASA TOOL FOR INCLUSION AND SAFEGUARDSUSTAINABILITY-DRIVEN DIGITALIZATION.
Our connected, technological world creates many new challenges
and risks for sustainable cities, including data security risks,
increased infrastructure vulnerability and large resource use. At
the same time, technology provides new tools for community
engagement, data collection and co-creation of solutions. We will
promote conscious, sustainability-driven use of these tools to
promote citizen-driven action, crowdsourced ideas and co-designed
solutions, bridging all forms of the social divide. We will use these
open processes to empower communities and to enable citizens todrive digitalization transparently, democratically, safely, responsibly
and in line with sustainability principles.

33

WE WILL PROMOTE EVIDENCE-DRIVEN ANDSCIENCE-BASED POLICY AND ACTION AT ALL
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
Scientific evidence and practitioner expertise are the foundationsof sound policy. We will improve the collection, creation anddissemination of scientifically sound knowledge and accurate
information and enhance transparency and accountability in theprocess. We will take such information to national and global
conversations, making sure that decisions are connected to what
happens on the ground. We will empower our officials and leaders
to collaborate with the scientific community, increase funding for
urban research, craft and jointly pursue targeted research agendas
as well as co-create and apply new knowledge and insights.

WE WILL DRIVE INNOVATION THROUGH CITYBUSINESS COLLABORATION AND CREATE SPACEFOR OPEN INNOVATION.
Participatory planning and development has entered a new age of
co-design and co-creation. We will set up partnerships with institutions
and communities to generate ideas, test solutions and evaluate thepotential impacts of new policies based on real-life scenarios.

34

FINANCE: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTNEEDS INNOVATIVE MODELS OF FINANCEWE WILL SHIFT THE FINANCING AND
PROCUREMENT LANDSCAPE.
All the aforementioned activity requires financing and we will seek
funding partnerships to support our long term commitment. Making
funding more directly accessible to all levels of government anddistributing that same funding more appropriately is essential toadvance sustainable development at our level.
We will push to unlock financing for our projects and will design
innovative local mechanisms to raise capital and increasesustainable investments. We will use our public procurement
potential as an instrument to accelerate the uptake of sustainable
and innovative products and services.

35

Sustainable development is the only viable
pathway for global change in today’s world.
We will deliver visionary leadership and political support to accelerateaction on sustainable development worldwide. We will lead byexample, share our knowledge openly and speak with a united voice.
We will create lasting mechanisms for change that make sustainability
a permanent framework, informing all development decisions. This
global imperative is vulnerable to political shifts at any moment – andwe need durable forces to carry us forward.
The ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision is our pledge
to make sustainable development the only model for developmentin the urban 21st century. Our joint programs, projects, initiatives,
research, capacity building and advocacy in ICLEI drive worldwide
action. Our mutual support for and solidarity with one anotherare core reasons why we are part of ICLEI. Our interactions build
a global movement that includes a growing number of local andregional governments worldwide. We spark local action at a global
scale and in doing so we leverage the power of the ICLEI network
The world is watching our actions and takes cues from our ambition.
This ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision “Building a
Sustainable Urban World “ was adopted by the ICLEI Council on 30
May 2018, in advance to the ICLEI World Congress 2018 in Montréal,
Canada and is referred to as the ICLEI Montréal Commitment andStrategic Vision 2018-2024. This ICLEI Montréal Commitment andStrategic Vision provides strategic orientation for action by ICLEIMembers and network cities, of any size, at any subnational level,on any continent and where a sustainable model of development
may soon take hold or is already well ongoing. It lays out how
ICLEI Members and network-cities advance sustainable urban
development, now through 2024, locally and globally, in an era
where new game-changing global frameworks have come into
force, including the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, and where a
new model of sustainable development governance that includes
more stakeholders is emerging.
The ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision informs the
ICLEI Global Action Plan 2018-2021 that provides an overview ofprograms, projects, initiatives, research, capacity building andadvocacy that ICLEI offices will undertake, now through 2021, and inwhich ICLEI Members and network cities can participate to fulfill the
ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024.

36

37

THE ICLEIMONTRÉALACTION PLAN
2018-2021

38

DRIVING THE MONTRÉALCOMMITMENT FORWARD

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021
Cities are complex systems. The components of urban systems,
from food distribution networks and energy grids to transportand greenways, are interconnected and dynamic. Intervening tocreate change in any one of these components may impact others,
creating systemic change. Designing solutions that take theseinterconnections into account is critical to sustainable development
and has a marked impact on urban citizens.
The five ICLEI pathways towards low emission, nature-based,
equitable, resilient and circular development are designed to create
systemic change.
The pathways are a framework for designing integrated solutions
that balance the patterns of human life and the built and naturalenvironments. They are a basis for sustainable urban developmentthat considers the complexity or urban systems. The pathways
encourage holistic thinking to ensure that ICLEI optimizes our impact.
For instance, we consider how nature-based development contributes
to resilience, or how to bring equity into low emission development.
When these pathways guide local and regional development,
urban systems become more sustainable. Local and regional
governments use these these pathways to achieve sustainableurban development through systemic change. Each individual
pathway is multidimensional, incorporating numerous strategies
for sustainable development. As part of the low emission pathway,
for example, we look at anything from transport and buildings toenergy, waste, health andeconomic impact.
We design our work
to integrate as many
pathways as possible.
When more pathways areintegrated into any given
activity, such as a project,
partnership or initiative, agreater degree of change
can occur.

40

130 CONCRETE
ACTIONS AND
INITIATIVES AS
OF JUNE 2018

3,572 CITIESAND REGIONSINVOLVED

Often, our activities are guided
by a predominant pathway or setof pathways. In any given city or
region, multiple activities may be
implemented along each pathway.
Here we demonstrate how eachactivity - represented by the weave- incorporates different pathways.
These activities help local andregional governments advancesustainable urban development.
By incorporating the pathways into
our work, entire urban systems become more sustainable.
Urban systems are part of a broader city-region territory. Local andregional governments and their urban systems are interconnected.
We address city-to-city and rural-urban linkages to create amultiplier effect. Our network of more than 1,750 local and regional
governments drives sustainable urban development worldwide.

41

T HE 5 P AT H WAYS: H O W THEYA D V A N C E T H E SUSTAINABLE
D E V E L O PM E NT G OA L S

NATURE-BASED DEVELOPMENTRESILIENT DEVELOPMENT

42

LOW EMISSION DEVELOPMENTCIRCULAR DEVELOPMENTEQUITABLE AND PEOPLE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT

43

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Air quality, energy, transport andmobility
We manage the East Asia Clean Air Cities program,aiming to foster regional cooperation between
local governments, partners and solution providers
from academia and private sectors, as a responseto the urgent need for air quality improvements.
9 cities: East Asia>>Entry points: Air quality, transport and mobility,
energyWe promote the implementation of short-lived
climate pollutant reduction strategies bymobilizing and empowering the health sector anddemonstrating the full range of health benefits thatcan be achieved at the city level.
Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia>>Entry point: Biodiversity and ecosystems
We conduct thorough needs assessments on
biodiversity and ecosystem services and craft thenecessary capacity development and knowledge
exchange strategies to improve human well-being,
alleviate poverty and strengthen resilience among
the urban poor across Africa.
8 cities: Africa

We strengthen local and regional government
capacity to effectively and equitably manage
protected areas and other area-based conservation
measures, which has led to a 5 percent increasein the number of new areas registered in national
systems each year.
South America

44

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry point: Biodiversity and ecosystems
We engage cities in refining and mainstreaming
innovative mechanisms for climate change
adaptation and greater human well being throughnature-based solutions.
Europe, South America>>Entry points: Biodiversity and ecosystems, data
and reporting
We provide a global platform for local andcity-region biodiversity and nature-based targets,highlighting solutions and tools to mainstream
green infrastructure options into all sectors such asplanning, budgeting, health, water and infrastructure.
Globally>>Entry points: Biodiversity and ecosystems, finance,
infrastructure
We collect and create new nature-based solutions
for cities, defining new models for financing andimplementation and scaling-up good practices bytransferring knowledge between world regions tobring nature-based development to cities globally.
25 cities: East Asia, Europe, South America>>Entry points: Biodiversity and ecosystems, policy
and advocacy
We guide all levels of governments on 13 action
areas that promote integration, coordination andcooperation in developing and implementing
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans
under the Convention of Biological Diversity.
Globally45

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Biodiversity and ecosystems,
policy and advocacy
We support subnational government efforts toachieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets through an
initiative established during the Convention on
Biological Diversity COP13 in Cancun, Mexico in 2016.
Globally

We support the Assam State Government in preparing
a nomination dossier which highlights the uniquenatural and cultural heritage of Majuli Island, enabling
it to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
1 region: South Asia>>Entry points: Biodiversity and ecosystems,
urban and rural linkages
We integrate nature in fast-growing city regionsin Asia, Africa and South Amercia and support alllevels of government to coordinate their efforts formainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services
into core subnational government functions.
9 cities: Africa, South America, South Asia

We seek and promote innovative local solutions
to complex issues around natural capital and thedegradation of ecosystem services by integratingurban development and biodiversity management
at the local level worldwide.
6 cities: globally46

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry point: Climate
We engage in innovative research to look at therole that personal perception and individual andcultural values play in the interpretation of climate
risk narratives in Africa.
3 cities: Africa

We enable cities worldwide to successfully monitor
locally-relevant low carbon programs and projects,
by providing political decision makers with the
big picture and providing detailed guidance andpractice-oriented resources to technical staff
through an open access, online, low emission
development platform.
Globally

We organize workshops to carry out the Disaster
Resilience Scorecard for Cities with local
governments in China and the Pacific, in order tosupport implementation of the Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction.
10 cities: East Asia and Oceania

We strengthen cooperation between municipalitiesin Germany and the Global South around climatechange mitigation and adaptation through joint
action programs.
9 cities and 1 region: Europe and Southeast Asia

We support municipal leadership in Brazilian state
capital cities with efforts to raise awareness andambition on environmental policy and embed a
climate change lens across all urban planning.
27 cities: South America

47

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry point: Climate
We work with the national non-governmentalorganizations in South America to produce
web-based, analytically friendly documents andtools to assess the evolution of country andregional greenhouse gas emissions and pathways,
with a specific focus on waste sector emissions.
South America

We support broad-based, inclusive, and resilient
economic growth by mentoring emerging
secondary cities on integrated climate action
planning while promoting local economic
development.
6 cities: Southeast Asia

We offer a comprehensive approach and tools
to support low emission development policies,
through collective trainings and tailored support.
60 cities: South America>>Entry points: Climate, biodiversity and ecosystems,
urban and rural linkages
To address frequent and increasingly devastating
disasters impacting Pacific Island Cities, we use
the Sendai Framework tools to enact disaster risk
reduction assement, planning and development
priorities.
5 cities: Oceania

48

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Climate, data and reporting
We have cloud-based adaptation planning softwarethat guides local and regional governments
worldwide through future climate hazards,
enabling them to create vulnerability assessments
and design adaptation strategies that improve
community climate resilience.
Globally

We engage local governments and stakeholders
in climate change assessments, building capacity
to use climate data, identifying local vulnerabilities
and assessing and prioritizing risk to begin thedevelopment of local action plans in North America.
30 cities/regions: North America>>Entry points: Climate, data and reporting, energy
We offer a comprehensive methodology to cities
worldwide, using a nine-step process with tools, bestpractices and management support to assess thegreen economy and green infrastructure as part ofpursuing a low emission development trajectory.
Globally>>Entry points: Climate, data and reporting,policy and advocacy
We capacitate local governments in Southeast Asia
to develop inclusive low emission development
strategies through active citizen engagement andintegration of stakeholder pledges into targets andplanned activities, ultimately raising the level ofambition in national climate action plans submitted
under the Paris Agreement.
9 cities: Southeast Asia

49

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Climate, data and reporting,policy and advocacy
We build the capacity of Canadian local
governments to adapt to climate change andincrease their resilience, offering a suite ofsolutions, including planning tools, vulnerability
and risk assessment resources, stakeholder
consultation workshops and peer and partner
networking opportunities.
50 cities: North America>>Entry points: Climate, data and reporting,science and research
We enable cities in North America to calculate,
forecast, plan and monitor emissions under allcommunity and local government operation
protocols through the ClearPath online suite ofemissions management tools.
383 cities: North America

We work as part of the City Climate Planner
Certificate Program to train and certify
professionals working with greenhouse gas
inventories, offering skills development indesigning, planning and implementing green
growth initiatives, in order to increase the global
talent base of local climate planning specialists.
Globally50

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Climate, energy
We support regional innovation strategies andinterregional cooperation for local and regional
development as a means to boost sustainableurban development under the Global Covenant ofMayors for Climate and Energy.
Globally>>Entry points: Climate, energy, data and reporting
We are a founding partner of the Global Covenantof Mayors for Climate and Energy and support
cities and other subnational governments incomplying with the climate commitment process,enabling them to make unique commitments andtake action within their local context, in ways andat a pace that are appropriate to address theirprioritized development actions and fitted to theirmeans and aspirations.
Globally

We build synergies between local and national
stakeholders to encourage a public policy
framework for climate change mitigation andadaptation actions throughout Mexico.
280 cities: Latin America & Caribbean>>Entry points: Climate, energy, policy and advocacy
We provide training on mitigation andenvironmental education for public servantsand representatives from the industrial sector to
support local governments in Chinese Taipei inbecoming low carbon cities.
East Asia

51

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Climate, infrastructure, finance
We provide accessible, timely, applicable anddefensible climate information to empower
decision makers to develop urban and rural plans,investments and infrastructure towards moreclimate resilience in Africa.
9 cities: Africa>>Entry points: Climate, policy and advocacy
We are training and building agents of change forclimate adaptation in communities across Canada,
engaging with a range of stakeholders and decision
makers to identify local climate impacts and theactions each can take to reduce vulnerability to
climate change impacts locally.
8 cities: North America

We advance the development of country-led
strategic plans in Asia that promote economic
growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,while supporting national governments inaccelerating implementation of robust NDCs - thenational climate action plans submitted under
the Paris Agreement.
South Asia and Southeast Asia

52

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Climate, policy and advocacy,
data and reporting
We use multilevel action to accelerate low-emission
development and climate resilience across cities
worldwide, strengthening cooperation and data
sharing across national and local governments andworking at the city level on capacity development,
pilot projects and finance models designed toadvance implementation and deliver on global
climate goals.
60 cities: globally>>Entry points: Climate, policy and advocacy,transport and mobility
We enable cities and communities worldwide
to consistently measure and report emissions
and develop climate action plans and low
emission development strategies by providing
technical guidance on applying the GPC, the Global
Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas
Emission Inventories.
5,000+ cities: globally>>Entry points: Climate, private sector engagement
We educate homeowners and residents on theimpacts of natural hazards and extreme weather,and how to prepare for these events, through aninnovative mobile app.
Globally

53

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Climate, private sector engagement,
policy and advocacy
We work with the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities to build capacity across Canadianmunicipalities, by providing accounting andplanning tools, knowledge development resources,
training workshops and peer networks that enable
them to reduce greenhouse gases emissions andtake comprehensive climate action.
350 cities: North America>>Entry points: Climate, science and research
We use a transdisciplinary learning approachand scientific research to provide accessible,
timely, applicable and defensible climate
information needed by decision makers operating
at the city and regional scale, strengthening
their understanding of climate processes trends
that drive the southern African climate
system variability.
Africa>>Entry points: Climate, transport and mobility,waste
We catalyze and facilitate local government
action to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in communities throughout California,coaching cities to create community-based
greenhouse gas inventories through an online
learning management system and ClearPath.
200 cities: North America

54

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Climate, urban and rural linkages,
biodiversity and ecosystems
We advance sustainable island and island
urban development, with a specific focus onresilience and systems planning, coastal fisheries
management, ecosystems services, post-disasterrecovery and sustainable tourism, by leveraging
innovative financing solutions and twinning island
cities with shoreline cities and regions that deliverglobally scalable solutions.
Globally>>Entry points: Data and reporting, climate
We engage and prepare cities for the global
One Planet City Challenge to recognize theirachievements, by facilitating cross-disciplinary,city-wide sustainability efforts, while providing
assistance on reporting through the carbonn
Climate Registry.
130 cities: globally>>Entry points: Data and reporting, procurement
We contribute to the development and piloting of
the European Commission Life Cycle Costing tools,
enabling them to carry out life cycle costing thatconsiders all costs incurred during the lifetime ofa product, work or service, including externalities
such as greenhouse gas emissions.
Europe55

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Data and reporting,science and research, policy and advocacy
We created contribution analysis methodology
to illustrate the drivers of change in greenhousegas emissions over time, informing a city or
region of program efficacy and opportunities toadvocate stronger policy across multiple levels ofgovernment in the United States.
20 cities, 3 regions: North America>>Entry point: Energy
We aim to mainstream the prosumer phenomenon
into the European Energy Union, while
supporting citizen participation, inclusiveness andtransparency, contributing to a sustainable energy
transition through decentralized approaches
towards 2030 and 2050.
9 regions: Europe>>Entry points: Energy, climate, data and reporting
We strengthen the capacities of cities in Africa
to provide access to sufficient, sustainable andsafe energy and related services to urban andperi-urban populations, with special attention
to energy efficiency and renewable energy as
drivers for local low emission, climate resilient,sustainable development.
13 cities: Africa

56

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Energy, climate,science and research
We support cities and regions setting 100 percent
renewable energy targets globally, by providing a
global forum for discussion and exchange among
policymakers and practitioners from various levelsof government, energy experts, service providers,
researchers and business representatives thatcreates a multiplier effect for local action on
renewable energy.
Globally>>Entry points: Energy, infrastructure, climate
We strengthen the capacities of Indian cities to
identify, plan and implement measures to achieve
low carbon growth and enhance resilience,
positioning cities to address the growing demandfor energy, infrastructure and services.
4 cities and 4 regions: South Asia>>Entry points: Energy, infrastructure, smart cities
We strategize ways to increase the value ofexisting buildings through significant energy andarchitectural transformation, ranging from facade
additions to rooftop extensions, in order to reach
the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings and extreme
renovation goal in Europe.
Europe57

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Energy, policy and advocacy, finance
We assess the potential for district energy
systems, which produce steam, hot water orchilled water at a central plant, making themmuch more efficient and less energy consuming,and develop integrated roadmaps for energy
policy and investment in South Asia.
5 cities: South Asia>>Entry points: Energy, policy and advocacy,
private sector engagement
We offer a simple and convenient online process
for pre-screened installers to compete for cityregion bids, making it easier for North American
communities to switch to solar energy.
8 cities: North America>>Entry points: Energy, private sector engagement,
climateWe aim to decarbonize heating and cooling in an
integrated energy system, by accelerating dialogues
across levels of government and stakeholder
groups, and by providing methods, data, andtools to enable more sophisticated and affordable
thermal energy system planning in Europe.
4 cities: Europe58

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Energy, private sector engagement,
policy and advocacy
We support cities and regions in Asia, Africa andSouth America in developing community-wide 100
percent renewable energy strategies, by increasingawareness and stakeholder engagement andassessing project concepts, financeability andimplementation plans.
175 cities: globally>>Entry points: Energy, private sector engagement,science and research
We support and promote sustainable productionof renewable resources from land, fisheries andaquaculture, and their conversion into bio-based
products and bio-energy to drive growth in newjobs and industries in the bio-economy in Europe.
Europe>>Entry points: Finance, climate, energy
We identify medium to large scale climate andenergy projects in Africa to further develop theminto bankable joint venture initiatives with private
sector financiers.
Africa59

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Finance, infrastructure, climate
We facilitate peer-to-peer exchange, learning
events and webinars and opportunities to engage
in global fora for local governments participating in
the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities.
28 cities: Africa, Latin America & Caribbean,
South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia

We close the cities and finance gap throughinfrastructure project pipelining for the European
Investment Bank, with cities across Mexico.
5 cities: Latin America & Caribbean>>Entry points: Finance, private sector engagement
We catalyze and improve capital flows tocities, towns and regions and strengthen theircapacity to access climate finance and attract
investment through a robust pipeline of innovative
and ambitious local projects that promotes
transformation toward more resilient andsustainable cities and regions.
80+ cities and regions: globally>>Entry point: Food systems
We promote food security, social inclusion,
economic development and environmental
resource management by combining networking
with training, policy guidance and technicalexpertise on city-region food systems worldwide.
20+ cities: globally60

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Food systems, climate,biodiversity and ecosystems
We explore the intersection of food systems,
natural resources management and climate change
in Small Islands Developing States to identify
coherent and context-specific adaptation andmitigation measures.
Globally>>Entry points: Food systems, policy and advocacy
We promote and enable subnational government
engagement in food policy and action with a focus
on the global targets and ambitions articulated
in Sustainable Development Goal 2 and throughinitiatives such as the Milan Food Pact.
8 cities, 1 region: Africa>>Entry points: Food systems, water, energy
We support the development of frameworks andtools that guide urban governance on the foodwater-energy nexus, delivering innovative solutions
to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss,
while advancing development goals from foodsecurity to job creation across cities worldwide.
8 cities: Africa, South America, Southeast Asia

We link urban development and natural resourcesmanagement in South Asia by introducing,promoting and facilitating the adoption of
integrated planning and management approaches,
specifically focused on the food-water-energy
nexus in developing infrastructure projects.
3 cities: South Asia

61

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Food systems, water, energy
We explore the interactions and dependencies
between rural, peri-urban and urban areas
promoting policies, governance models andpractices that foster mutually beneficial relations.
12 regions: Europe

We facilitate integrated resource management acrossthe water, food and energy sectors in Southeast Asia
through concrete pilot projects, following supportive,
inclusive development principles.
4 cities: Southeast Asia>>Entry points: Infrastructure, policy and advocacy,science and research
We support industrial legacy cities around the world
to identify common challenges, share knowledge
and co-create solutions as part of managing theirenvironmental, economic and social transition to asustainable future.
11 cities: East Asia, Europe, North America>>Entry points: Infrastructure, policy and advocacy,
climateWe offer high impact capacity building on climate
resilience for decision makers and stakeholders
representing indigenous and northern
communities, the private sector, and local andregional governments.
30 cities: North America

62

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry point: Policy and advocacy
We are raising awareness of the Sustainable
Development Goals across East Asia, with a focus
on SDG 11 for sustainable cities and communities,
while providing capacity building on policies that
support local implementation.
11 cities, 1 region: East Asia

We accelerate the uptake of the BasqueDeclaration, which outlines new pathways for
European cities and towns to create productive,
sustainable and resilient cities for a livableand inclusive Europe through sociocultural,socioeconomic and technological transformation.
487 cities and regions: Europe

We support the Indian national government
in implementing the National Heritage City
Development and Augmentation Yojana Scheme inorder to bring together urban planning, economic
growth and heritage conservation.
12 cities: South Asia

We improve visibility, recognition and support
for local and regional governments in the
United Nations system and other global andregional processes, by enhancing dialogue andcollaboration on the delivery and advancement ofagendas and processes on sustainability.
Globally

We support the leading national sustainable cities
initiative in Japan, and have been actively involved
from the beginning to support localization of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
East Asia

63

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry point: Policy and advocacy
We enhance strategic planning, networking,coordination, advocacy and dissemination activities
by the Global Task Force of Local and Regional
Governments as part of its relations to United
Nations member states and decision making bodies.
Globally

We actively contribute to the reform efforts
to make the United Nations system fit for thesustainable development agenda and ensure
enhanced collaboration with all levels ofgovernments, including the development ofcustomized strategies at the national level.
Globally

We actively engage in advocacy and resource
mobilization with the African Capital Cities
Sustainability Forum, which runs a growing network
for the mayors of capital cities across Africa toachieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Africa>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy, climate
We support cities and regions laying out their
2050 visions for sustainable societies and climate
neutrality, encouraging them to join KYOTO+20 andcultivate sustainable cities that are in balance withthe local and global environment.
Globally

We build synergies between local and national
stakeholders to encourage a public policy
framework on climate change mitigation andadaptation actions throughout Mexico.
280 cities: Latin America & Caribbean64

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy, climate, finance
We work with a coalition of countries andinstitutions working to mobilize support for
implementation of NDCs, national climate actionplans submitted under the Paris Agreement,
to integrate subnational governments into theprocess, through multilevel governance working
groups, knowledge products and tools, country
engagement and global events at major fora.
Globally>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy, finance, climate
We mobilize and guide local and regional
governments in Europe to develop long-term
energy policy priorities, while promoting a
multilevel governance approach and supporting
the development, financing and implementation of
integrated sustainable energy and climate actionplans, enabling cities to achieve climate resilienceand carbon neutrality by 2050.
70+ cities: Europe>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy, food systems
We raise awareness on how local and regional
governments can impact city-region food systems,
by developing knowledge materials that help themadvocate and empower subnational leadership to
support resilient food szstems globally.
Globally

65THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy,
infrastructure, energy
We accelerate the implementation of building
efficiency policies and programs across cities in
the Global South, in direct support of the Building
Efficiency Accelerator, in order to translate global
expertise into action in cities.
6 cities: Southeast Asia>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy,
private sector engagement
We engage stakeholders in sub-Saharan African
cities in the co-production and implementationof improved collaborative municipal planningmechanisms, such as multi-sectoral forums,
conferences, community-led mapping, ward
committees and think tanks, while investigating
how enhanced collaboration enables climate
resilient development.
2 cities: Africa>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy,science and research
We engage local, national and global decision
makers, along with city staff and urban resilienceand adaptation experts in a global platform
designed to assess global resilience indicatorsand forge new partnerships to advance resilient
urban development.
Globally66

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Policy and advocacy, smart cities
We research, campaign, build capacity andadvocate for fair Information and Communications
Technology for workers and those impacted along
different stages of the ICT supply chain in Europe.
EuropeWe build local capacity to improve quality oflife, supporting local elected representatives
and authorities in South Asia to create, enable
and institutionalize equitable and inclusive
governance mechanisms.
4 cities, 4 regions: South Asia>>Entry points: Private sector engagement, climate
We implement City Learning Labs to gather a broad
range of knowledge-holders and decision-makers
in developing a deep, shared understanding of
the most critical urban issues linked to climate inEuropean cities.
Europe>>Entry points: Private sector engagement,science and research, smart cities
We serve as a knowledge broker to bridge thegap between research, policy-making and action
in sustainable development, connecting local
governments and stakeholder groups such as
researchers, civil society initiatives and start-ups
across Europe.
Europe67

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Private sector engagement,
smart cities
Through our City-Business Collaboration
Accelerator - CiBiX - we foster city-businesscollaboration worldwide for sustainable
development through demand-driven, facilitatedmarket engagement.
Globally>>Entry point: Procurement
We create markets for innovative and sustainableproducts and services, and help meet global andlocal sustainability goals by building connections,facilitating exchange and providing implementation
guidance.
14 cities/regions: globally

We support higher uptake of green public
procurement by providing high-quality training
material and targeted training schemes to improve
procurement practices across the European Union.
100 cities: Europe

We equip non-governmental organizations to workwith local, regional and national governments tofacilitate the uptake of green public procurementin Europe.
EuropeWe run a network of European public authorities toconnect, exchange and guide the implementationof sustainable and innovative public procurement.
50 cities and regions: Europe

68T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Procurement, energy,
private sector engagement
We support and connect local governments andpublic authorities in East Asia to enhance sustainable
and green procurement through technical consulting
services, capacity building and exchange programs,
ultimately developing green criteria in specific sectors
and local green purchasing policies.
5 cities/regions: East Asia>>Entry points: Procurement, policy and advocacy
We improve institutional support for public sector
procurement of Information and Communication
Technologies in Europe by establishing andexpanding competence centers for innovation
procurement that change existing practices.
Europe>>Entry points: Procurement,
private sector engagement
We develop sustainable procurement practices
in Africa, facilitating peer exchange andimplementing direct programming in partnershipwith the private sector.
Africa>>Entry points: Procurement,
private sector engagement, waste
We provide cities with expert advice and mentoring
to deliver circular procurement approaches as acatalyst for market uptake of innovative circular
products and services.
3 cities: Europe

69

THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Procurement, science and research
We accelerate knowledge transfer and dialogue
and raise awareness of innovative public
procurement in the field of Education andTechnology Enhanced Learning across Europe.
5 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Procurement, waste
We enhance urban environmental resilience andfacilitate the shift towards sustainable production
and consumption through the development
and testing of methodologies for designing andimplementing strategic plans for waste prevention
and management in European cities.
8 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Science and research, climate
We tackle community issues and advance local
priorities related to natural hazards, natural
resources and climate change in North American
cities, by bringing together volunteer scientists
and community leaders to make use of earth andspace science.
4 cities: North America

70

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Science and research, climate
ICLEI advances global dialogue and action thatlinks science, policy and practice, by convening
city leaders and practitioners with research andacademia, national governments and entrepreneurs
to examine policy gaps and opportunities, ultimately
supporting the global Innovate4Cities accelerator
that defines research and innovation priorities toinform national research agendas and analyses - asgalvanized by the Edmonton Declaration in supportof CitiesIPCC process.
Globally>>Entry points: Science and research,data and reporting
We engage local governments in transformative
societal change through academic and professional
education on theory and practice, as well as peerto-peer learning processes between 15 frontrunnercities and twice as many other cities within Europe.
15 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Science and research,smart cities, energy
We screen, analyze and replicate feasible solutions
for socially inclusive and environmentally soundsolutions in wind energy-scarce regions, increasing
the overall market uptake of wind energy in Europe.
11 regions: Europe

71THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry point: Smart cities
As part of smart city demonstration projects,
we lead critical and open debates on how smart
solutions impact social cohesion and urban
environmental goals, ultimately shaping the smart
cities debate across Europe.
50 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Smart cities, climate, infrastructure
We support Indian cities in developing sustainable,
resilient and climate sensitive infrastructure
through dialogue between local financial players,
public sector actors and project developers,
catalyzing change across other Indian cities.
3 cities: South Asia>>Entry points: Smart cities, data and reporting
We explore the use of social media and other
Information and Communications Technology
solutions to enhance public participation and urban
co-creation in European cities, giving citizens accessto easily digestible city data and enabling them tobetter support the decision-making process.
3 cities: South Asia>>Entry points: Smart cities, private sector
engagement, science and research
We demonstrate how to combine Information
and Communications Technology, e-mobility andenergy solutions to design smart, resilient cities
for all in partnership with the private sector andresearch institutions.
25 cities: Europe72

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry point: Transport and mobility
We guide school efforts to get pupils out ofcars and onto bikes in order to positively impact
road network congestion, enhance safety andreduce negative effects of public transportdelays in Europe.
9 cities: Europe

We engage in TUMI, the Transformative Urban
Mobility Initiative by the German government,
which advances sustainable urban mobility indeveloping countries and emerging economies, by
focusing on networking among committed cities in
the Global South.
20 cities: Africa

We enable cities to advance on the Kaohsiung
Strategies for the Future of Urban Mobility, an
implementation framework for the Shared Mobility
Principles, a cooperation platform aiming toadvance a new urban mobility paradigm.
Globally>>Entry points: Transport and mobility,
air quality, climate
We convene urban transportation stakeholders
in European cities to develop and implement
Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans and strategize
how to effectively switch to walking, cycling, public
transport and shared electric mobility.
150+ cities: Europe

73THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Transport and mobility,
air quality, climate
We engage passionate cycling advocates in a culturaland technical journey to reshape future cycling
capitals in Europe, leading to improved quality oflife, better public health, less traffic congestion, acleaner environment and economic growth.
13 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Transport and mobility, climate
We lead the EcoMobility Alliance in pioneering
integrated transport options that areenvironmentally-friendly, socially inclusive
and urban space-friendly, by connecting themwith experts, businesses and internationalorganizations, ultimately strengthening sustainableurban transport globally.
23 cities: globally

We stimulate new mobility policies which put
people, rather than cars, at the center, byorganizing EcoMobility World Festivals that turn asingle neighborhood into an ecomobile, car-freezone for one month, coinciding with a global
congress that sparks debate on low emission,
human centered and city friendly mobility.
Globally

We develop and showcase an integrated andcomprehensive approach to address urban
transport issues and promote a sustainablebuilt environment by implementing nationally
recommended steps and strategies.
4 cities: South Asia

74

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Transport and mobility, climate
We enable cities to assess their mobility systems,
identify priorities for improvement, and monitor
progress with our SHIFT methodology, whilebuilding capacity, creating political momentum andadvising cities on sustainable urban transport.
Globally>>Entry points: Transport and mobility,
climate, air quality
We analyze transportation footprints and develop
innovative procurement plans to deliver solutions
for zero emission urban delivery of goods andservices in European cities.
3 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Transport and mobility, energy,
private sector engagement
We empower cities and municipalities to makethe transition to zero emission, sustainablemobility with innovative business models,
technologies and guidelines for cost efficient andsuccessful deployment and operation of charging
infrastructure for electric vehicles.
50+ cities and regions: Europe

75THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Transport and mobility,
private sector engagement
We build capacity across local governments todevelop and implement low carbon urban freightpolicies and practices through urban freight
emission assessment tools, pilot demonstration
projects, taking a multilevel governanceapproach designed to shape national policy
recommendations.
3+ cities: South America, South Asia>>Entry points: Transport and mobility,
smart cities, science and research
We bring global practices to Indian cities andprovide greater access to technical expertise andknowledge exchange in order to deliver moreclimate-safe and people-friendly mobility in cities.
2 cities: South Asia>>Entry point: Waste
We develop and test methods for waste prevention
and management, shifting towards sustainableproduction and consumption, and enhancing
urban environmental resilience in European cities.
8 cities: Europe

We provide technical support to assess urban
waste management baselines, engaging all relevant
stakeholders in dialogue to arrive at potential
mechanisms, plans and projects to address waste
management issues in South Asian cities, while
preparing for future growth.
2 cities: South Asia

76

T HE I CLEI M O N T R É A L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8- 2021>>Entry points: Waste, private sector engagement
To support cities in managing resources anddealing with waste crises, we bridge the public andprivate sectors and facilitate west-east city-to-city
knowledge exchange to stimulate innovation thatbuilds the circular economy.
East Asia, Europe

We support and work with European cities
and industry to transform plastic waste into
valuable products.
5 cities: Europe>>Entry points: Water, climate
We improve coordination and integration among
African and European stakeholders active in waterand climate initiatives, to improve resilience toclimate change across all five regions of Africa.
5 regions: Africa>>Entry points: Water, policy and advocacy
We provide a unique platform that enables local
governments to exchange knowledge on emerging
issues and innovations to achieve a paradigm shift
towards more sustainable, resilient and equitableurban water and sanitation practices in Africa.
AfricaWe prepare a coherent and representative
framework on sustainable water management at
local level to support the implementation of theEuropean Union water policy and the SDGs.
25 cities: Europe

77THE I CL E I M O N TR ÉA L
A CT I O N PL AN 2 0 1 8 -2021>>Entry points: Water, urban and rural linkages,
policy and advocacy
We enable integrated urban water management
through participatory catchment planning, decision
making tools, preparation of catchment level
action plans and multi-pronged financing to enableclimate change adaptation measures in urban
ecosystems of South Asia.
2 cities: South Asia

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VI L L E D E M O N T R ÉAL
The ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision
2018-2024 and the ICLEI Montréal Action Plan 2018-2021: thelegacy of the ICLEI World Congress in Montréal

LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY
The Ville de Montréal has positioned itself as a leader insustainability. Thanks to determined leadership, exemplary policies
and strategic initiatives, Montréal is making urban sustainability areality.
As a hub of innovation and knowledge, Montréal is advancing
an ambitious agenda. From reducing fossil fuel dependence toleveraging nature-based solutions and the circular economy,
Montréal is enacting policies and driving forward initiatives that are
making the city a resilient, inclusive and sustainable place to live.
Montréal also makes social inclusion and citizen engagement a toppriority. Different types of people bring different points of viewto the table - they see different impacts and different solutions.
It is always worth it to have these perspectives when it comes tobuilding the future, and an inclusive city provides equal rights andopportunities for participation to all.
The ICLEI World Congress 2018 focuses on the importance of placing
people at the center of the sustainable urban development, making
it work for all people, irrespective of their race, color, gender,
age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or physical and mental
capabilities. The ICLEI World Congress 2018 will serve as a call toaction for local governments to work towards urban inclusion andreconciliation as part of achieving urban sustainable development.

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VI L L E D E M O N T R ÉAL
L’engagement et Vision Strategique 2018-2024 et le Pland’Action d’ICLEI Montréal : héritage du Congrès mondial d’ICLEIà Montréal.

LEADER DU DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE
La Ville de Montréal s’est positionnée en tant que chef de fileen matière de développement durable. Grâce à un engagement
déterminé, des politiques exemplaires et des initiatives stratégiques,
Montréal fait de la durabilité urbaine une réalité.
En tant que plaque tournante de l’innovation et du savoir,
Montréal propose un programme ambitieux. De la réduction de ladépendance aux combustibles fossiles en passant par des solutions
fondées sur la nature et l’économie circulaire, Montréal met enœuvre des politiques et des initiatives faisant de la ville un lieu de vie
résilient, inclusif et durable.
Montréal accorde également une grande importance à l’inclusionsociale et à l’engagement des citoyens et citoyennes. En privilégiant
une diversité de personnes, la Ville peut profiter d’une diversité depoints de vue, tant en matière d’impacts attendus que de solutions
proposées. Cette diversité d’opinions est évidemment bienvenue
lorsqu’il s’agit de construire l’avenir et une ville inclusive qui assure àtous des droits égaux et de multiples possibilités de participation.
Le Congrès mondial ICLEI 2018 se concentre sur l’importance deplacer les individus au centre du développement urbain durable,
en assurant sa pertinence pour tous, indépendamment de leurrace, couleur, genre, âge, religion, croyance, orientation sexuelle ou
capacités physiques et mentales. Le Congrès mondial ICLEI 2018
permettra de lancer un appel aux gouvernements locaux afin qu’ilsœuvrent en faveur de l’inclusion et de la réconciliation urbaine dansle cadre de la réalisation du développement urbain durable.

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ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability e.V.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse 753113 Bonn, Germany
www.iclei.orgtel.:+49 (0)228 / 976 299 00
fax:+49 (0)228 / 976 299 01
e-mail: iclei.ws@iclei.org