ICLEI

What ICLEI does

ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability is a global membership network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments across 125+ countries, with its European Secretariat (ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH) headquartered in Freiburg, Germany. Founded in 1990, the organization is governed by its member governments through an elected Executive Committee and operates through 13+ regional secretariats spanning Africa, East Asia, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Canada, USA, Mexico/Central America/Caribbean, and South America. ICLEI is not a product company in the conventional sense; rather, it functions as a policy, advocacy, and project-implementation network that develops methodologies, toolkits, and frameworks for sustainable urban development across 11 thematic areas (Biodiversity, Circular Economy, Climate-Neutral Cities, Governance Innovation, Green Digital Transformation, Socio-Cultural Transformations, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, Sustainable and Innovation Procurement, Sustainable Energy Systems, Sustainable Food Systems, and Sustainable Mobility).

The organization's core offerings to member governments include peer-learning networks, capacity-building training, technical assistance, publications and toolkits, project consortium participation, and policy advocacy at EU and UN levels. Distribution occurs primarily through direct membership engagement by regional secretariats and through EU-funded project consortia — ICLEI leads or participates in approximately 120 EU and internationally-funded projects annually. Key flagship initiatives include the NetZeroCities platform supporting 112 EU Climate-Neutral Cities Mission cities, the Procura+ sustainable procurement network (75+ public authorities), CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature, the Berlin Urban Nature Pact, the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement, and the Buy Better Food Campaign (50+ organizations).

Revenue is generated through two principal streams: (1) recurring membership fees from local/regional governments and associate partnerships from NGOs and research institutions (specific tier pricing is not publicly disclosed); and (2) project funding and grants administered through the European Secretariat and regional offices, sourced from EU framework programs (Horizon Europe, LIFE), international development banks (KfW, EBRD, EIB), foundations (Google.org via the ICLEI Action Fund), and government agencies. The organization maintains an active role in UNFCCC COP processes and is preparing for COP31.

Name

ICLEI

Legal name

ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH

Website

https://iclei-europe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ICLEI is a global membership network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments across 125+ countries, headquartered in Freiburg, Germany. It supports member cities through peer learning, EU-funded project implementation, technical assistance, and policy advocacy across 11 sustainability themes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Local governments and associations of local governments pay membership fees to join ICLEI. Members receive access to project participation, peer networks, policy advocacy, and resources. The membership structure includes both full members (local governments) and associate partners (non-governmental organizations, research institutions, government agencies).
2. Project Funding and Grants: ICLEI receives funding through EU framework programs (Horizon Europe, LIFE, etc.), international development banks (KfW), foundations (Google.org), and government agencies to implement sustainability projects, provide technical assistance to member cities, and develop tools and resources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICLEI is a global membership network of 2,500+ local and regional governments that delivers sustainability advisory, peer-exchange programs, and project implementation services across 11 sustainability themes (climate neutrality, circular economy, biodiversity, sustainable mobility, energy, food systems, procurement, resilience, governance, green digital transformation, socio-cultural transformation). It funds activities through membership fees from city/municipal members plus EU and international project grants, and provides members with access to peer networks, technical assistance, policy advocacy at COP and EU policy processes, toolkits, and capacity-building events.

Product overview

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network organization (not a traditional product company) that supports local and regional governments in sustainable urban development. ICLEI Europe facilitates projects, provides publications and tools, operates member networks (such as Procura+), and advocates for local governments in European and global policy processes. The organization does not offer commercial software products but rather delivers value through collaborative networks, knowledge resources, and implementation support for sustainability initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICLEI Membership for Local and Regional Governments Recurring membership program for cities, municipalities, metropolitan areas, and regional authorities providing access to peer networks, EU funding pathways, technical assistance, policy advocacy, and a publications and toolkits library.
• Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network ICLEI's flagship network connecting 75+ public authorities worldwide with sustainable procurement tools, training, and peer exchange opportunities.
• Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement ICLEI-led global network supporting cities in implementing sustainable procurement practices with political and practitioner engagement.
• CitiesWithNature Initiative International initiative for cities to commit to nature-positive development; ICLEI is a founding partner alongside IUCN, UNEP, and other organizations.
• RegionsWithNature Initiative Regional government counterpart to CitiesWithNature; ICLEI provides the platform and support for regional nature commitments.
• Berlin Urban Nature Pact Commitment framework led by ICLEI for cities and regions to translate global biodiversity commitments into local action.
• NetZeroCities Platform Service ICLEI serves as the core platform partner for the EU Climate-Neutral Cities Mission, providing tailored support to 112 Mission Cities in developing Climate City Contracts.
• Local Voices for Sustainability Podcast ICLEI Europe podcast featuring member city officials discussing sustainability journeys and initiatives; available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
• ICLEI Ukraine Recovery Roadmap Program Program established in 2024 to support Ukrainian cities with sustainability and post-conflict recovery through dedicated roadmap development.
• ICLEI Action Fund (in partnership with Google.org) Granting scheme providing up to 1 million EUR per grant to non-profit and civil society organizations implementing data-driven climate action projects in cities, supported by Google.org.
• City-Industry Dialogues Initiative ICLEI-led initiative developed with Climate-KIC and WBCSD to bring together cities, businesses, and finance actors for joint implementation of climate solutions.
• City Climate Finance Gap Fund Advisory ICLEI works with the European Investment Bank to co-manage the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, developing financing schemes tailored to the investment needs of local and regional governments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 112 cities supported in developing Climate City Contracts for EU Climate-Neutral Cities Mission
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026ICLEI South Asia partnered with UNDP for the 'Youth for Action, Tiruchirappalli' hackathon on gender-sensitive urban mobility in Trichy, India.
• ICLEI USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026ICLEI USA collaborates with Center for Regulatory Ingenuity on clean technology deployment and regulatory approaches for state and local leaders in the U.S.
• Vasudha FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026ICLEI South Asia signed MoU with Coimbatore Carbon Neutral Hub and Vasudha Foundation for climate action tracker development and decarbonisation support.
• ICLEI South AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Regional secretariat providing technical support for climate action in South Asian cities, including Coimbatore decarbonisation and Tirupati water management projects.
• UNEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership through MMRDA for Mumbai Climate Week, where ICLEI signed MoU alongside WRI, C40, and ULI to advance urban climate projects across Maharashtra's 44 AMRUT cities and support climate finance strategies.
• WRIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026ICLEI partnered with World Resources Institute at Mumbai Climate Week to sign MoU for urban climate collaboration and support implementation of climate strategies across Maharashtra cities.
• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026MoU signed at Mumbai Climate Week 2026 for joint urban climate action initiatives, knowledge sharing, and collaborative implementation of climate projects across cities.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership for Mumbai Climate Week collaboration on urban development and sustainability initiatives across Maharashtra.
• Yokohama CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025ICLEI supports the Asian Circular Cities Declaration launched at Asia Smart City Conference 2025, with Yokohama as first signatory; ICLEI contributed to framework development and city engagement.
• Climate-KICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI developed City-Industry Dialogues initiative with Climate-KIC and WBCSD to bring together cities, businesses, and finance actors for joint implementation of climate solutions.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through City-Industry Dialogues initiative and city-business collaboration programs, facilitating public-private partnerships for climate action.
• BMW Foundation Herbert QuandtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in city-business collaboration ecosystem supporting responsible leadership and sustainable urban development initiatives.
• The Local AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of Europe's leading local and regional government networks (ACR+, CEMR, Climate Alliance, Energy Cities, Eurocities, FEDARENE, ICLEI, POLIS) working together on EU budget advocacy and local government representation.
• CitiesWithNaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational initiative for cities to commit to nature-positive development; ICLEI is a founding partner alongside IUCN, UNEP, and other organizations.
• RegionsWithNaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government counterpart to CitiesWithNature; ICLEI provides platform and support for regional nature commitments.
• Berlin Urban Nature PactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI leads the Berlin Urban Nature Pact, a commitment framework for cities and regions to translate global biodiversity commitments into local action.
• NetZeroCitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI is the core mission platform partner for EU Climate-Neutral Cities Mission, providing support to 112 Mission Cities through the NetZeroCities platform.
• Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI flagship network for sustainable and innovation procurement, connecting 75+ public authorities worldwide with tools, training, and peer exchange.
• Global Lead City Network on Sustainable ProcurementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI-led global network supporting cities in implementing sustainable procurement practices with political and practitioner engagement.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: The Global Covenant of Mayors is the largest international alliance of city-level climate and energy leaders, comparable in mission to ICLEI's climate work and competing for city commitments and reporting infrastructure.
• Energy Cities: Energy Cities is a European association of local authorities driving the energy transition. It overlaps directly with ICLEI on sustainable energy systems members and competes for the same municipal clients and EU funding streams.
• Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR): CEMR is the broadest European association of local and regional governments, co-member of The Local Alliance. It overlaps with ICLEI on governance advocacy and EU budget lobbying for subnational governments.
• Resilient Cities Network: Resilient Cities Network (formerly 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation) is a global city network focused on urban resilience and climate adaptation. It is a thematic peer to ICLEI's Resilience and Climate Adaptation work.
• Eurocities: Eurocities is a European network of major cities working on sustainability, mobility, social inclusion and governance. It is co-listed with ICLEI inside The Local Alliance and competes for similar city memberships and EU project work.
• Climate Alliance: Climate Alliance is a European city network focused on climate action and indigenous partnership. It is part of The Local Alliance alongside ICLEI and targets many of the same municipalities on overlapping climate and biodiversity programmes.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 is a global network of mayoral-led cities focused on climate action, directly comparable to ICLEI in serving city governments on sustainability. Both compete for EU mission delivery, COP presence, and global city climate leadership.
• FEDARENE: FEDARENE is the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment, a regional-government network sharing ICLEI's audience on energy transition, climate, and sustainable regional development.

Emerging players

• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a global research organisation that partners with cities on climate and sustainability and recently signed an MoU with ICLEI at Mumbai Climate Week. It operates adjacent research and Ross Center programmes that partially overlap ICLEI's advisory and project delivery work.

Broad incumbents

• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): UCLG is the larger global umbrella network for local and regional governments, representing cities across all sustainability and governance themes. ICLEI functions as a specialised sustainability-focused complement to UCLG's broader remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICLEI_Europe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/ICLEI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iclei-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICLEI