ICLEI Brasil

What ICLEI Brasil does

ICLEI Brasil is the national office of ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability and serves as the Regional Secretariat for South America, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. The organization is a non-profit international association of local and regional governments, founded globally in 1990, with operations in Brazil formally established in 2020 and currently connecting 95+ Brazilian subnational governments and 150+ members across 8 South American countries. ICLEI Brasil provides technical assistance, methodological frameworks, and capacity-building services to municipal and state governments on climate action planning, sustainable public procurement, air quality monitoring, urban food policy, biodiversity conservation, and youth engagement.

The organization's core "products" are programs and methodologies rather than technology products. These include the CityRAP (City Resilience Action Planning) methodology for participatory climate planning, the ARVC (Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment) framework, the CP+ (Compras Públicas Sustentáveis) sustainable procurement program, AirView+ air quality monitoring deployed in partnership with Google and Aurassure, the LUPPA urban food policy laboratory, the MonitoraPLAC climate action tracking tool, and Voluntary Local Reports (RVL) aligned with the UN SDGs. Delivery is supported by a distributed field team with subnational offices in Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and Southern Brazil, plus country offices in Argentina and Colombia.

The business model combines recurring annual membership dues (priced by region, population, and national GDP per capita) with project-based funding from institutional donors including GIZ and Germany's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the European Union, Google, FAO, and philanthropic foundations. Members receive access to the global ICLEI network of 2,500+ governments across 125+ countries, technical tools, training, and representation in international climate negotiations. The organization is governed by its member governments through elected councils and executive committees rather than by equity holders.

Name

ICLEI Brasil

Legal name

ICLEI – Governos Locais pela Sustentabilidade

Website

https://americadosul.iclei.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICLEI Brasil is the Brazilian national office and South American secretariat of ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability, serving 95+ Brazilian subnational governments and 150+ members across 8 countries with technical assistance, methodological frameworks, and capacity-building on climate action, sustainable procurement, and urban sustainability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability and Climate Advisory Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC), United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable urban development
• Climate action planning
• Subnational government services
• Sustainability capacity building
• Environmental advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo, São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Local and regional governments pay annual membership fees that vary regionally and according to population and national GDP per capita. These fees provide access to network services, information, publications, and participation in governance bodies.
2. Project Implementation Funding: ICLEI generates revenue through implementing international development projects funded by organizations such as GIZ (Germany), European Union, Google, and international climate initiatives (IKI). Funding covers specific sustainability programs like CP+, Air View+, and Amazon climate governance projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICLEI Brasil operates as the national office of the ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability global network, providing technical assistance, capacity building, and project implementation services to Brazilian local and subnational governments. The organization delivers a portfolio of programs covering climate action planning, sustainable public procurement, air quality monitoring, biodiversity conservation, food systems, green finance, and youth engagement for member municipalities and states.

Product overview

ICLEI Brasil operates as a regional office of the global ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability network, providing technical support, capacity building, and advisory services to Brazilian local and subnational governments. Rather than a single software product, the organization offers a portfolio of programs and projects organized under six categories: Climate Action, Biodiversity, Food Systems, Green Finance and Innovation, Internationalization for Sustainability, and Education and Youth. Key offerings include the Sustainable Public Procurement (CP+) program, AirView+ air quality monitoring technology (developed with Google and Aurassure), LUPPA urban food policy laboratory, climate compliance programs for states and municipalities, the Youth Climate Action program, and monitoring tools such as MonitoraPLAC and Voluntary Local Reports. The organization also publishes technical materials including climate risk assessments, greenhouse gas inventories, and climate action plans for member governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compras Públicas Sustentáveis (CP+) Program supporting Brazilian states in strengthening capacity to incorporate socio-environmental criteria into government procurement, consolidating public procurement as a strategic instrument for sustainable development, climate action, and circular economy promotion.
• AirView+ Air Quality Monitoring Global initiative combining environmental sensors installed at strategic city points with real-time data analysis platforms to generate hyperlocal information on atmospheric pollution for urban environments.
• LUPPA Urban Food Policy Laboratory Continuous learning initiative supporting Brazilian cities in building intersectoral, coherent, and participatory food policies focused on sustainability, food security, and urban development.
• Encontros Regionais (Regional Meetings) Regional meetings bringing together ICLEI Brazil member governments across Brazilian regions to share experiences and build capacities on sustainability topics.
• Mutirão Jovens pelo Clima (Youth Climate Mobilization)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95 subnational governments in Brazil actively participating in ICLEI network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MercocidadescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2026ICLEI South America and Mercocidades network renewed their Framework Cooperation Agreement for two years, focusing on joint policy positions for the three Rio Conventions COPs (Desertification COP17, Biodiversity COP17, Climate COP31). The partnership includes cooperation on the Global Mayors Covenant and the 9th Resilience School to be held in Juiz de Fora.
• ONU-Habitat (UN-Habitat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme for the Resilient Environment Program, implementing Climate Action Plans in 34 municipalities in Rio de Janeiro state using the CityRAP methodology developed jointly by ONU-Habitat and DiMSUR.
• GIZ BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for the EcoAdvance regional project, with GIZ managing the International Climate Initiative (IKI) funding. ICLEI implements the CP+ (Sustainable Public Procurement) project in Brazilian states with GIZ support, alongside Brazilian federal ministries.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for the Air View+ project providing air quality monitoring sensors and data platform. Google provides the core sensing technology while ICLEI coordinates implementation with local governments and provides technical support.
• AurassurecoreTechnology or IntegrationClimate technology company providing environmental monitoring network operation, sensor installation, calibration, maintenance, data collection platform, and processing for the Air View+ project in Brazilian cities.
• MRVminorOthersMRV is the annual corporate partner for ICLEI in 2026, providing support for events and programs including the 2nd Pernambuco Encounter of ICLEI Brasil.
• Grupo MouraminorOthersCorporate partner providing institutional support for the 2nd Pernambuco Encounter, including venue support through their Environmental Reserve (Reserva Ambiental Energia das Nascentes) for technical visit.
• Plant-for-the-Planet FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Climate Justice Academies engaging children in climate education, with 20 academies held in Belém reaching 1,000 children, supported by Climate Emergency Collaboration Group (CECG).
• EngajamundominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian youth climate organization collaborating on youth engagement programs and youth committee development for ICLEI Brasil.
• Instituto Comida do AmanhãcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organizer of the LUPPA (Urban Laboratory for Public Food Policies) program, co-developing curriculum and seminar content with ICLEI for sustainable food procurement and policy training.
• FAO BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations providing institutional support for the LUPPA program on urban food policies and sustainable public procurement.
• Resilient Cities Network (RCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner collaborating on the 9th Resilience School in Juiz de Fora alongside Mercocidades, focusing on infrastructure for caring, safe, and resilient cities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF Brasil: WWF Brasil is the Brazilian office of a global conservation organization working on biodiversity, climate, and sustainable cities. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with ICLEI on biodiversity conservation and sustainable cities programs but focuses on conservation outcomes rather than serving as a local-government membership association.
• ONU-Habitat (UN-Habitat): UN-Habitat is the United Nations program for sustainable urbanization and a core ICLEI partner (co-developing the CityRAP methodology applied across 34 Rio municipalities). It is a broad incumbent in the urban sustainability space, overlapping heavily with ICLEI's mandate but operating at a global UN scale rather than as a member-driven association.

Direct peers

• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): UCLG is the global umbrella organization for local and regional governments, with a Latin America section (UCLG-Mercociudades). Both ICLEI and UCLG operate as membership-based associations of local governments advocating for subnational voices in global governance, though UCLG has a broader municipal-development mandate while ICLEI specializes in sustainability.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 is a global network of megacities committed to climate action. It is the most direct peer to ICLEI: both serve as membership associations of local governments focused on urban climate action, GHG inventories, and convening cities at COPs. C40 targets larger/more international cities while ICLEI Brasil serves mid-sized Brazilian and South American municipalities.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: Global Covenant of Mayors is the largest alliance of city climate leaders, formed by merger of the Compact of Mayors and EU Covenant of Mayors. It is a direct peer in the city-climate space, focused on climate commitment, reporting, and access to climate finance—overlapping with ICLEI's climate action planning and reporting tools (e.g., Voluntary Local Reports like Sarzedo's).
• Resilient Cities Network (RCN): RCN is a city network focused on urban resilience and climate adaptation, formerly 100 Resilient Cities. It is a direct peer and also an active ICLEI partner (e.g., on the 9th Resilience School in Juiz de Fora), offering comparable resilience assessment, planning tools, and member engagement services to city governments.

Emerging players

• WRI Brasil (World Resources Institute): WRI Brasil is the Brazilian office of a global research organization producing data, tools, and policy guidance on sustainable cities and climate. It overlaps with ICLEI's analytical work (GHG inventories, climate action plans) but operates as a think tank rather than a membership network, making it a partially overlapping emerging player.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP operates a global disclosure system for cities and companies on environmental impact, including the Cities program with hundreds of disclosing municipalities. It competes partially with ICLEI on climate data and reporting infrastructure but is primarily a disclosure platform rather than a capacity-building network.

Others

• GIZ Brasil (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): GIZ is the German development agency and one of ICLEI's largest funders (implementing IKI-funded EcoAdvance and CP+ projects). It is thematically related as a key ecosystem participant—more an enabling donor/implementation partner than a direct competitor, but shapes the funding landscape in which ICLEI operates.

Regional players

• Fundación Avina: Fundación Avina is a Latin American foundation that promotes sustainable development through partnerships with civil society, business, and government. It is a regional peer comparable to ICLEI in working across South America on sustainability issues, though operating as a philanthropic foundation rather than a government membership body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IcleiSouthAmerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icleibrasil
• Instagraminstagram.com/iclei_brasil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ICLEI Brasil