ICLEI

What ICLEI does

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global non-profit membership association (eingetragener Verein, or registered association, in Germany) that operates as a knowledge and advocacy network rather than a technology product company. Founded in 1990 (with 1992 also cited as the founding year) and headquartered in Bonn, ICLEI works with more than 2,500 local and regional governments across 125+ countries that collectively represent over 25% of the global urban population. Its mission is to accelerate sustainable urban development across five strategic pathways: zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular. The network delivers peer learning, capacity building, advocacy representation at UN forums (UNFCCC, UN-Habitat, COPs), and joint project implementation alongside 200+ implementing partners, conducting roughly 250 activities globally per year.

The organization's product portfolio is a coordinated set of programs rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include the triennial ICLEI World Congress (held in São Paulo in June 2024 with 1,500+ attendees from 95 countries), the Kaohsiung-ICLEI Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Community of Practice (a March 2025–December 2026 cohort of 15 Asia-Pacific cities), the Kaohsiung-ICLEI City-Business Accelerator (CiBiX) for solution matching, the CDP-ICLEI Track joint climate disclosure platform, the ICLEI e-Library knowledge repository, the Daring Cities dialogue series, and the ICLEI Complaint Mechanism for project-level governance. Operations are delivered through eight regional secretariats (Africa, East Asia, Europe, Mexico/Central America/Caribbean, North America, Oceania, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia) and 17+ country/city offices, supported by approximately 222 employees globally and a Global Executive Committee led by Secretary General Gino Van Begin.

ICLEI's revenue model rests on two streams: annual membership dues from local and regional government members (a recurring subscription model with undisclosed tier pricing) and donations from individuals, organizations, and foundations in USD and EUR. The organization does not sell software or commercial licenses and has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or equity ownership. Customer concentration is distributed across thousands of municipal and regional government members, with flagship engagements (e.g., Kaohsiung City) sitting alongside long-tail small-municipality participants. The recent São Paulo Strategic Vision 2024–2030 and the scheduled ICLEI World Congress 2027 indicate a stable, programmatic growth posture rather than a venture-style scaling trajectory.

Name

ICLEI

Legal name

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability e.V.

Website

https://iclei.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ICLEI is a global non-profit network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments across 125+ countries that delivers peer learning, capacity building, advocacy at UN climate forums, and joint sustainability projects through regional secretariats and an annual membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Urban Development Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Sustainable urban development
• Local government network
• Climate action planning
• Capacity building programs
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn, North Rhine Westphalia

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Local and regional governments pay membership fees to join the ICLEI network and gain access to peer exchange, resources, and global advocacy representation.
2. Donations and charitable contributions: ICLEI accepts donations from individuals, organizations, and foundations to support its mission. The organization is registered as a non-profit association (eV) in Germany, and donations are used exclusively to support its sustainability objectives under German tax law.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global membership network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments that delivers peer exchange, capacity building, technical expertise, advocacy representation at international forums, and structured programs organized around five strategic pathways (zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development). It operates 25+ regional secretariats and country offices across 125+ countries to support member governments in advancing sustainable urban development.

Product overview

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability operates as a global network organization rather than a single software product. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected services including the triennial ICLEI World Congress event, peer-learning programs like the Kaohsiung-ICLEI Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Community of Practice, the Kaohsiung-ICLEI City-Business Accelerator (CiBiX) for innovation matching, the ICLEI e-Library knowledge platform, the ICLEI Complaint Mechanism for governance feedback, the Daring Cities dialogue platform, and the CDP-ICLEI Track climate reporting platform. These are supported by the ICLEI Strategic Pathways framework covering zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development approaches. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where events feed into capacity building, which feeds into implementation programs, all supported by knowledge resources and governance mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICLEI Membership Program
• ICLEI World Congress

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ activities delivered globally per year with member governments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI is a longstanding partner of UCLG and contributes to key political discussions at the UCLG World Congress. The partnership advances local multilateralism and strengthens the voice of local and regional governments in global governance processes.
• UN-HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI and UN-Habitat co-host sessions at the Bonn Climate Talks exploring what local and regional governments need to deliver climate action at scale, demonstrating a shared commitment to multilevel climate governance.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI and CDP jointly run the CDP-ICLEI Track platform, enabling cities and regions to report their climate ambitions and actions. This partnership provides a unified reporting and tracking mechanism for subnational climate disclosure.
• ClimateViewsupportingTechnology or IntegrationClimateView co-delivers sessions with ICLEI at the Kaohsiung-ICLEI Community of Practice, providing technology and tools for cities to turn climate plans into dynamic transition pathways. The partnership supports the Community of Practice's capacity building objectives.
• United Nations UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations University co-delivers hands-on sessions with ICLEI exploring how leading-edge technology and approaches can help cities move from climate plans to real transition pathways, particularly within the Kaohsiung Community of Practice.
• UNFCCC Global Innovation HubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub contributes as an invited expert to ICLEI's Community of Practice capacity building workshops, providing expertise and resources to support cities' climate neutrality goals.
• Mission InnovationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Innovation participates as an invited expert in ICLEI's Community of Practice workshops, contributing to the knowledge exchange on research and innovation for urban climate action.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Resilient Cities Network: Network of cities working to build urban resilience to physical, social, and economic challenges. Comparable as a peer city network focused on sustainability outcomes, though with a resilience (rather than climate-specific) lens.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of mayors of the world's leading cities taking urgent action on climate change. Directly comparable as a membership-based city climate network serving overlapping local government members with similar capacity-building and advocacy mandates.
• United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): Worldwide organization of local and regional governments and their associations. Comparable as a peer network for local governments and an existing ICLEI strategic partner, though UCLG has a broader governance remit beyond sustainability.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: International alliance of city leaders committed to climate action and clean energy. Directly comparable as a city-focused climate commitment network competing for the same municipal members and offering similar reporting and capacity-building services.
• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP): Global disclosure system for environmental impact. Comparable as a co-operator of the CDP-ICLEI Track city climate reporting platform and an existing ICLEI partner, though CDP serves companies and investors in addition to cities.
• The Climate Group: International nonprofit working with state and regional governments, businesses, and cities on climate action. Comparable as a sustainability-focused advocacy network engaging similar subnational government audiences.

Broad incumbents

• UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme): United Nations agency working on sustainable urban development. Comparable as a global convener on city sustainability and an existing ICLEI strategic partner, though UN-Habitat operates as an intergovernmental body rather than a membership association.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization working on sustainability at the intersection of environment and development. Comparable as a broader sustainability organization, but WRI is a research/policy institution rather than a city membership network.

Regional players

• Eurocities: Network of major European cities focused on improving quality of life and sustainability. Comparable as a regional city membership network with overlapping members in Europe, though geographically narrower than ICLEI's global footprint.

Emerging players

• Smart Cities Council: Network of companies, governments, and academics advancing smart city development. Comparable as an adjacent city-focused network, though more technology and industry-partner oriented than ICLEI's sustainability/advocacy core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/iclei.org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ICLEIGlobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICLEIworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iclei

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries19 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