About Us

Established in 1999, ICLEI Oceania serves as the regional secretariat for ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is a network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments across 125+ countries, supported by a team of global environmental experts, driving sustainable urban development and climate action worldwide.

ICLEI is founded on the notion that local governments are at the center of furthering a just and sustainable world. We encourage sustainability as an integral part of urban development and bring a strong urban component to national and global sustainability policy. ICLEI creates systemic change in urban areas through practical, integrated solutions. We anticipate and respond to complex challenges, from urbanization and climate change, to ecosystem degradation and inequity, working in cities, towns and regions of all sizes.

Peer exchange and capacity building are at the core of what we do. The structure of the ICLEI network enables us to build connections across the local, regional, national and global levels. We advocate robust national and global sustainability policies that reflect the interests of local and regional governments and their citizens to translate global policy into local action. Through our collective efforts, ICLEI is building a sustainable urban world and elevating the trajectory of what sustainable development can be.

Our Vision - The Five Pathways

The Five Pathways provide a framework for designing integrated solutions that balance the patterns of human life and the built and natural environments. They encourage holistic thinking to ensure that ICLEI, as a network of local and regional governments and global experts, optimizes our impact. Local and regional governments use these pathways as a guide for sustainable urban development. In any given city or region, multiple activities may be implemented along each pathway. These activities help local and regional governments advance sustainable urban development. When these pathways guide local and regional development, urban systems become more sustainable.

The Five Pathways outlined below were originally released as part of the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision 2018-2024 they are now also part of the recent ICLEI Malmö Commitment and Strategic Vision 2021-2027.