Local Diplomacy Unit
Helping U.S. Elected Officials Make Their Voice Heard
At ICLEI USA, we support local leaders—mayors, county commissioners, council members, and their teams—to take bold, proactive action on sustainability. We believe the best solutions come from collaboration, and for over 35 years, we have helped cities and regions connect, share expertise, and amplify their impact.
Our Local Diplomacy Unit empowers leaders to transform local action into national and international influence. Through peer exchanges, technical guidance, and advocacy initiatives, U.S. city leaders can showcase their achievements, influence policy, and ensure local priorities are recognized on the global stage.
Transforming Local Action into Global Impact
Cities Forward: Commitment to Action
Building Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Communities
Cities Forward is a flagship program originally funded by the U.S. Department of State and co-led by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and The Institute of the Americas.
This initiative fosters peer-to-peer exchanges, builds capacity, and moves on-the-ground, resilience-building projects in global cities toward finance-readiness. The original cohort of Cities Forward paired 12 U.S. cities with 12 counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Race to Resilience Culture
Integrating Cultural and Heritage-Based Strategies for Climate Resilience
The Race to Resilience Culture (RTRC) initiative, led by ICLEI USA with the ICLEI Africa Secretariat, enhances climate resilience through cultural and heritage-based strategies within communities in the United States and across Africa.
Race to Resilience
ICLEI USA wants to support your community’s climate resilience journey with our Cities Race to Resilience support package, an exclusive offer for ICLEI USA members that sign on to the Race.
Engage in Climate and Biodiversity COPs
Showcasing Local Leadership at International Climate Conferences
ICLEI USA supports U.S. local government leaders in participating in major climate and biodiversity conferences. We help:
- Highlight locally led projects
- Connect leaders with national policymakers
- Advocate for community-driven solutions
- Share achievements and lessons learned
These efforts ensure U.S. local governments have a platform to showcase progress and shape broader sustainability agendas.
Urban7 Engagement Group to the G7 Countries
Local Leadership in the World’s Leading Economies
ICLEI serves as the secretariat for the Urban7 (U7), a recognized engagement group to the G7 list of nations. By facilitating U.S. leaders to engage in G7 proceedings in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, we bring local demands to an important global forum.
U.S.-South Asia Mayoral Platform on Sustainable Cities
Fostering International Collaboration for Sustainable Growth
By connecting mayors and city leaders across the U.S. with their peers in South Asia, each region is able to accelerate clean-energy adoption. The Platform was originally funded through USAID to show how renewable technology makes U.S. and South Asian communities economically stronger.
Past Projects: A Legacy of Impact
ICLEI USA, a pioneer in local diplomacy, has set the stage for effective collaboration on a range of sustainability issues over the years.
The California-China Urban Climate Collaborative (CCUCC)
The CCUCC brings together cities in the U.S. and China to share expertise and drive low-carbon development, leveraging international collaboration to create innovative solutions for sustainable urban growth.
ICLEI USA and ICLEI East Asia are exploring relaunching the initiative in 2025.
Race to Zero
Advancing Net-Zero Commitments for a Sustainable Planet
Race to Zero is a global campaign to rally ambitious leadership from all sectors of society — businesses, cities, regions, investors — in order to secure a future of warming that exceeds no more than 1.5 °C.