The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is an international association of 660 local governments. Its US operation was launched in the United States in 1995 and has grown from a handful of local governments participating in a pilot project to more than 160 cities and counties providing national leadership on climate protection and sustainable development.

ICLEI's mission is to improve the global environment through local action. ICLEI provides resources, tools, and technical assistance to help local governments measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities through its Cities for Climate Protection® campaign. Close to 200 cities take part in CCP, which has been designated as the enabling mechanism for the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Cities for Climate Protection® (CCP) provides a blueprint for any city to follow to implement profitable solutions and reduce emissions. CCP is ICLEI's flagship program and has been designated as the official implementation mechanism for cities that are signatories to the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Participation in the program is open to all ICLEI members. ICLEI annual membership dues include access to software with technical assistance and all aspects of CCP participation.

Almost 1000 cities worldwide are successfully following the flexible blueprint. In the United States, there are now more than 200 CCP cities. Collectively, these American cities alone are:

Once cities make the commitment to participate in the CCP Campaign, ICLEI provides software and technical assistance.

Cities for Climate Protection® (CCP) is ICLEI's flagship campaign. The program is designed to educate and empower local governments worldwide to take action on climate change. CCP is a performance-oriented campaign that offers a framework for local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve livability within their municipalities.

ICLEI's CCP Campaign was launched in 1993 when municipal leaders, invited by ICLEI, met at the United Nations in New York and adopted a declaration that called for the establishment of a worldwide movement of local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and enhance urban sustainability. The CCP Campaign achieves these results by linking climate change mitigation with actions that improve local air quality, reduce local governments' operating costs, and address other existing municipal concerns.

The US CCP Campaign seeks to achieve significant reductions in US domestic greenhouse gas emissions by assisting local governments in taking action to reduce emissions and realize multiple benefits for their communities.

Strategic Approach
ICLEI uses the performance-oriented framework and methodology of the CCP Campaign's 5 Milestones to assist US local governments in developing and implementing harmonized local approaches for reducing global warming and air pollution emissions, with the additional benefit of improving community livability.

CCP Funders
The Cities for Climate Protection campaign in the US is supported by the following foundations and agencies: