Cities are central to climate action, consuming 78% of global energy and producing over 60% of emissions. Decarbonising them requires coordinated planning and supply chain collaboration, yet governance gaps, rigid regulations, strained public budgets and weak incentives often hinder urban transformation and carbon-neutral solutions.
Amid these challenges, cities are uniquely positioned to help build more resilient economies, by investing in transforming their built environment and urban infrastructures, and serving as hubs for innovation and workforce development. Stronger partnerships between cities, industries, SMEs, governments, and financial institutions are essential to unlock this potential. Together, they can transform climate action into a competitive advantage, fostering innovation, attracting investment, and securing long-term resilient economic development.
The City-Business-Collaboration approach is at the heart of ICLEI Europe’s public-private partnership strategy. For decades, ICLEI Europe has created platforms to connect cities and EU policymakers with businesses and investors, turning ideas into actionable and bankable projects along climate ambitions and programme priorities. The City-Business-Collaboration seeks to expand on this, turning policy ambition into tangible market opportunities. By establishing cities as strategic partners for businesses, it will accelerate the EU’s climate and competitiveness goals at every level.
Through 120+ projects annually, including under EU frameworks like the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, ICLEI Europe supports private sector and local governments engagement to accelerate sustainability action. Using approaches such as Local Green Deals, Urban-Industrial Symbiosis, and strategic green procurement, ICLEI helps build local capacity to co-design systemic solutions with businesses for territorial sustainable development.
Through our work at national level in EU Member States, we support multilevel governance dialogues that increase the implementation of sustainable solutions and products at local level through innovative procurement, market activation, and public-private finance mobilisation. Our flagship initiative, the City-Industry Dialogues (CID), developed with EIT Climate-KIC and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, brings together cities, businesses, and finance actors to move from consultation to joint implementation, addressing supply chain gaps and scaling climate solutions.
Through our ties with the EU’s initiatives supporting whole-city decarbonisation, ICLEI Europe’s advocacy and policy-influencing activities strive to position city-business collaboration as an essential component of EU policy development.
Through our involvement in key global initiatives and events, we facilitate city-business exchanges and solution transfer, scaling innovation and strengthening urban resilience across the globe.
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