ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability reinforced its expertise and leadership in driving sustainable urban transitions at the local level during the Eco Forum Global 2025 on 5-6 July 2025 at Guiyang, China. The Eco Forum Global is a premier international forum on ecology and global green transformation. This year marked the 13th edition of the event. 

Emani Kumar, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI, and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia, contributed to two high-level sessions under the theme “Harmonious coexistence between humans and nature — global collaborative development for green transformation,” at the forum, which included the Advisory Committee Plenary and a panel discussion on “Green Sector Collaboration & Innovative Solutions”. He emphasised the pivotal role of cities and local governments in advancing global sustainability goals and highlighted how multisectoral actions can pave the way for transformative change. 

Speaking at the Advisory Committee Plenary, Mr. Kumar highlighted that cities are at the forefront of both the challenges and solutions for ecological sustainability. As hubs of economic growth and innovation, urban areas are disproportionately affected by environmental crises, but they also serve as practical testing grounds for implementing climate and sustainability solutions. Local and subnational governments, therefore, must be empowered with resources, knowledge, and collaborative platforms to accelerate green transitions. ICLEI is working with local governments across the world to build their capacities, develop scientific climate action plans, implement nature-based and low-emissions solutions, and foster collaborations that translate sustainability goals into tangible, locally driven actions.

Mr. Kumar emphasised that international dialogues such as the Eco Forum Global are crucial for cultivating long-term partnerships between cities. Such platforms can enable peer-to-peer exchanges, capacity building, and collective action, while connecting urban local bodies with technical experts and climate best practices from across the world. 

Moreover, he advocated for the establishment of international working groups on cities and local governments to complement existing mechanisms. He extended ICLEI’s support for such action-oriented collaborations that can develop actionable strategies, knowledge products, and shared financing opportunities to achieve lasting impact.

The session on “Green Sector Collaboration & Innovative Solutions,” focused on forging stronger links between cities, enterprises, and international organisations to unlock innovative solutions for sustainable urban development. Mr. Kumar stressed the importance of encouraging green industrial cooperation and integrating advanced technologies into urban policies, promoting public participation in city management, ensuring solutions are informed by citizens’ lived experiences, and creating international cooperation agreements for climate finance, that can enable local governments to access resources needed for tangible on-ground actions. He also highlighted the need for cities to co-develop technology-driven solutions to tackle pressing urban challenges such as pollution, energy transitions, and ecological restoration. 

Through its active participation at the Eco Forum Global, ICLEI reiterated its commitment to empowering local and subnational governments globally to adopt sustainable, climate-resilient pathways. The organisation is pioneering work in multi-level climate governance approaches, facilitating city-to-city learning, and promoting inclusive, action-oriented collaborations that bridge the gap between international climate commitments and local implementation.

The deliberations at Guiyang underscored the understanding that cities are indispensable actors in achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and that global collaborative efforts must be rooted in local action.