The successful Greater Sydney Region Town Hall COP, held last month, was part of a global movement that helps integrate local voices into global climate policies, particularly countries’ Paris Agreement plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NSCs). The Town Hall COP garnered robust discussion from sixteen Councils, and peak and federal representatives, on how local actions can be strengthened and mainstreamed into national policies, including Australia’s NDCs.
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Long time ICLEI champion, Dr Cathy Oke, has been selected as a Lead Author for the upcomingSpecial Report on Climate Change and Cities, set for release in March 2027. She joins an esteemedgroup of ninety-seven scientists and urban practitioners from five continents selected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as Authors, Coordinating Lead Authors, and Review Editors of the report, alongside four other Australians and two New Zealanders representing the Oceania region.
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Relations among city partners and regional offices within the ICLEI network were further strengthened yesterday in Cape Town. ICLEI Africa and Interim Regional Director for Oceania, Ms Kobie Brand, and ICLEI Oceania’s Operations Manager, Mr Luigi Zarro, initiated plans for an official visit by the City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, to the City of Sydney in May 2025.
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The much-anticipated 2024 iteration of Australia’s Local Government review saw ICLEI Oceania, supported by the Global Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy; Ironbark; and the Better Futures Australia local government working group stepping up to shine a light on the incisive climate action local and subnational governments are steering towards Australia’s National Determined Contributions (NDCs).
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In a national first, a project leveraging data innovation and technology involving a consortium of universities, research bodies and the Wellington City Council is underway. The project will build capacity to integrate climate, disaster and resilience indicators into city planning.
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The City of Darebin and City of Yarra, as leaders in the climate emergency declaration space, have both recently updated their climate emergency plans after their first plans expired. These are the first two Councils we know of that have been through this process.
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In the Meta City, people and organisations are linked in a web that operates as a distinct unit following industry and business expertise. They are attached to a major — often global — economic hub. This research investigated city-to-city flows such as finance workers leaving New York for Miami; tech workers leaving the Bay Area for Austin, Texas; and workers in London decamping for Portugal or Spain. Melbourne and Sydney are positively highlighted in this Meta City research and are given equal standing to Hong Kong as “significant global hubs”. For these two cities, the challenge will be continuing to strengthen ties with the only major “global talent hubs” in our region - Singapore and Bangalore which have leveraged cost, business friendliness and skills to rise up the ranking of Meta Cities.
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16 October is World Food Day, an international day to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). For ICLEI Oceania, it is a day to reflect on the significant challenges we see across our member cities and regions on issues like waste, nutrition and food sovereignty.
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The City of Stirling is conducting trials for Australia's first Trackless Tram and hopes that this sustainable mid-tier technology will become the future of public transport. This new innovation is geared to deliver on positive economic, transport and net zero outcomes - once again proving that Cities are at the forefront of innovating sustainable and regenerative future.
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ICLEI Oceania recently hosted a webinar about key global and national drivers of biodiversity and nature improvement, including the GBF.
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ICLEI Oceania recently worked with church parishioners on Betio, a densely populated island facing critical climate threats, and through mapping and storytelling, identified key environmental risks. An animated digital map will aid future adaptation efforts and government discussions.
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As we approach the city election on 14 September, I spoke to Willow Aliento at the FifthEstate about how cities are practicing the ESG mantra through civic leadership. Global cities like Sydney have added responsibilities as the heartbeats of our society – they're where we make urban transformation and sustainable liveability happen.
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The ICLEI World Congress, which took place in São Paulo, Brazil, last month, demonstrated the collective power of cities and regions to address sustainability. With over 1 500 urban leaders from 96 countries participating in critical issues on climate action and urban resilience, this also set the stage for significant city and region input at COP30 in Belém, Brazil in 2025.
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Innovative engagement events can foster meaningful dialogue and transform community needs into policy. ICLEI’s “Town Hall COP” initiative, piloted in 2023 as “local stocktakes” and continuing into 2024 and beyond, elevates the voices of those experiencing climate impacts on-the-ground by delivering city-level needs to global policy professionals.
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The ICLEI World Congress, held last month in São Paulo, Brazil, reinforced ICLEI’s strategy towards zero emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development, and gave rise to a number of key initiatives of importance for Oceania and small coastal cities and regions.
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