“ICLEI’s work is needed now more than ever”

As Europe is set to play host of COP23–in Bonn, Germany–, Nick Michell spoke to Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, First Regional Director, ICLEI Europe which is celebrating its 25th anniversary

 How and why did ICLEI originate?

Environmental and peace activist Jeb Brugmann had noticed that single,
local industrial plants and cities can have a global environmental impact.
If local governments took effective action to limit pollution, and if many local governments joined forces to do
the same, this could have a positive impact at global scale, an “impact that the Earth would notice”. Jeb got UNEP North America, the Center for Innovative Diplomacy and the International Union of Local Authorities to co...