Mayor of Malmö elected president of ICLEI

Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö in Sweden, has been chosen to lead the global network ICLEI – the largest network of cities and regions committed to sustainability.

Jammeh (pictured) will also serve as the Chair of the Sustainable, Circular and Innovation Procurement Portfolio. She is the first leader from Scandinavia to hold the office of ICLEI President and the first female president since 2003.

“It is my great honour to serve as ICLEI President for the coming three years,” Jammeh said. “As a network, we are united by our mutual ambition and determination to stem the tide of climate change, and address the crises of biodiversity loss and pollution. If we are to succeed, then more influence and greater funding must be given to the local level, and we must amplify our common voice and make sure that we are granted a seat at the decision-making tables.”

An ICLEI Member since 1998, the City of Malmö has been recognised as a climate-smart knowledge city, listed as the fourth most innovative in the world by OECD. Malmö has workerd actively for sustainability initiatives and is the first city in Sweden that has publicly announced the commitment to implement the UN SDGs.

As mayor, Jammeh put international support of other cities at the core of her priorities. When Malmö hosted the triennial ICLEI World Congress in 2021-2022, she founded the pioneering Malmö Commitment, a pledge which encourages sustainable approaches, innovation, adaptability, participation, and inclusiveness in policy-making to tackle the current climate and nature emergencies, by embedding social equity at the core of their local sustainable development.

Supporting the new president will be Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku, Finland elected first vice president; and as vice presidents, Marjorie Kauffmann, Secretary of State for Environment and Infrastructure, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco.

Gino Van Begin, ICLEI Secretary General said: “We are thrilled to welcome a new wave of leadership at ICLEI with our newly elected president and vice-presidents. These leaders truly represent the vibrant and diverse spirit of our global network, coming from cities and regions at the forefront of sustainable urban development from the Global South and Global North. Their unique experiences, innovative vision, and inspiring leadership will accelerate our mission to support our network to create resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities.”

Image: Emma Ingolf