Country & City Selection Criteria

Click below to learn about the specific set of criteria applied for the selection of the project countries and cities for Urban-LEDS II. In some countries, calls for expression of interest were issued to select the project cities (model and satellite), while in others, cities were invited to the project in consultation with national government partners. For EU cities, additional considerations for city selection were made.

Country Selection

The following criteria were used to select the countries for Urban-LEDS:

  • Relevant and growing greenhouse gas emission profile
  • General economic growth leading to relevant infrastructure decisions
  • Leadership role in the international climate debate and climate negotiations
  • Presence of ICLEI and UN-Habitat office and technical staff
  • Existing contacts and openness with national and state governments
  • Existing contacts and history of cooperation with national-level networks of local governments
  • Responded to Cancun Agreements by committing to developing NAMAs (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions)
  • Involved in the Local Governments’ Mobilization and Backing for the Development and Implementation of a Global and Comprehensive post-2012 Climate Change Agreement

Project City Selection

A number of selection criteria were used in the selection of cities in the Urban-LEDS project. In some countries, calls for expression of interest are issued, while in others, cities are invited to the project in consultation with national government partners. Selection criteria included:

  • City size along with urban and population growth rate
  • Regional connectivity
  • Political and institutional context
  • Degree of commitment to low-emission development
  • Synergies with other existing projects and initiatives
  • National considerations into the selection process with an aim of enhancing vertical and horizontal integration (multi-level governance) for integrated climate action

European City Selection

The selection of the European cities to be involved was finalized following the selection of cities in the project countries. The selection criteria utilized for identifying these cities include:

  • Size
  • Geographical distribution
  • Climate
  • Sector of expertise
  • Variety of needs and challenges
  • Best practices to share

In particular, the aim of the selection was to ensure that the needs of the newly identified cities could be addressed by the European local governments (topic and available staff / time capacity). Furthermore, an assessment of the European cities based on topics of their interests and needs were conducted, as a means of ensuring bilateral maximum value from exchange with cities from the Global South.