Thousands of cities worldwide are working for sustainable development.

Is your city one of them?

Enter the name of your city or town in the form below (or check who's already in!).

To show your support for local action and help get more cities, add the counter to your website.

Why should I add my city or town to the list?

In 1992 world leaders met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the first Earth Summit and announced Agenda 21, a global action plan for sustainable development in the 21st century.

Agenda 21 also included a chapter on local action for sustainable development that inspired thousands of communities worldwide to start so-called Local Agendas 21.

On 4-6 June 2012 world leaders will return to Rio de Janeiro for the Rio+20 Conference, an event that has the potential to help get our planet back on track and build a just, sustainable and secure future for all.

So far we haven’t done enough to make this vision a reality. By showing the cities already taking action for sustainable development, we want to mobilize the global community to act.

How do I know if my city or town is working for sustainable development?

The most popular definition of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

At the local level, it is about saving environmental resources, providing good quality of life for all and developing a healthy economy.

Local governments can contribute to sustainable development in many different ways. Here are some of the most popular activities cities or towns can undertake (but there are many more examples of local action!):

• building cycle paths
• providing safe drinking water
• saving energy and using renewable energy sources
• providing good public transport
• recycling waste
• educating citizens about sustainable development
• supporting a diversified local businesses structure
• involving local stakeholders in policy and planning
• reducing CO2 emissions
• promoting organic and fair trade products.