ISOCARP Initiative for Climate Resilience Planning

Welcome to the Initiative for Climate Resilient Planning (ICRP), established by ISOCARP to elevate the role of urban and regional planning practitioners in creating sustainable and resilient futures. Approved and ratified by our Board in early 2024 and presented at the members’ meeting on March 9, 2024, ICRP emerges from decades of ISOCARP’s activities at the forefront of sustainable urban and regional planning and years of dedicated participation at the leading global climate conference COP (Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]).

ICRP is dedicated to empowering planners to address the pressing challenges of the climate crisis. As ISOCARP founder Sam von Embden once described, planners are the doctors and surgeons of cities. Today, our cities face the critical malady of climate change, being significant sources of emissions and highly vulnerable to disaster risks. Yet, to address the resulting challenges, urban and regional planners often lack the capacity and advocacy needed in the global climate debate.

Our mission at ICRP is to amplify the voices of planning practitioners, ensuring their vital role and needs are recognized, and to enhance their preparedness for the challenges ahead. We aim to connect global networks and expertise with local, diverse practical experiences, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

ISOCARP is registered as Observer Organization within the UNFCCC to permit formal participation of a small delegation of members at the annual COPs and currently in the process of joining the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency. ICRP applied for observer status with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in light of the upcoming Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. ICRP has currently no dedicated budget and past and future activities are funded individually by its contributors.

Join us in our effort to shape a sustainable and resilient future. An annual call for volunteers, starting in summer 2024, is open to all ISOCARP members. For more information, please contact us at climate@isocarp.org.

Call for COP Delegation Members

Call for Volunteers