The Cities for Climate ProtectionTM (CCP) Campaign helps develop a long-term, focused strategy for local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through actions that also meet municipal priorities. ICLEI has developed a five-milestone methodology to help guide the process.

Local governments participating in the Campaign commit to undertake and complete five performance milestones. The milestones allow local governments to understand how municipal decisions affect energy use and how these decisions can be used to mitigate global climate change while improving community quality of life. The CCP methodology provides a simple, standardized way of acting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to monitor, measure, and report performance.

The five milestones that are used to gauge the progress of Campaign participants are:
Milestone 1: Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Milestone 2: Setting a Reduction or Avoidance Goal
Milestone 3: A Climate Action Plan
Milestone 4: Measures Implemented
Milestone 5: Monitoring and Verification

ICLEI also helps cities to protect the climate through:
(1) An emissions quantification software tool, CCP India. Another second user-friendly software program, HEAT, is currently under development.
(2) Training and capacity building through national and regional workshops and meetings,
(3) Technical assistance through a pool of experts,
(4) GHG reduction pilot projects,
(5) Information dissemination and exchange (i.e. newsletters, website, case studies, and peer exchange with international experts and a network of local governments).