There is a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable development, and a number of towns and counties are taking the initiative on their own, joining the international initiatives and campaigns in that direction. Some other sub-national activities are organized by public administration or are result of civil society. Herewith are some of them.

Two Croatian counties and 20 towns (including the capital of Croatia, Zagreb) participate in the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and are signatories of the Aalborg Charter.

74 Croatian towns and municipalities (including the capital of Croatia, Zagreb) have made a commitment to help mitigate the climate change by reducing their CO2 emissions and improving the town's energy efficiency through creation of their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans and are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors.

 70 towns and municipalities joined to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and committed to work on action plan for climate protection and energy efficiency. 25 of them give commitment to work on adaptation to climate change action plan.

Three towns (Zagreb, Rijeka and Koprivnica) are members of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, an international association of local governments as well as national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development, and that provide support for local government in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level.

The Croatian County Association is an organization founded in 2003 to promote the regional self-government and foster and support the economic and social development of regional self-governmental units in the Republic of Croatia.

The Croatian Cities Association is founded in 2002 to promotes collaboration between cities and exchange of good practice.