Under Cool Cities volunteers ask towns to pledge to reduce their carbon emissions and meet the standards of the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The Climate Protection Agreement is like the Kyoto Protocol for US towns- municipalities pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. Volunteers also ask towns to join ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives- an organization that assists with performing town wide energy audits and creating climate action plans), and to create and implement a climate action plan.