ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center

ICLEI CBC
ACTIVITY INFORMATION
What we are doing

We live in the urban century, and the evidence shows that globally we face unprecedented threats to nature and loss of biodiversity. This threatens our very survival, which depends on nature and natural systems. The decline of the natural world is recognized as a crisis even bigger than climate change. Cities operate and provide services at the local level, address problems on the ground and make tangible and practical contributions to protecting nature and the loss of natural systems. Cities are engines of innovation and can be the sources of innovative solutions to address the threats of biodiversity loss and climate change. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) endorsed the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities in 2010. Integrating nature into local and subnational processes differs widely. Successful approaches include developing and implementing biodiversity strategies and action plans; integrating biodiversity considerations into land use and spatial plans providing legal protecting through identifying protected areas; increasing green opens spaces and corridors; using green and blue infrastructure solutions; and raising citizen awareness of nature’s value and benefits.

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How we are tracking

Bi-annual Global Biodiversity Summit of Local and Subnational Governments held in the margins of the CBD COPs Summit Communique/Declaration presented to CBD COP plenary and accepted

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What we are achieving

Since 2008, ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) has convened successive summits as official parallel events to the Conference on Biological Diversity COP, to enable local and subnational governments engagement. These Summits have resulted in strong political outcomes, including the Quintana Roo (2016) and Sharm El-Sheikh (2018) Communiques, Nagoya Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2011 - 2020), adopted at COP 10 in 2010, and of many decisions on local and subnational governments. Through these outcomes, ICLEI CBC has shaped a global policy environment that supports local and regional governments in their efforts to scale up and mainstream nature in sustainable urban development worldwide. ICLEI has also developed a dedicated website for local and subnational governments to advance the Action Agenda for Nature and People and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and holds monthly informational webinars. The CBC supports the work of CitiesWithNature.

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Partners

European Committee of the Regions, Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets, Regions4 - Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Related publications

2017
Event Report: 5th Global Biodiversity Summit of Local and Subnational Governments - Mainstreaming biodiversity where it matters most
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