At COP16, urban biodiversity successes shine amid global challenges.
After a year of record breaking heat, historic floods, and staggering biodiversity loss, global decision-makers return home from Cali, Colombia. For almost two weeks, delegates gathered at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16), affectionately referred to as the ‘implementation COP’ and the ‘COP of the people’, to negotiate global steps and targets to halt and reverse these trends.
The impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats. They are urgent and inextricable realities demanding bold, coordinated and action-oriented responses. The links between biodiversity and climate are irrefutable.
“We cannot speak about biodiversity and climate separately. The moment our world warms more than 1.5 degrees, our ecosystems will collapse. We need to mitigate as fast as we can, preserve as much as we can, and adapt as fast as we can.”
Dr. Debra Roberts, Co-Chair, Working Group II, IPCC and Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, eThekwini, South Africa
This perspective underpins the planetary boundary research of scientist Johan Rockström, whose work indicates that “there is no 1.5 degrees Celsius delivery on the Paris Agreement by only phasing out fossil fuels. We also need…nature-based biodiversity [action]… We have reached a pivotal point, not only in terms of risk, but also in terms of opportunity.”
The results of the 2024 Global Lancet Countdown Report, launched at COP16, underscore the impact of the climate crisis not only on ecosystems and extreme weather events, but on human health: as temperatures rise, human lives are on the line.
Translating global targets into local action
In short, we need a globally aligned action plan that accounts for differences in local environmental, political, and economic contexts. This plan must not only acknowledge the ongoing legacy of colonialism and economic and environmental exploitation but must recognize and respond to the irrefutable interlinkages between biodiversity and climate.
This topic dominated last month’s negotiations and built on COP15’s key achievement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – a strong first step, identifies goals for 2050, outlines intermediary targets for 2030, and provides clear guidance for governing authorities.
We need a globally aligned action plan that accounts for differences in local environmental, political, and economic contexts.
Susana Muhamad, the COP16 President and Colombian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, highlighted the role of local and regional authorities in achieving the GBF, stating “there is no more challenging time than now for governance, but the power of the local level is critical”.
In bringing local and regional authorities together, COP16 provided an opportunity to align strategies and create a global fund to enable all countries irrespective of economy to take action. While the event ended with only 22% of participating countries submitting a biodiversity plan, and commitment to a global fund stalled, COP16 nonetheless successfully highlighted needs at the local level, and set the stage for a path forward.
Bridging the gaps between national goals and local action
Committing to change at the local level is one thing, equitable and effective implementation is another. For COP16 to succeed in helping local and regional authorities operationalize the GBF, negotiations needed to help bridge substantial gaps between policy and action.
An analysis of EU policies revealed that only 35% of EU sustainability policies integrate Nature-based Solutions (NbS), key tools for addressing the biodiversity crisis. At the global level, only 28% of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) prominently feature NbS as a key strategy for environmental conservation.
Policy gaps are compounded by inadequate financing mechanisms. Multiple panels addressed the need for a nature-positive economy. Speakers explained how in their work supporting cities in integrating NbS, they repeatedly see how the organization of city budgets is incompatible with increased nature connectivity and integration in urban areas.
Cities also often lack nature-based objectives or related budget performance measures, posing an added challenge. Tools for public entities such as the Urban Nature Plan Framework are available, however there is a need for more engagement from the private sector. The private sector’s role in financing ecosystem restoration needs to be increased drastically.
Innovative mechanisms such as biodiversity credits that are aligned with climate change mitigation could be an important component leading to the transformational change needed.
Gaps in policy are exacerbated by limited capacity. Local authorities often lack the expertise needed to implement Nature-based Solutions (NbS) effectively, and public understanding of sustainability remains limited.
This educational shortfall, spotlighted at COP16, underscores the need to embed sustainability into both city management and public awareness. To address this, COP16 saw the launch of the International Urban Biodiversity Accelerator, a capacity-building initiative designed to bridge the gap between global biodiversity commitments and local efforts across North America, Latin America, and Europe.
This educational shortfall, spotlighted at COP16, underscores the need to embed sustainability into both city management and public awareness.
Educational initiatives also play a pivotal role by envisioning future scenarios for NbS education, helping cities and local communities build the knowledge and skills necessary to implement sustainable solutions effectively.
To address these challenges, ICLEI launched the report From Agreement to Action: Implementation Progress by Subnational and Local Governments Towards the Global Biodiversity Framework. This publication showcases initiatives by cities of all sizes, as well as district authorities, provinces, states, and prefectures – that are contributing to the GBF’s 2030 targets. These global examples highlight how diverse local actions can have meaningful impacts on biodiversity.
Always, there is a need to work with local communities and indigenous people, groups who are increasingly recognized as vital in preserving biodiversity, yet rarely adequately and equitably invited into planning and implementation processes. COP16 resulted in the creation of a permanent body for Indigenous peoples that will serve an advisory role for future COPs, ensuring a long-term mechanism for enabling them to provide direct advice and feedback.
From negotiation to action: tools for financing and implementing Nature-based Solutions
COP16 is, however, not only about negotiations. It is an opportunity to discuss and share tools for making the decisions that come out of COP16 an actionable reality. Take, for instance, the State of Finance Report, launched at COP16 during the 8th Summit for Local and Subnational Governments, which offers a framework that addresses financing and data collection challenges by offering a simple stock-taking tool for cities. It reveals that much work still needs to be done in tracking nature investments, highlighting the necessity for stronger governance structures.
The report draws from the experience of cities like Seattle, Washington, USA, where the importance of Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation and social justice have long been recognized. At a time when 38% of tree species globally are at risk of extinction, Seattle has initiated a tree planting program targeting 30% urban canopy cover.
It reveals that much work still needs to be done in tracking nature investments, highlighting the necessity for stronger governance structures.
Seattle has ensured that 99% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and more than 2,000 acres of urban forest in Seattle have undergone active restoration through the Green Seattle Partnership. The Lancet report emphasizes that urban renaturing can significantly enhance both physical and mental well-being.
Seattle’s Deputy Mayor, Adiam Emery, urged other cities to adopt similar frameworks to meet their climate and biodiversity goals: “It would be amazing if we could gather the data that will demonstrate how much our cities are investing in nature and how much we should grow over the next few years. In order to meet our climate and biodiversity goals, we need to understand our current investment levels.”
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact: a call from the local to the global level
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact, led by the City of Berlin and supported by ICLEI and IUCN, is a prime example of initiatives external to the COP negotiations designed to make the GBF implementable. Launched at COP16, the Berlin Pact follows two years of consultations with 90 cities worldwide, and is the next milestone after the Montreal Pledge and the Edinburgh Declaration. It aims to provide impetus for local action by strengthening political commitment, and promoting the multisectoral transformation needed to reverse biodiversity loss.
To that end, the Pact sets ambitious, yet achievable and concrete biodiversity targets aligned to those contained in the GBF with some additional targets important for cities and regions specifically. Made by and for cities, the Berlin Pact allows for flexibility and integration of further already existing plans and strategies at local level.
The Pact ties together several key threads highlighted at COP16. Through its integration into the CBD-recognized CitiesWithNature Action Platform, signatory cities can capture their activities and track progress in alignment with the GBF. This will foster accountability and create meaningful monitoring datasets. This data provides vital insights for decision-makers at national and international levels. Cities like Cali (Colombia) and Utrecht (the Netherlands) have already made their commitment to this global initiative, while others have expressed support and a strong intention to sign.
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact is a powerful instrument for frontrunner ‘greening cities’. Cities like Utrecht need the support and exchange to go into the upscaling phase towards the ‘green leap’ of becoming nature inclusive cities of the future.
Anouk Teuns – Department Managing Director for the Municipality of Utrecht, Netherlands
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact could offer a scalable model for cities around the world looking to enhance urban biodiversity. This would directly support cities in fulfilling commitments made at biodiversity COPs.
Ingrid Coetzee, director of Nature Biodiversity Health at ICLEI, explained how: “These initiatives are driving local action toward GBF2030 targets, demonstrating that cities and regions are at the heart of reversing biodiversity loss for a nature-positive future.”
Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI, added, “Cities are hubs of innovation and solutions, drivers of change, and where implementation happens at ground level. We are encouraged to see 73 new cities and regions joining our CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature global partnerships.”
Empowering biodiversity for a resilient future
The world may look vastly different in the coming decades as biodiversity loss accelerates, climate risks intensify, and ecosystem degradation continues. As a key scientist of the planetary boundaries framework, Johan Rockström tells his audiences: “The only option is exponential change.
We know that the only currency that matters is speed and scale. We also need to become stewards of the entire planet. We need to now recognize, from local to global level, that we’re all so intertwined that we must govern the entire planet.” Protecting biodiversity is not just about preserving nature today but ensuring future resilience – keeping our options open in the face of potential overshoot scenarios.
Protecting biodiversity is not just about preserving nature today but ensuring future resilience
In Europe, the Nature Restoration Law and expert groups are paving the way for stronger biodiversity protection. These efforts focus on restoring ecosystems, advancing policy frameworks, and fostering multi-level collaboration. ICLEI Europe, the European branch of a global city network, will serve in the expert group on the Nature Restoration Regulation, bringing the perspectives of cities to the forefront – including those presented at COP16.
ICLEI’s participation also ensures that research and learnings from European-funded projects on mainstreaming nature-based solutions and preserving biodiversity reach the global stage. By fostering hands-on learning, collaboration, and end-user perspectives, these initiatives empower local and regional authorities and equip future generations with the tools needed to effectively combat biodiversity loss.
The challenges are immense, but by closing gaps in governance, funding, education, and partnerships, cities can spearhead efforts to reverse biodiversity loss.
The challenges are immense, but by closing gaps in governance, funding, education, and partnerships, cities can spearhead efforts to reverse biodiversity loss. COP16 offers a vital steppingstone, but its success depends on whether attendees and global stakeholders turn negotiations into tangible action.
As intersessional meetings continue in 2025, it is crucial to prioritize innovative international financing and finalize missing biodiversity plans. The world cannot afford to delay – the next COP must bring us closer to achieving our biodiversity goals, not rehashing past discussions.