In the movement to protect our planet’s biodiversity, the front lines aren’t just in remote rainforests or distant oceans — they are in our backyards, our city parks, and our urban waterways. As the world works toward the ambitious goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), we recognize that global targets cannot be met without local action.
The CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature Action Platforms are central to this effort. These platforms are officially recognized as commitment and reporting platforms for subnational governments, cities and other local authorities in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Decision 15/12. As the only non-state actor platforms with a recognized pathway for subnational governments to contribute information towards the KMGBF, they allow subnational governments to showcase their plans, track commitments, and understand exactly how their local biodiversity efforts contribute to the health of the entire planet. Local actions and data feed directly into national dashboards within the CBD system, contributing to the global review of collective progress. In short, your city’s actions don’t stop at your borders. The Action Platforms serve as a vital link between high-level international policy and on-the-ground implementation.
Local and regional governments are on the frontlines of biodiversity and climate action. They manage urban wetlands, coastlines and forests, they implement nature-based solutions, and they drive community-led initiatives. We contribute directly to global biodiversity goals. Today, let’s remember that when urban action takes place, the world moves closer to living in harmony with nature.
Mayor Alfredo Coro II
Mayor of Del Carmen, Philippines
ICLEI Global Biodiversity, Water and Health Portfolio Lead
Across the globe, local and subnational governments are proving that urban development doesn’t have to come at the expense of nature. By integrating green and blue spaces into the urban fabric, these cities and regions are enhancing human well-being while restoring lost ecosystems.
Aligned with its Bioclimatic Local Urban Plan, Paris aims to increase accessible green space from 8.6m2 to 10m2 per inhabitant by 2040. This transition is anchored by the 2024 “300 hectares open to the public” program, which aims to make 300 hectares of green spaces accessible to city dwellers. These efforts ensure nature is a functional, everyday component enhancing health and well-being and urban climate resilience.
Long considered a pioneer in sustainable planning, Curitiba integrates nature in its public health strategy. The city uses “Linear Parks” along riverbanks to prevent flooding and provide equitable leisure areas, while the Municipal Nursery acts as an “open-air laboratory” to educate citizens on the importance of the Atlantic Forest biome. Currently, the city has 10,294.19 hectares of urban green and blue spaces accessible to 99.94% of the city’s population.
In a masterclass of ecological restoration, Nansha District has revitalised idle spaces into ecologically rich zones. This includes the transformation of abandoned quarries into the Phoenix Lake series of parks, as well as repurposing under-bridge spaces into parks to ensure that citizens “see green from every window and a park at every door”.
Cape Town is focusing on becoming a “water-sensitive city” by cleaning up its vleis (wetlands) and rivers. A unique aspect of this water and community resilience strategy is the fostering of “Friends Groups”, in which community-led partnerships give local residents a direct say in how their green spaces are managed and developed.
At the provincial level, Quebec adopted its “2030 Nature Plan” in 2024. This comprehensive strategy explicitly links biodiversity conservation with human health, prioritizing “biodiversity-friendly access” and ensuring that First Nations and Inuit communities are partners in the sustainable management of natural environments.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent action over the decade to 2030. Target 12 of the KMGBF focuses on enhancing green and blue spaces and urban planning for human well-being. This depends on a collective effort by cities and regions across the globe. By joining the CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature initiative and using the Action Platforms, local and subnational governments don’t just make a commitment to their community, but also to their country and the world. Every green corridor created, every wetland restored, every policy adopted gets counted, reported, and recognised globally. In joining, they also gain:
By joining the CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature initiative and using the Action Platforms, local and subnational governments gain:
Recognition: Official status as a contributor to global biodiversity goals.
Tools: Frameworks to track and report progress accurately.
Community: Access to a global network of peers sharing nature-first solutions.
This is your chance to say: We are one of the world’s CitiesWithNature (or RegionsWithNature) — and to have that commitment counted where it matters most.
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