We invite all cities and regions to join CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature to ensure all subnational actions for nature are counted towards achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Targets.
This year, International Day for Biodiversity shines a direct spotlight on the role of local and subnational government leaders in the global effort to protect nature. With more than half of the world’s population living in cities, the intersection of urban expansion and natural ecosystems is where the future of global biodiversity is being decided. The world increasingly recognizes that cities and regions are critical partners in meeting national targets and the global biodiversity goals.
Turning nature-positive ambition into a reality means local action must be visible. CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature have more than 1,300 actions and 700+ active commitments recorded on the Action Platforms, but to truly have an impact, the global community needs every city and region to rise to the challenge.
This October, global leaders will gather at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 17 in Yerevan, Armenia, to review progress and accelerate action. All achievements will be celebrated at CBD COP 17 and the 9th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities on 24 October 2026, an official COP parallel event co-hosted by ICLEI, the CBD Secretariat, Regions4 and the COP host country.
Acting Locally for Global Impact: An Open Letter to Mayors and Governors
Astrid Schomaker
Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity
Montreal, 14 May 2026
Dear Mayors and Governors,
You are leading action where it matters most — in the communities where more than half of the world’s people live, learn, work, and innovate. Cities and subnational governments are at the forefront of efforts to build more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive societies, while also helping to reconnect people with biodiversity.
As pressures on ecosystems continue to grow, local leadership has become increasingly important to help ensure healthy environments, resilient economies, and a better quality of life for present and future generations.
This year, the International Day for Biological Diversity is an ode to those “acting locally for global impact”. This letter is an acknowledgement of the crucial role of subnational governments, cities, and local authorities in bringing about a much-needed global surge of action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. It is also a renewed invitation to use the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and its 23 targets as a blueprint for local action.
December 2022 marked a landmark moment: Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted a renewed and more ambitious decision to engage subnational governments, cities and local authorities in accelerating implementation of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the world’s blueprint for halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
That decision also recognised CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature as platforms for subnational governments and cities to report their commitments and actions in support of KMGBF targets and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity welcomes the surge of local leadership and action. The journey toward a nature-positive world, where people and nature thrive together, begins in our communities. The choices that cities and regions make daily ripple outward and can drive global transformation.
Increasingly, we hear inspiring stories of cities, towns, provinces and states restoring habitats, protecting species, greening infrastructure, investing in a resilient future and engaging communities in stewardship. Together, these thousands of local acts add up to real and measurable progress.
The CBD Secretariat has been collaborating with ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) to ensure that commitments reported on CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature are seamlessly reflected in the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism, which tracks implementation progress. This means that local action is counted and amplified at the national and global levels.
Reports on local action are also critical for monitoring and evaluation as shaped by Parties to the Convention. COP 17, which will take place in Yerevan in October 2026, will see the first global review of collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF.
One of the key outcomes being sought is an agreement on how to accelerate action to close gaps. Subnational governments, cities and local authorities must be part of that whole-of government and whole-of-society endeavour.
We are now halfway through in the KMGBF implementation race. It is abundantly clear that we must do more and that we must act faster. Slow, incremental change is no longer a choice. The much-needed acceleration can also stem from increased awareness and commitment from local actors, in line with the three pillars of the IDB 2026 campaign: Look and Learn, Connect and Act, and Share.
The journey toward living in harmony with nature—the vision adopted within the KMGBF— begins with steps taken by you and your constituents, including communities and local businesses.
We look forward to celebrating your achievements at the 9th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities, an official parallel event co-hosted by ICLEI, the CBD Secretariat, Regions4 and Armenia at the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan. In the meantime, every commitment and every action matter, for nature and all people.
