World Urban Parks (WUP) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, through its Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC), are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership. The signing of a collaboration agreement formalizes the strong partnership between World Urban Parks and ICLEI for collaboration on the CitiesWithNature partnership initiative and the WUP campaign. Leveraging the individual and collective strengths of the two organizations, this partnership will establish a joint work programme on establishing sustainable urban areas that mainstream, protect, and enhance nature, and maximize the benefit derived from the ecosystem services and nature-based solutions that nature provides for all people and cities.

“The overall aim of this partnership is to reconnect communities with nature in and around urban areas and use the CitiesWithNature platform to facilitate this aim, for the benefit of all partners of the Partnership Initiative.  This partnership brings together two strong global organizations committed to advancing the protection and advancement of nature in urban environments for the health and well-being of all people and our planet,” says Jayne Miller, Chair of World Urban Parks.

ICLEI CBC acts globally on biodiversity and nature on behalf of ICLEI, representing the local and subnational government constituency in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and is secretariat of the CitiesWithNature partnership initiative, on behalf of the founding partners: ICLEI, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the growing network of supporting partners.

World Urban Parks serves as the global voice for urban parks, nature and nature-based solutions providing advocacy, best practices, and bench-marking through global collaboration to resolve issues and increase knowledge and capacity for urban park professionals around the globe.

“We welcome World Urban Parks as a partner on CitiesWithNature. Urban parks and green open spaces provide opportunities for urban communities to enjoy and connect with nature, improving health and well-being. While we cannot all access our parks right now, we know that nature never closes and its multiple gifts continue to benefit our cities. Together we stand in solidarity with our cities to celebrate the value of nature and our urban parks, as we build resilient CitiesWithNature,” said Kobie Brand, Global Director: ICLEI CBC.

Both organizations look forward to working together to advance our joint vision for greener, healthier CitiesWithNature.

Contacts:

 WUP Secretariat Coordinator

office@worldurbanparks.org

1-780-644-6976

ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center

https://cbc.iclei.org/

biodiversity@iclei.org

CitiesWithNature

www.citieswithnature.org

info@cwn-wp.lndo.site

We continue to stand together, in solidarity, as we are increasingly faced with loss and hardship as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, we applaud the dedication and hard work of healthcare workers who are on the front lines in treating the sick. We continue to acknowledge the role of local and subnational governments for their rapid response in the face of this crisis.

Nature provides diverse life-supporting and life-enhancing contributions to people. All cities critically depend on healthy interconnected ecosystems within and around them. There is a growing urgency for collective and large-scale action to protect biodiversity and respect nature in and around cities to prevent irreversible loss and damage to the natural systems that protect us. The COVID-19 pandemic is placing huge strain on our communities, our governments, our healthcare systems and our economies. Our cities still continue to grapple with massive sustainability challenges, and building urban resilience will be even more critical now.

Due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic, many event dates in the lead up to the 15^th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have changed their dates, their locations, and in some instances, their overall method of delivery. Thus, the “Super Year for Nature” has been extended through to 2021, when COP 15 will take place. While much uncertainty remains, and more changes are likely, the journey towards COP 15 will continue with the same rigor and momentum as before.  The ongoing mobilisation of the local and subnational government constituency will ensure that actions by cities and regions are consistent, transformational, and sustained to turn every year into a “Super Year for Nature.” An updated timeline, with the most recent event dates and details can be seen below:

The Edinburgh Process for Subnational Governments, Cities and Local Authorities on the development of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework is currently underway, as arguably one of the most significant opportunities for the voice of the local and subnational government constituency to be heard loudly in the lead up to COP 15. Given the COVID-19 context we find ourselves in, the event has been transformed into a dynamic and interactive online consultation process. The event aims to consult the local and subnational government constituency on the Zero Draft Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the review of the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity, and recommendations for a new dedicated and stepped-up decision that builds on a renewed Plan of Action toward 2030, and in co-developing the Edinburgh Declaration, as joint outputs from the event that will feed into the SBSTTA-24 and SBI-3 consultation processes.

An overview of the where we currently are in the process can be seen in the figure below:

A series of successful Regional Information Sessions were held throughout the week of 5-8 May 2020 as follows:

• Europe/North America: 5th May
• Africa: 6th May
• South America: 7th May
• Asia Pacific: 8th May

These sessions provided a useful introduction to the process as well as background and guidance for participants to make their inputs. On 12^th May 2020, ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center hosted the first of the Thematic Webinars that are shown above. The topic of the webinar was: Monitoring and Reporting Tools for Local and Subnational Governments. The virtual session brought together a range of partners to share the metrics and tools they are working on to support the local and subnational government constituency in measuring their success and progress. In terms of the upcoming webinars, we would like to draw your attention to the thematic webinar on the topic of Nature-based Solutions and Capacity Building, which will be hosted by the ICLEI European Secretariat on World Biodiversity Day (22^nd May 2020). For more details of the upcoming Thematic Webinars that will take place up until 12 June 2020, register for the Edinburgh Process.

The online consultation process opened on 30^th April 2020, and remains open for participants to make inputs until 29^th May 2020. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to register for the Edinburgh Process. This can be done by expressing your interest in participating at: enquiries-subnationalworkshop@gov.scot

Successful registration will allow you access to Attendify, the platform where the Edinburgh Process consultation documents, resources, links to webinars, and webinar recordings will all be housed. For more information, click here.

The event is being organised by the Government of Scotland and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in collaboration with partner organisations such as ICLEI, REGIONS4 Sustainable Development, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS), the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish National Heritage, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Government of Quebec and of Wales. For more information, and to stay up-to-date with the unfolding details, click here.

ICLEI continues to host its monthly Post-2020 webinar series to keep up to date on the unfolding participatory process on the roadmap to COP 15: The Paris Moment for Nature. Visit our website to see more on our local and subnational advocacy for nature and to get involved. In case you have missed the previous webinars in the series, the recordings are available on our YouTube Channel.

The next webinar in the series will take place on the 14^th May 2020 and is titled “Nature, food, nutrition and health in the time of COVID-19.” Click to register for your preferred timeslot (SAST) below:
at 10:00 am SAST (GMT+2)
at 03:00 pm SAST (GMT+2)

As we co-develop the collective and consolidated position of the local and subnational government constituency in the lead up to COP 15, the call to action for local and subnational governments to mobilize is clear now, more than ever before. Below are 6 things each actor in the constituency can do to support the Roadmap to COP 15:

1. COMMIT to taking ambitious action and set local and subnational targets that are aligned to the Post-2020 GBF
2. JOIN networks like CitiesWithNature that will support and enable this action
3. PARTICIPATE in key roadmap events and the Post-2020 process to make your voice heard and to contribute to the development of the constituency’s emerging position
4. COLLABORATE with all levels of government and other actors
5. CALL ON CBD Parties to endorse the consolidated position statement and support the adoption of a stepped-up, dedicated decision that enables active participation by local and subnational governments
6. ENGAGE with your communities about the benefits of living in CitiesWithNature

Successive Global Biodiversity Summits of Local and Subnational Governments have been co-convened by ICLEI, host governments, and key partners as official events in parallel to the CBD COPs since COP 9 in 2008. Since the first Summit, there has been at least one official COP decision dedicated to local and subnational governments emerging from each Summit’s negotiations. This is testimony to CBD Parties’ and the SCBD’s recognition of the vital role that cities and regions play in contributing to the CBD objectives.

As COVID-19 is offering us a time for deep reflection, so too should we reflect on the previous Summit communiques, resolutions and declarations that have been presented to CBD Parties over the last decade, to set the scene for the 7^th Global Biodiversity Summit, a key moment to mobilise the local and subnational government constituency, that will be hosted in the margins of COP 15. These documents have been key to advancing our global advocacy agenda, and the links to the Summit outcomes, since 2008, are provided below:

• Bonn Call for Action on Cities and Biodiversity (Mayors Conference – Local Action for Biodiversity, COP9 in Bonn, Germany 2008)
• Aichi/Nagoya Declaration on Local Authorities and Biodiversity Support of Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (City Biodiversity Summit, COP10 in Nagoya, Japan 2010)
• Hyderabad Declaration on Subnational Governments, Cities and Local Authorities for Biodiversity (Cities for Life: City and Subnational Biodiversity Summit, COP11 in Hyderabad, India 2012)
• Gangwon/Pyeongchang Resolution for Cities and Subnational Governments for Biodiversity (Biodiversity Summit For Cities and Subnational Governments, COP12 in Gangwon, Republic of Korea 2014)
• Quintana Roo Communique on Mainstreaming Local and Subnational Biodiversity Action (5th Global Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments, COP13 in Cancun, Mexico 2016)
• Sharm El-Sheikh Communique for Local and Subnational Action for Nature and People (6th Global Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments, COP14 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 2018)

There has never been a more important time to invest in nature. Green cities are healthy cities that are resilient to future shocks – some of which will be unexpected. We know with certainty that planting trees is a good investment. But it’s crucial to do it right, as ill-considered tree-planting could do more harm than good.

A tree is a symbol the world over, representing nature and its value, and for good reason. Taking advantage of the benefits offered by trees is crucial as cities grow and climate change impacts intensify. Numerous studies provide unequivocal evidence of the benefits of trees in addressing these impacts, which threaten to undermine the development gains achieved since the industrial revolution.

Trees have climate change-tackling super powers. Planting trees combats deforestation, which contributes 13% to total human-caused CO₂ emissions, which in turn cause climate change. And they reduce temperatures and flooding impacts, vital in a warmer world, where more intense and frequent storms occur.

An article published in Science in July 2019 stated that the earth is capable of supporting an extra 900-million trees. Major reforestation projects ensued, with large amounts of money streaming in from development funds and the private sector to restore land and plant trees across the planet.

This is great news in our current climate where urban residents are realising the importance of nature, not only for their personal health and wellbeing, but also for that of their cities. The Nature Conservancy did a global analysis of the effects of trees on air quality and heat in 245 of the world’s largest cities, and found that urban tree planting efforts could improve the health of urban citizens in a cost-effective way. Trees and green spaces also contribute to more resilient social-ecological systems.

The United Nations declared 2021-2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, with one of the goals being to reforest an area as large as India (350m hectares) by 2030. India itself has pledged to plant 13m hectares of forest by 2020, Latin America is aiming at 20m hectares and African countries 100m hectares by 2030, The Guardian reports.

However, some experts have expressed concern. According to Sally Archibald, an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and expert in African grasslands, unsolicited tree-planting in these areas could be a disaster. “Just because trees can grow on a patch of land, does not mean that trees should grow there,” she told the Mail & Guardian. Archibald and several other African scientists argue that in many cases, grassy biomes might in fact be more effective in storing carbon than forests would be, if planted here.

The World Resource Institute estimates that land restoration can reverse the effects of the degradation challenges currently faced by 3 billion people around the world. Yet they admit it’s a challenge to prepare, implement and monitor appropriate projects. This is why they put together a series of resources for successful reforestation and land restoration.

Globally, cities are committing to prioritise nature, on platforms such as CitiesWithNature, which inspires cities to protect their parks and trees, and share their experience, best practices and solutions for mainstreaming nature, with cities globally.

Our urban biodiversity experts from the ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center, working on the INTERACT-Bio and UNA Rivers projects, provide ten do’s and don’ts for planting the right tree in any location.

Plant trees that provide more than one service. Fruit trees provide a cash crop and increase food security while simultaneously attracting important animal species like pollinators, which are vital for our survival. Ishpingo, an organisation working in Brazil, is reforesting the town of Tena in the Amazon with fruit trees, not only because fruit trees thrive in the tropics, but also because they provide food and cash crops to the community.

Similarly, trees with broad leaves and a bushy canopy can intercept rainwater and flooding in areas where this is common, and increasing greenery in built-up areas can reduce the urban heat island effect.

Indigenous trees are mostly considered the best option for reforestation, but exotic trees can also serve an important purpose, for example when planted for firewood production. An exotic tree becomes an invasive tree when it spreads unaided, jeopardising the natural vegetation. Most countries have legislation on trees that are exotic and invasive, so be sure to review this. The Global Invasive Species Programme is another good resource.

Always consider the environment the tree is going to be planted in. Indigenous trees thrive in areas where they belong, so make sure to plant the right tree in the right location.

Solid root systems protect the soil, stop erosion, and can absorb water from rains and floods. The root systems also provide trees with stability and anchorage and enable storage of vital food reserves. However, trees with aggressive root systems often create costly damage to infrastructure in cities and urban areas. A number of Ficus species are well-known for lifting pavements and even creating structural instability of walls and buildings.

Some trees are also prone to clogging stormwater and sewerage drainage pipes in the search of water. GreenBlue Urban provide some useful tips on how to prevent damage from tree roots when planting trees in urban settings and how to successfully manage tree roots.

Trees need well aerated, moist and uncompacted soils for healthy growth. Different soil types are composed of different particle sizes and not all types of soil are suitable for growing trees. In Canada in the 1950s, the city lined the suburb of Etobicoke with Red Oaks and Norway Maples, but the Maples thrived and grew into much bigger trees than the Oaks. This is because the specific suburb has sandy soil, which is much more suited to the maple trees. Sandy soils have large particle sizes allowing roots, water and air to move freely. While the Oaks still make for a beautiful street, it shows that planting the right tree for the soil can make a much more impactful change.

Consider organic matter and nutrients when planting trees, particularly in urban areas, as these are critical components that contribute to healthy soils. It is important to always examine the soil in which the tree will grow when deciding on the right tree.

Trees sequester the most carbon when planted in their natural biome and surrounded by other plants. In South Africa, the Spekboom (Portulacaria species) is well-known as a carbon sequestering ‘machine’, but it sequesters the most carbon when planted in its native biome, like the Baviaanskloof in the Eastern Cape Province. When identifying trees that store large amounts of carbon, make sure they can maintain their carbon performance in the identified reforestation area.

To achieve high carbon sequestration rates, the plant must also be part of an ecosystem with other plants. Especially in large areas, avoid turning these new ‘forests’ into monocrops. Create ecosystems instead.

Many parts of the world experience seasonal dryness and we’re expected to see increasing dryness as our earth warms. The western parts of sub-Saharan Africa, an already water scarce region, are predicted to get increasingly dryer. It is therefore advisable to not plant trees that consume a lot of groundwater in dry areas where access to water is already a challenge. In South Africa for example, it has been shown that the clearing of invasive alien trees from catchments that are heavily invaded, may enable the postponement of water resource augmentation schemes by several years.

All trees require a sufficient amount of water. When planting trees, consider using a simple drip irrigation system to water the trees. Drip irrigation allows for a slow but steady flow of water. The water will infiltrate deep into the soil and enable strong tree roots to grow.

From our experience, tree-planting initiatives are often compromised by a lack of monitoring and follow-up, so it is critical to build maintenance programmes into tree-planting initiatives to ensure that the community takes responsibility for looking after the trees. As part of a recent tree-planting initiative in Moshi, Tanzania, children from the local primary school each adopted a tree and have to go back to the site and photograph their tree as it grows. Partnerships like these can increase both the longevity of the project and the lifetime of the trees and the services they provide in urban environments, as well as provide valuable educational opportunities.

In cities, trees are sometimes jeopardised by rapid urbanisation, as cities often don’t have regulations in place to protect trees once development plans are approved. In order for trees to better establish themselves, it’s more effective to plant trees that are already half-grown, in areas that have been specifically designated for gardens or urban green spaces. These trees are less likely to be vandalised or removed and have a higher chance of survival.

In rapidly developing and developed cities, green zones or areas are important for biodiversity and may be ideal places for planting trees. It’s important to do a thorough site evaluation before planting trees.

Identify social issues in cities that can be addressed by trees, and locate these trees where they can address the challenges. For example, the urban heat island effect often causes heat exhaustion during heat waves.

Dar es Salaam City Council used a Thematic Atlas approach to spatially locate areas where greenery and social issues such as flooding or heat intercept. This provides a rational motivation of where to invest in urban greenery. Planting trees in cities that experience hot summers will not only increase the green cover, but also increase the health of citizens.

Balancing the requirements of an expanding global population with the conservation of species is a tricky task. The rapid increase in urbanisation has resulted in significant loss of habitat and species. Planting trees and other plant species is crucial to improve and protect biodiversity. Planting trees in gardens, along roadsides and in green spaces can be extremely beneficial for attracting and increasing biodiversity.

Cities across the world are recognising the importance of urban habitat that can support biodiversity. Trees provide a critical habitat where birds, animals and insects can source food and shelter. Even a single tree can create a refuge for hundreds of species, such as insects, fungi, moss, birds and other plants.

Covid-19

At this time, we would like to express our condolences to those who have suffered loss and hardship as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, we applaud the dedication and hard work of healthcare workers who are on the front lines in treating the sick. We also acknowledge the role of local and subnational governments for their rapid response in the face of this crisis.

Nature provides diverse life-supporting and life-enhancing contributions to people. All cities critically depend on healthy interconnected ecosystems within and around them. There is a growing urgency for collective and large-scale action to protect biodiversity and respect nature in and around cities to prevent irreversible loss and damage to the natural systems that protect us. The COVID-19 pandemic is placing huge strain on our communities, our governments, our healthcare systems and our economies. Our cities still continue to grapple with massive sustainability challenges, and building urban resilience will be even more critical now

It is well known that nature is good for mental and physical health and wellbeing, which is especially pertinent at this moment in history. Government-imposed restrictions, differing in various contexts, are paramount to the health of our urban communities. Cities whose urban nature is still accessible offer opportunities to connect people with nature and its benefits.

To read the Statement of the Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, on the occasion of World Health Day, click here.

Roadmap to COP 15: Timeline of Key Milestones

Due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic, many event dates in the lead up to the 15^th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have changed their dates, their locations, and in some instances, their overall method of delivery. This means that the roadmap is likely to extend beyond 2020 and into 2021. While much uncertainty remains, and more changes are likely, the journey towards COP 15 will continue with the same rigor and momentum as before.  An updated timeline, with the most recent event dates and details can be seen below:

Call for a Renewed and Stepped-Up Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity at COP 15

COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan was a landmark victory for local and subnational governments. Not only was the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, including the associated 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, for the 2011-2020 period adopted by the Parties in decision X/2, but the Plan of Action (PoA) on Subnational Governments, Cities, and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2011-2020) was also adopted and endorsed by the CBD Parties in Decision X/22. The adoption of this PoA was a pivotal moment in highlighting the critical role of local and subnational governments in implementing the global biodiversity agenda, since it provides suggestions to Parties on how to mobilize and coordinate local actions on biodiversity, to bring national strategies and plans into the local context. Since then, there has been a significant increase in momentum on this advocacy, with at least one official decision dedicated to local and subnational governments emerging from each COP. This is further testimony to CBD Parties’ and the SCBD’s recognition of the vital role that cities and regions play in contributing to the CBD objectives. COP 14, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2018, surpassed this proud tradition with an unprecedented number of decisions – seven in total – that relate to local and subnational governments.

The period since COP 14 has seen unprecedented advocacy, mobilisation and coordination of local and subnational action under the auspices of the local and subnational roadmap on the journey to COP 15 in China and the associated consultation and negotiation process on the post-2020 GBF. The adoption of the Post 2020 GBF at COP 15 is increasingly being referred to as being the “Paris moment for nature,” and the “coalition” of local and subnational government networks, representing the constituency, is calling for a stepped-up, dedicated decision and a renewed PoA that is more ambitious than ever before.

At this important moment, work on the review of Decision X/22, the PoA (2011 – 2020), highlighting achievements at the global, national and all subnational levels, identifying gaps and strengths in the Plan of Action, and recommendations of what and where adjustments need to be made to guarantee a stronger and stepped up Plan of Action is underway. This review will be presented and co-developed via online consultation through the Edinburgh process before being presented at SBI-3 in Montreal in August 2020 and the 3rd meeting of the OEWG.

How to get Involved?

The Edinburgh Process for Subnational Governments, Cities and Local Authorities on the development of the Post 2020 global biodiversity framework is the next major milestone on the post-2020 roadmap to COP 15. The event aims to consult the local and subnational government constituency on the Zero Draft Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the review of the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity, recommendations for a renewed, stepped-up Plan of Action, and in co-developing the Edinburgh Declaration, as joint outputs from the event that will feed into the SBSTTA-24 and SBI-3 consultation processes.

Given the current challenges around travel restrictions and hosting in-person workshops, this workshop will now take the form of an online consultation process. This virtual approach will be piloted to allow for meaningful engagement by local and subnational governments, their networks, and their partners at this unprecedented time. The process will comprise a series of virtual webinars, conducted on Zoom, which will take place in parallel to a month-long consultation and engagement window, where inputs and contributions from participants will be invited in relation to the Zero Draft of the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Edinburgh Declaration, and the Renewed Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity. These inputs will be captured via google form responses. These forms will be available online here and via the attendify app.

The virtual consultation process will primarily make use of the event website and the Attendify app to share and disseminate information, and foster discussion and engagement throughout the process. Partners will also engage and mobilise their networks to participate.

An overview of the Edinburgh process

An overview of the process can be seen in the figure below:

Participants will need to register to participate. The link to register will be made available through the event website and the attendify app. More details on registration will follow for those who have already expressed interest in participating. If you are interested in participating and to receive further updates, please contact the team at enquiries-subnationalworkshop@gov.scot

The consultation will begin on 30^th April when the relevant background information will be uploaded to begin the virtual discussion. From 5^th-8^th May, a series of introductory webinars will be hosted by partners in each region. These webinars will describe the consultation process and provide an introduction to the Zero Draft of the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Edinburgh Declaration, and the Renewed Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity. More specific details will be shared in due course to register for these webinars.

Following the introductory webinars, participants will be engaged to participate and make their inputs online until the 29^th May via Attendify and the event website, where all relevant information will be shared as the process unfolds. Inputs can be made via a series of google forms. Once the consultation process is closed, the partners will work to incorporate inputs into the various event outputs. From 29th June- 3rd July, a second series of regional webinars will conclude the process by presenting the event results and outputs and demonstrating how inputs have been incorporated.

The event is being organised by the Government of Scotland and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in collaboration with partner organisations such as ICLEI, REGIONS4 Sustainable Development, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS), the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish National Heritage, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Government of Quebec and of Wales. For more information, and to stay up-to-date with the unfolding details, click here.

Save the Date: Register for our Next Webinar

ICLEI continues to host its monthly Post-2020 webinar series to keep up to date on the unfolding participatory process on the roadmap to COP 15: The Paris Moment for Nature. Visit our website to see more on our local and subnational advocacy for nature and to get involved. In case you have missed the previous webinars in the series, the recordings are available on our YouTube Channel.

The next webinar in the series will take place on the 16^th April 2020 and is titled “Reflections on the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2011-2020), recommendations for a renewed Plan of Action, and the Scotland Declaration.” Click to register for either the 10h00 or 15h00 timeslot (SAST).

Register for the webinar on 14 May, too at 10h00 or 15h00.

CitiesWithNature

The current global pandemic is calling us to increasingly connect online. CitiesWithNature, a unique, next-generation initiative, is supporting an online community of practice and enabling learning and action around integrating nature in cities and reconnecting people with nature. We all need nature now, more than ever before. CitiesWithNature provides a virtual means through which cities and regions can continue to share, learn, and inspire each other around integrating nature in cities and reconnecting people with nature. By building an online profile, cities and regions can showcase their innovative solutions. The platform also offers an opportunity to remain connected in this time of unprecedented uncertainty, by engaging with the profiles of other cities and regions and by exploring the uploads they have made. Additionally, cities and regions can access a range of tools and resources by registering, logging in, and engaging with the Nature Pathway. To join CitiesWithNature, connect with the growing network of cities and regions who are taking action for nature, and experience this innovative platform, click here.

Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest CitiesWithNature Buzz.

The generous support from the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework – EU Support project, the INTERACT-Bio project, and CitiesWithNature partners and cities, has contributed to this email update.

Disclaimer: If you would prefer not to receive these updates in future, please let us know.

2020 has been heralded as the super year for biodiversity, culminating with the 15^th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), where the CBD Parties will adopt a new global biodiversity framework. CBD COP 15, scheduled to take place from 15 – 28 October in Kunming, China, has been likened to a ‘Paris moment for biodiversity’, in reference to its potential to match the 2015 meeting in the French capital that resulted in the landmark global agreement to tackle climate change. The journey towards COP 15 has started and all stakeholders, including local and subnational governments, are demonstrating their commitment to building a future of life in harmony with nature. For more information, see the press release. The timeline below, which will be updated regularly with further events, illustrates key moments for the local and subnational government constituency in the roadmap on the journey towards COP 15.

This newsletter serves as the first in a series of monthly news updates for our constituency of local and subnational governments on the Post-2020 biodiversity advocacy process. Through these newsletters we will keep our constituency, partner networks and their associated stakeholders/partners informed and up to date on key events, their outcomes, and milestones along the Post-2020 roadmap, which can be explored in greater detail on our website.

What has already taken place in 2020?

2020 is already off to a very fruitful start for the local and subnational government constituency, with a few key events having taken place. Below is a brief update on the key outcomes to-date.

The Brazilian Perspectives for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (BIO2020), organized by ICLEI South America, the São Paulo State Government, Regions4, Expertise France, CETESB and Fundação Florestal, took place from 4 to 6 February 2020, at the Infrastructure and Environment Secretariat, in São Paulo, Brazil. The event ended with the signing of a strong charter, the Carta de São Paulo, and all 26 Brazilian state capital cities, as well as São Paulo State, committing to signing up to CitiesWithNature. For more information, click here.

Local and subnational governments prioritise nature-based solutions and the mainstreaming of nature at the 10^th World Urban Forum (WUF10) with resounding success as over 13,000 participants from 169 countries and more than 30,000 cumulative attendees across the week. WUF10 brought together thinkers and doers working across the full spectrum of sustainable urbanization and provided an excellent platform to increase the awareness on sustainable urban development and to upscale actions from a variety of stakeholders. WUF10 began with a call to action and carried this call through to the Forum’s concluding the Abu Dhabi Declared Actions, which bring together voluntary actions and diverse commitments made at WUF10 by different partners and stakeholder groups in support of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of particular importance are the commitments made by Local and Regional Governments at the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments convened by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, which included the commitment for “The constituency of LRG assumes a more prominent role for cities and local and regional governments in the discussions regarding the ecological transition, to localize climate action, prioritise nature-based solutions and traditional knowledge, and mainstream both nature and culture in sustainable urbanization.” For more information on WUF10 please refer to the press and media reports, including UN Web TV (live streaming) and the summary report by IISD.

The Second Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG 2) on the zero draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) took place from 24 to 29 February 2020 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The OEWG 2 meeting completed the first round of negotiations on the zero draft. Representatives from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC);  the Advisory Committee on Subnational Governments and Biodiversity,  coordinated by Regions4 Sustainable Development and the Government of Quebec,  the Group of Leading Subnational Governments towards Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the European Committee of Regions represented the local and subnational government constituency. Throughout the meeting, the group made three interventions calling for transformative change and full participation by local and subnational governments in implementing the new Framework. These statements are as follows:

• Statement read by Ms Ingrid Coetzee from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, at the Opening Plenary of Open-Ended Working Group 2 meeting in Rome, Italy, on 24 February 2020. Download the statement here.
• Statement read by Ms Hiroko Mizuno, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, at the Closing Plenary of Open-Ended Working Group 2 meeting in Rome, Italy, on 29 February 2020. Download the statement here.
• Statement read by Mr Jean Lemire from Quebec’s Envoy for Climate Change and Nordic and Arctic Issues, and representative of the AC SNG at the Open-Ended Working Group 2 meeting in Rome, Italy, on 25 February 2020. Download the statement here.

Several CBD parties, including the EU, UK, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Argentina and others, recognized the importance of, and called for enabling conditions for, and engagement of all levels of government in the implementation of the new framework. For more information, and to view the statements, visit our website.

The Informal Advisory Group on Biodiversity Mainstreaming (IAG Mainstreaming) presented its Progress Report and the Elements for mainstreaming biodiversity in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework on 24 June during the afternoon plenary session of the second meeting of Open-Ended Working Group held in Rome, Italy. The report emphasized that mainstreaming lies at the core of the “whole of government approach, which is central to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework process. All actors should cooperate in reversing biodiversity loss, from global to regional to sub-regional, national, subnational and local levels. It also includes the Draft Long-term Approach to Biodiversity Mainstreaming (LTAM). Click here to view the report. Going forward, the IAG Mainstreaming will prepare the full draft of the LTAM to the third meeting of the SBI, which will take place in Montreal in May this year. The full draft will consist of an introduction, goals and targets; Action Plan (detailing activities, milestones and key players); a glossary; and a set of references, guidelines, technical papers and sources of expertise.

Upcoming Opportunities: What’s next?

The ‘Workshop for Subnational, Regional and Local Governments on their role in the CBD Post-2020 Framework’ is the next major milestone on the post-2020 roadmap to COP 15. This Workshop will take place on 1-3 April 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will be organised by the Government of Scotland, the Convention on Biological Diversity, in collaboration with ICLEI, Regions4, the European Committee of the Regions, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish National Heritage, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the Government of Quebec and Wales. For more information, click here.

How to get Involved

Join us and register now for our Post 2020 information series, with monthly webinars to keep the local and subnational government constituency, networks, and partners up to date on key milestones, our emerging position statement, and the participatory preparation process of developing the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework on the roadmap to COP 15. The list of webinars and registration links are as follows:

6th February 2020:   10am CAT and 3pm CAT

26th March 2020:      10am CAT and 3pm CAT

16th April 2020:         10am CAT and 3pm CAT 

14th May 2020:          10am CAT and 3pm CAT

4th June 2020:           10am CAT and 3pm CAT

23rd July 2020:          10am CAT and 3pm CAT

20th August 2020:     10am CAT and 3pm CAT

17th September 2020:10am CAT and 3pm CAT

8th October 2020:     10am CAT and 3pm CAT

5th November 2020: 10am CAT and 3pm CAT

3rd December 2020:  10am CAT and 3pm CAT

We already held the first of these webinars in 2020, where we discussed the plans for the year of various local and subnational networks that are active in supporting our constituency. To view the recording of this webinar, click here.

The next webinar in the series is scheduled to take place on 26th March 2020.

Visit here to see past webinars in the series. For more information, visit and bookmark our Post 2020 website.

Join CitiesWithNature

CitiesWithNature is a global partnership initiative that provides a shared platform for cities and regions, partners, practitioners, researchers, and urban communities to connect, learn, act, share, and inspire each other in mainstreaming nature in and around urban areas. CitiesWithNature has been endorsed by the SCBD as the official engagement mechanism for local and subnational governments in the CBD process. In the lead up to COP 15, we are calling on all cities, large and small, to register and take action now, as we mobilise our constituency to shape and influence the Post 2020 GBF.

As hosts of the UNFCCC COP 26, arguably the most significant COP since Paris, we are also proud to welcome Glasgow City Council (Scotland) to CitiesWithNature. To see what the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency (LGMA) is doing in the UNFCCC climate negotiation process, click here. It is critical that we continue to demonstrate strong alignment with the Global Climate Agenda, and aim to tackle both the biodiversity and climate crises together in the next decade. Nature holds the answers in our increasingly urban world.

Register today to Join the journey.

Dr. Lena Chan, Senior Director, International Biodiversity Conservation Division, National Parks Board of Singapore

Learning from our past experiences, it is clear, that if we want to ensure that the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will be a success, we must focus on its implementation right from the start.

How do we carry out effective implementation? Due to time constraint, I shall focus on 3 points:

(a) As several of you have articulated, we need to be all inclusive and comprehensive in the implementation process involving all levels. Every individual, local communities, etc. must partake in this journey. The most effective level that has administrative capacity to organise, monitor and report is the city level. This is particularly relevant and appropriate as there are more people living in cities than rural areas. Moreover, there is rich biodiversity in cities.

(b) The second point is that it is crucial that more efforts must be accorded to habitat restoration and enhancement, especially when UN has designated 2021 to 2030 as the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. Species recovery can only succeed when habitats of these species are restored or enhanced. Connectivity improvement would inevitably strengthen with habitat restoration.

(c) The third point is the importance to carry out quantitative monitoring of biodiversity conservation efforts. If we do not measure, how can we manage more effectively? We should not reinvent the wheel. There are many existing monitoring tools that can be fine-tuned. These well-tested tools can be applied immediately as soon as we finalise the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, instead of developing indicators years after 2020!

In a nutshell, we should be committed to take positive and pragmatic actions immediately on the adoption of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The United Nations World Wildlife Day is a global celebration of the beautiful and richly diverse forms of wild animals and plants on our planet. It is also an occasion to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits they provide to people and to drive discussions and work towards transformative change on the urgent threats facing them.

World Wildlife Day takes place annually on 3 March. This year, World Wildlife Day will be celebrated under the theme of “Sustaining all life on Earth”. The aim is to stress wild animal and plant species as an important component of biodiversity and their importance to people, especially those who live closest to nature and depend on them for their livelihoods. It also underlines the importance of sustainable use of biodiversity in view of reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 14 (Life Below Water), 15 (Life On Land), 1 (No Poverty), and 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns). This year’s theme is part of what has been dubbed the ‘biodiversity super year’, which will see several major events placing biodiversity at the center of the global sustainable development agenda throughout 2020.

Wild species of animals and plants are an integral part of the world’s biological diversity, as are genes and ecosystems. The ecosystems where wildlife can be found, such as forests, wetlands, plains, grasslands, coral reefs and deserts, represent another aspect of biological diversity, together with genetic diversity. The vast array of interactions between all of these components over the course of nearly 3.5 billion years is precisely what has made our planet habitable to all species – including our own, which depends entirely on biodiversity for everything from food, energy, material for handicrafts and construction, to the very air we breathe. Unregulated or poorly managed human activities have severely impacted both local and global ecosystems, altering biodiversity and putting the very existence of many species under threat.

According to the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, approximately 25% of species are already threatened with extinction and natural ecosystems have declined by 47% on average. This threatens to heavily impact our sources of food, fuel, medicines, housing and many more.

This year’s World Wildlife Day will thus not only seek to celebrate the vibrant diversity of the biosphere, but also highlight the stakes humankind has in conserving this diversity of life and ensuring its long-term survival through a move towards a more sustainable relationship with it.