Attend the UNEA Cities and Regions Summit
The second UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Cities and Regions Summit challenges us to see cities as champions of nature and accelerators of a sustainable future. Experts and city leaders will speak about the value of nature-positive strategies in rethinking the way cities are planned, and how to scale up action for nature. Various CitiesWithNature partner organisations, such as ICLEI, WWF and IUCN, are involved in the summit, as well as CitiesWithNature cities such as Cape Town.
Join virtually for a dedicated session on “Urban Nature-Based Solutions to Counter Climate Risks and Limit Global Warming”. Cool Coalition partners will discuss how they are using nature to beat the heat and achieve a sustainable, resilient urban future.
Speakers include:
- Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India
- Rebecca Pow MP, Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment, UK
- Dieudonné Bantsimba, Mayor of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of the Cape Town, South Africa
- Eleni (Lenio) Myrivili, Chief Heat Officer, City of Athens, Greece
- Supriya Sahu, Principal Secretary, Environment, Climate Change & Forest, Tamil Nadu
- Ming Jiang, Deputy Director, Development & Reform Commission, Chengdu City, China
- Jennifer Lenhart, Global Lead, WWF Cities
- Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General, IUCN
- Kongjian Yu, Professor, Peking College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
- Andy Deacon, Acting Managing Director, Global Covenant of Mayors
What is the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA)?
The United Nations Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, is holding its two-yearly meeting from 28 February to 2 March 2022. The Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. It addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. Understanding these challenges and preserving and rehabilitating our environment is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Environment Assembly meets to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law. Through its resolutions and calls to action, the Assembly provides leadership and catalyses intergovernmental action on the environment. Decision-making requires broad participation, which is why the Assembly provides an opportunity for all peoples to help design solutions for our planet’s health.
New York City has become the 200th city to join CitiesWithNature, a global partnership initiative that strengthens collective action and impact to protect biodiversity and reconnect urban communities with nature. New York is taking up this leading position alongside London, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Cape Town, Barcelona, Montreal and Melbourne.
This comes in the wake of the recent United Nations climate change summit, COP26, where nature was prominent on the agenda like never before, and which emphasised the critical importance of addressing the nature and climate crises together.
The escalating decline in biodiversity and associated multiple ecosystem goods and services has implications for the quality of life of current and future generations, adversely limiting our ability to combat poverty, hunger and climate change. As we enter the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, scientists estimate that around one million species already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss. (1)
“We’ve been working tirelessly across all five boroughs to bring cleaner air, water, and new greenspaces to all New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio. “As a result, wildlife is once again flourishing, as we build a more environmentally friendly, sustainable city. We are proud to join CitiesWithNature and continue this work with other global leaders. New York City is proof that you can create climate-friendly, biodiverse cities that support the well-being of all of our residents, including those with feathers, fins and fur.”
The Big Apple has been growing ever greener for many years. It has long been a leader on climate action in particular, implementing bold programmes and advocating for the vital role cities have to play in combating climate change. This experience, coupled with New York City’s renowned energy and innovation, is set to inspire many other cities through the CitiesWithNature initiative.
Join CitiesWithNature
New research (2) shows that hundreds of millions of people across the world are concerned that the natural world is under threat, and that number is growing. Citizens are increasingly demanding action from local and subnational government leaders. With more than 80% of global GDP generated in cities (3) and more than half of global GDP estimated to be dependent on nature (4), it is clear that cities have a critical role to play in ensuring nature is restored and protected.
“CitiesWithNature are true leaders, understanding that there is no future without nature. Our urban leaders are taking bold, decisive action to protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems to counteract climate change and ensure human health and wellbeing. We are proud to call New York City one of our CitiesWithNature and congratulate them for stepping up to strengthen collective action for nature and ensure transformative change,” said Kobie Brand, Global Director of ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center.
On the online CitiesWithNature platform, cities of all sizes and levels of progress in working with nature, from around the world are connecting, sharing their experiences and actions, and benefiting from access to a range of partner organisations and practical tools.
“As ICLEI’s Global Ambassador for Local Biodiversity, I congratulate all of the cities that have joined CitiesWithNature, leading up to New York City being the 200th city,” said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal. “The City of Montreal is proud to be part of CitiesWithNature, as we pursue our ecological transition to counter climate change by boosting public transit, expanding bike lanes and planting half a million more trees over the next decade. I encourage other cities around the world to join CitiesWithNature and share their commitments and actions through the Action Platform.”
“London joined CitiesWithNature as the 100th Pioneer City, leading by example on conserving and restoring urban nature for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues. “The Mayor has made huge strides in increasing and protecting the capital’s green spaces, securing London’s status as the world’s first National Park City. Over £20 million has been invested to help make London greener, including creating and improving over 400 hectares of green space and planting over 350,000 trees. Congratulations to New York City on becoming the 200th city. Through collaboration we can ensure we take the action needed to restore nature in our cities.”
- https://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020-02/ipbes_global_assessment_report_summary_for_policymakers_en.pdf
- https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/an_ecowakening_measuring_awareness__engagement_and_action_for_nature_final_may_2021__.pdf
- https://www.worldbank.org/404_response.htm
- https://www.sitra.fi/en/articles/the-circular-economy-is-key-to-halting-biodiversity-loss/
CitiesWithNature and its partner organisations are at COP26 in Glasgow making the case for climate and nature goals to be pursued together in the urban context. They are hosting various in person, hybrid and virtual events in and around COP26, starting 31 October and running until 12 November.
Read on for a summary of important urban nature and climate events you can attend (document attached below).
Enhancing urban nature via indigenous land management in Australian cities
Urban nature areas can benefit from indigenous land management practices such as cultural burns. The Australian city councils of Adelaide, Cairns and Yarra shared how they are partnering with Traditional Owners to achieve this at a recent webinar hosted by ICLEI Oceania.
The speakers explored how councils can work together more effectively with Traditional Owners to protect and restore nature in and around urban areas. The session was introduced by Councillor Amanda Stone from the City of Yarra, who is also Chair of ICLEI’s Regional Executive Committee. She highlighted the importance of recognising the owners of the land. “We have entered the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, yet we have been causing enormous damage to our planet, we have been dismissing nature and using more resources. We need to bring nature back. Here in Australia, we are lucky to live in a land with thousands of years of transmitted knowledge through Traditional Owners about how to live in harmony with nature, how to respect the land. Learning from Traditional Owners is a gift but it is also a door to the future of more respectful relations with nature and the ancient land. So that we all have a future”.
Three stories were then shared about how the Councils of Cairns, Adelaide and the Yarra Ranges are working with traditional owners, their approach and protocols, and how these are being applied to biodiversity and NbS initiatives.
In the Cairns Regional Council, Sophie Barrett, Advisor Strategy & Sustainability, shared how the Council aims to develop a set of inclusive and culturally appropriate guidelines for Council staff, elected members and consultants to inform engagement and remuneration of Aboriginal Traditional Owner groups across the Cairns LGA.
From the City of Adelaide, Chris Butcher, Senior Sustainability Advisor (Biodiversity), and Marty Reeve, Kaurna Liaison Officer, shared their insights from work on the Adelaide Park Lands, where the Council is working with and empowering Kaurna and other First Nations People to restore historic land management practices as business as usual for native vegetation.
From the Yarra Ranges, Gary Detez, Indigenous Development Coordinator, shared how the indigenous knowledge of culture and country, skills and experience in both cultural burns and contemporary fire management practices, present a unique opportunity to reinvigorate Australia’s cultural fire knowledge to heal the land across Australia. The Firesticks Alliance is an Indigenous-led organisation that works with communities, land and fire agencies and organisations across Australia. The words from a fire stick practitioner resonated strongly: “Knowledge is the most important and safest thing you can use for building your culture back. Aboriginal peoples’ knowledge has been there for thousands of years”.
Overall, the webinar aimed to acknowledge Australia’s First Peoples as Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Land and to give respect to the Elders, past, present and emerging, and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders People.
Watch the recording of the webinar here: https://www.icleioceania.org/icleioceanianews/2021/7/21/citieswithnature-australia-webinar-series-kaxjy-nbe6k
ICLEI Oceania manages the Oceania chapter of the CitiesWithNature initiative. Towns and cities in the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia are invited to join the initiative and explore how to enhance greening and biodiversity in their urban areas. CitiesWithNature offers a platform for sharing and interacting with other like-minded councils – to access events, resources, case studies, best practice models and knowledge promoting the benefits of nature-based solutions in cities.
