A pivotal moment for biodiversity and climate
After a year of record breaking heat, historic floods, and staggering biodiversity loss, global decision-makers - including members of ICLEI Europe’s Biodiversity and Nature-Based Solutions team - gathered in Cali (Colombia). For almost two weeks, delegates convened at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16) to negotiate global steps and targets to halt and reverse these trends. There is a dire need to address the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss - urgent and inextricable realities demanding bold, coordinated and action-oriented responses.
“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.” noted Dr. Debra Roberts, Co-Chair, Working Group II, IPCC and Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, eThekwini, South Africa.
Translating global targets into local action
The need for a globally aligned action plan that accounts for differences in local environmental, political, and economic contexts dominated last month’s negotiations, building on COP15’s key achievement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The latter was hailed as a solid first step, in identifying goals for 2050, with intermediary targets for 2030, and providing clear guidance for governing authorities.
For COPs to succeed in helping local and regional authorities operationalise the GBF, negotiations must bridge substantial gaps between policy and action. An analysis of EU policies revealed that only 35% of EU sustainability policies explicitly integrate Nature-based Solutions (NbS), key tools for addressing the biodiversity crisis. This is not entirely surprising, as 31 of the reviewed EU policies predate UNEA’s global definition established in 2022. At the same time, on a global scale, only 28% of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) prominently feature NbS as a key strategy for environmental conservation. This underscores the urgent need for stronger integration of NbS in policy frameworks to address biodiversity loss and climate challenges effectively. At COP16, local and regional authorities had the opportunity to align strategies and create a global fund to enable all countries irrespective of economy to take action, but this was only achieved in part.
While COP16 welcomed some significant outcomes, it fell short of concluding all negotiation topics and the failure to make progress on a financing mechanism for the GBF was met with disappointment. Before suspending on 2 November, Parties did however agree on an expanded role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation as part of the framework. Additionally, a groundbreaking agreement was reached on the operationalisation of a new global mechanism to share benefits from digital genetic information.
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. Cities also often lack nature-based objectives or related budget performance measures, posing an added challenge, which can be addressed in part by tools for public entities such as the ICLEI co-authored Urban Nature Plan to guide urban stakeholders in integrating nature-based solutions into planning.
COP16 is not only about negotiations, but about transforming decisions into actionable strategies. The Berlin Urban Nature Pact, launched by the City of Berlin with support from ICLEI and IUCN, exemplifies this by making the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) concrete and actionable on the local level. After a two-year consultation with over 90 cities, the Pact provides ambitious yet achievable biodiversity targets tailored for cities and aligned with the GBF.
This shared governance model, also emphasised in the Aalborg Conditions framework, empowers local governments to lead bold biodiversity action while advancing the democratic transformation towards a climate-neutral, equitable, and resilient Europe.
As Anouk Teuns, Department Managing Director for the Municipality of Utrecht, Netherlands, noted: “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.”
Through the CBD-recognised CitiesWithNature Action Platform, signatory cities can track progress and foster accountability. ICLEI Members such as Cali (Colombia), Austin and Boulder (USA) and Utrecht (the Netherlands) have already committed to the Berlin Urban Nature Pact, with more expressing intent to join.
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. Protecting biodiversity is not just about preserving nature today but ensuring future resilience and, as spotlighted at COP16, to embed sustainability into both city management and public awareness.
This means building up capacity and expertise in local authorities to implement NbS effectively, and increasing public understanding of sustainability. Educational initiatives play a pivotal role in addressing this challenge. By envisioning future scenarios for NbS education, they help cities and local communities build the knowledge and skills necessary to implement sustainable solutions. NbS research and innovation provide essential support, while capacity building programmes like ICLEI’s UrbanByNature and the Urban Biodiversity Accelerator (also announced at COP16) help fill this crucial gap, fostering local expertise and resilience.
In Europe, new policies like the Nature Restoration Law are paving the way for stronger biodiversity protection, focusing on restoring ecosystems, advancing policy frameworks, and fostering multi-level collaboration. ICLEI Europe will serve on the expert group on the Nature Restoration Regulation, bringing insights from cities and EU-funded projects– including those showcased at COP16.
The challenges ahead are immense, but they are not insurmountable. By closing gaps in governance, funding, education, and partnerships, cities can spearhead efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and build resilience. As COP negotiations continue in 2025, it is critical to prioritise innovative international financing and finalise biodiversity plans. The world cannot afford further delay, and cities must rise as key players in shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for all.
This REVOLVE article dives deeper into city perspectives on COP16 - check it out to learn more.