ICLEI Member Glasgow (United Kingdom) has joined CitiesWithNature, a group of 129 cities in 45 countries committed to enhancing and protecting nature in and around urban spaces.

As they begin implementing their new Open Space Strategy, Glasgow aims to benefit from CitiesWithNature’s knowledge hub and its platform for cities and their partners to connect, engage and learn with their peers, all of whom share a commitment to urban sustainability policies.

Adopted in February 2020, the Open Space Strategy will help Glasgow adapt to climate change, create a more attractive urban environment, and improve air quality. The city is also working on various schemes to deal with flooding, with unlocking land near water for homes and development, and with stalled space projects, such as pop-up gardens, growing spaces and wildlife gardens.

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction at Glasgow City Council, said: "Becoming a member of the CitiesWithNature will allow Glasgow to share with, and learn from, our partners on how we can best use nature-based solutions to improve the city not only environmentally, but economically and socially. Given the current and future impact of climate change, it is vital that we use these solutions to mitigate the impact, and work with and foster nature where we can to improve our quality of life."

Glasgow is expected to host the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in November 2020 and a Connecting Nature summit in May 2021, at which around 500 delegates from around Europe will showcase what is being accomplished in climate adaptation.

CitiesWithNature was founded by ICLEI, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is endorsed by the United Nations' Secretariat for Convention on Biodiversity (SCBD) as ‘the’ commitment and reporting platform for biodiversity at the global level. 

Click here to learn more about the project.