Urban sprawl and poor land-use planning are driving biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, while exacerbating social and economic challenges in cities and their surrounding areas.

ICLEI Europe’s Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions (BNbS) Team promotes the integration of biodiversity and NbS into urban development to address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Through co-creation, capacity building, and policy advocacy, the team supports cities and regions in embedding NbS into their strategies, fostering healthy ecosystems, resilient landscapes, and thriving communities. These efforts not only contribute to global and European biodiversity goals - such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - but also help advance a nature-positive economy by ensuring urban development supports ecosystem regeneration and biodiversity enhancement, to the benefit of people and nature. Collaborating across sectors and governance levels, the team bridges science, policy, and traditional knowledge to deliver impactful, place-based solutions.

Check out our Factsheet to learn more!

Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions factsheet