3 September 2024, Berlin, Germany

Today, ICLEI Member city Berlin is taking a major step towards the protection of biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable urban ecosystems worldwide, by committing to the Berlin Urban Nature Pact [1]. The Pact is a landmark international initiative that seeks to mobilise cities around the world to protect and restore nature in urban areas. To tackle the burgeoning challenges posed by climate change and the loss of biodiversity, the Pact focuses on specific measures across key areas such as food and agriculture; soil health; blue infrastructure and water management; and species and habitats, to strengthen urban ecosystems and sustainably improve the quality of life in cities. Its overarching aim is to create a global movement that firmly anchors the protection of biodiversity in cities, and enacts concrete measures to help urban nature thrive.

The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner highlighted: "Berlin is one of the most species-rich cities in Europe. With the Berlin Urban Nature Pact, we are promoting biodiversity and preserving it for future generations. In doing so, we are also ensuring the quality of life in Berlin. The Pact relies on concrete measures to make Berlin a model of sustainable urban development, and to inspire other cities around the world.”

Echoing the importance of the Pact, the Senator for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment, Ute Bonde said: “With the Berlin Urban Nature Pact we are sending a strong signal of support for the protection of our natural resources in cities. This Pact takes into account the understanding that we can only overcome the challenges of climate change and species extinction if we do it together, and with local commitment.”

The Pact translates international commitments to preserve biodiversity to concrete local measures and sets 28 goals, of which signatory cities need to implement at least 15. Examples include measures to protect and increase biodiversity in urban areas, expand green infrastructure, renature land, and establish environmental education programmes. The Pact’s success will rely on cooperation, co-design and proactive partnerships with urban communities and economic players.

ICLEI Europe [2] will support Berlin with the roll-out of the initiative in cooperation with its consortium partners International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources [3] (IUCN) and ICLEI Africa/CBC [4].  Holger Robrecht, Deputy Regional Director of ICLEI Europe said: “It is our honour to support our member Berlin in this globally important initiative. The Berlin Urban Nature Pact  provides an actionable pathway showcasing the capacity of regions, cities and their communities for implementing the Kunming - Montreal global biodiversity framework.Through the Berlin Pact, cities will lead the way in addressing the global biodiversity emergency by protecting and restoring nature, ensuring the resilience of their communities and generating many other benefits.”

The official launch of the Pact is slated for October 2024 during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia where Berlin will invite cities around the globe, who have already expressed their interest, to join the Pact. Cities committing to the Pact would align themselves with a global network of urban practitioners dedicated to placing nature front and centre when planning and developing their cities, and tackling the social, economic and environmental challenges of climate change. Signatories would establish an international community of practice, through which they can find mutual inspiration for solutions to common problems, strengthen partnerships, and learn from one another. Additional interaction and knowledge exchange about Urban Nature Plans (UNPs) as a tangible tool will take place at the 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns [5] in Aalborg (Denmark)  from 1-3 October 2024.

Download Berlin Urban Nature Pact visual image here. [6]
Suggested picture of the City of Berlin is available here. [7]

About ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability [8] is a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125 countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. ICLEI Europe [2] provides members in Europe, the Middle East and West Asia with a voice on European and international stages, a platform to connect with peers, and tools to drive positive environmental, economic and social change. ICLEI Europe works closely with an extended network of local and regional governments and partners on a broad range of topics.

About IUCN: Created in 1948, IUCN [9] is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

ICLEI Africa/CBC: ICLEI’s Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC) [4] is a global program embedded in the ICLEI Africa Regional Office that offers a broad portfolio of biodiversity and urban nature services to cities and ICLEI Regional Offices around the world. ICLEI's CBC represents the voice of cities and regions in global biodiversity agendas, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and related processes, provides technical support services on nature and ecosystem services at the urban and territorial scales, and coordinates the CitiesWithNature [10] and RegionsWithNature [11] partnership initiatives, which are free online platforms for cities, regions and their partners to engage and connect, share best practices and solutions, and report on their commitments to contributing to global and national biodiversity goals and a more resilient and sustainable world.