The Berlin Urban Nature Pact
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact is an initiative by a number of cities building on and partnering with the Edinburgh Process in an ongoing, comprehensive consultation process for cities around the world that are ready to lead the transition towards implementation of bold biodiversity action. Once the consultation process is completed and the Pact finalized in 2023, signing cities will commit to and implement a small set of highly ambitious, SMART targets within the CitiesWithNature Action Platform as the next milestone after the Edinburgh Declaration and the Montreal Pledge focussing on the implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF) and renewed Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2021-2030).
Read through our draft Berlin Pact here.
Take our questionnaire on the draft Berlin Pact!
Background
The alarming loss of biodiversity poses an imminent threat to urban environment, infrastructures, value chains, economies as well as health and well-being. Spurring the necessary transformational change globally requires immediate, bold and inspirational action on the local level. Cities and urban regions already play a key role in driving local action and are uniquely positioned to step up action and do their part in reversing biodiversity loss as demonstrated in the Edinburgh Process for Subnational and Local Governments on the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the renewed Plan of Action of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Already in 2021, the City of Berlin initiated the 'Urban Nature Pact' to be the next milestone towards the implementation of the Edinburgh Declaration, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the Montreal Pledge.
What's in it?
The current pact sets out 9 commitments that translate the Edinburgh Process’ proposed Plan of Action into ambitious and measurable targets covering key topics of biodiversity action. The Pact is then accompanied by a set of implementation principles that safeguard its effective implementation. Read the draft here.
A Pact by and for Cities
In an initial consultation phase in late 2021 to early 2022, ICLEI Europe, the City of Berlin and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation organized a couple of workshops with about 10 European cities to explore the potential of the initiative and to draft the Pact.
In the ongoing second consultation phase, input from a balanced set of global cities is being collected in online consultations since November 2022 to make the Pact relevant and applicable on the global level.
A third phase will then include an official signing event and a period in which cities can join the Pact (more information coming soon).
The final aim is then for Pact Signatory Cities to state and track the progress towards their Pact commitments on the CitiesWithNature Action Platform, setting inspiring examples of bold action for other cities to follow.
Testimonials of the Berlin Pact
"The Berlin Pact reflects the true spirit of solidarity between local governments. The initiative supports the ambitious implementation of the GBF with smart targets and thoroughly considered implementation principles. The pact will make a strong contribution to transformative change. I am pleased to invite you on behalf of the city of Berlin to join us in the consultation process and sign the pact in the coming years in Berlin. Together, we can send a strong message on implementation of the GBF and for the subnational action plan." - Verena Klinger-Dering (Germany’s Primary National Focal Point of the Convention on Biological Diversity)
"It is a great opportunity for Austin to be involved in the development of the Berlin Urban Nature Pact. Working together with leading cities, setting ambitious targets, and creating a community that is striving for bold biodiversity action is essential for global transformational change." - Leslie Pool (Council Member, Austin City Council, USA)
The Pact within CitiesWithNature
CitiesWithNature is a unique initiative that recognizes and enhances the value of nature in and around cities across the world. Its Action Platform provides a shared platform for cities and their partners to engage and take action, under a shared commitment towards a more sustainable urban world.
Founded by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) along with the support of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNEP and other international partners, CitiesWithNature aims to fully integrate nature into urban planning and development as well as enabling collective and large-scale action to protect the biodiversity in and around cities to prevent irreversible loss and damage to the natural systems we depend on.
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact will be fully integrated with the CitiesWithNature Action Platform in that the signatory cities will state their Pact commitments towards ambitious biodiversity action within the three action areas: Protect and Restore Nature; Use Nature Sustainably; and Develop Tools and Solutions. These action areas are aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets as well as with the Sustainable Development Goals, and integrated with reporting to the GBF process. The Pact signatories will be a group of frontrunner cities within CitiesWithNature ready to lead on highly ambitious and highly specific biodiversity action.
Get in touch to get involved!
The Berlin Urban Nature Pact is funded by City of Berlin - Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt.