Wednesday, July 8, 2026

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Room DM.1.15

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Details

To truly bend the curve of biodiversity loss and nature degradation, transformative change is urgently required. Such transformation must extend beyond traditional conservation strategies and integrate nature into everyday life. As most of the world’s population now live in urban areas, cities are central to this shift. Long viewed as drivers of biodiversity loss, urban environments must evolve into active contributors to nature recovery. Recent policy developments underscore this transition. The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the European Nature Restoration Regulation explicitly call for biodiversity-inclusive urban planning and recognize cities as essential actors in achieving conservation goals. Urban nature also increases value for addressing societal challenges, including enhancing climate resilience through mitigating heatwaves and flooding, reducing pollution, and promoting healthier, more livable environments. Despite growing momentum, biodiversity-inclusive strategies in cities remain the exception rather than the norm. Limited space, competing claims and siloed planning and decision processes continue to regulate nature to an afterthought in development. This panel brings together researchers, municipal representatives, and policymakers to explore how cities can more effectively advance urban biodiversity in ways that are ecologically robust, socially just, and policy relevant. Discussion will focus on questions such as: How can ecological quality be safeguarded while addressing diverse urban challenges? How can global and regional (biodiversity) policies strengthen and accelerate local action? Which arguments, evidence, and knowledge are most compelling for decision-makers? And how can nature become a foundational rather than optional element in urban planning? The panel’s objective is to identify what scientific insights, governance strategies and policy levers most effectively empower cities to move from ambition to impactful biodiversity action on the ground. By bridging science, governance and practice, the session aims to identify pathways toward nature-inclusive cities that meaningfully contribute to global biodiversity goals.

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Organiser