Cities: science-based targets for nature

Safeguarding our natural habitats and resources is pivotal for maintaining a livable planet for humankind. But it is also key for building livable cities, where vibrant communities thrive. By setting meaningful and actionable targets for nature, cities can pave the way for healthier citizens, flourishing economies, and attractive cities that sustain a high quality of life. 

We launched a program to develop cities-focused science-based targets for nature in 2023. Advancing the scope to include cities, alongside companies, the new cities’ science-based targets for nature program’s first objective is to create a holistic, guidance build on existing frameworks that can help cities navigate the best target setting methodologies for nature.

An overview of the Program’s objectives, scope and approach can be found here.

We expect initial guidance for cities to be available in spring 2025.

The objective of the Program is to develop a guideline for setting science-based targets for nature and provide an accessible methodology for cities to implement and take action. The expertise of city officials and frontline practitioners is indispensable in this endeavor. We greatly appreciate the contributions during the first workshop sessions in June 2024 where we looked into current challenges, opportunities and lessons learned in cities today.  Now, we are thrilled to invite city officials to join our upcoming roundtable discussion on Tuesday September 24, designed for cities to engage with fellow city representatives to co-create guidelines for setting science-based targets for nature. During the roundtable we will delve deeper into the practical application of target setting for nature for the Pilot Theme of Land Use and Sprawl within the differential contexts of your own cities.Key questions include:

• What should be the key components (indicators and targets in the theme of land use development and sprawl) and structure of the guidance provided to cities to ensure it is clear, actionable, and easily integrated into existing city planning processes?
• How can we ensure that the targets are flexible enough to be applicable to cities of varying sizes, climates, economic activities, and stages of sustainable development, while still maintaining their effectiveness in promoting nature-positive outcomes?
• What are the current capacities of cities to implement and monitor these targets, and what resources or support would they need to effectively carry out the framework?

If you are interested in joining the conversation please register via the provided links below.

Roundtable – Co-Creating feasible methodologies for setting Science-Based Targets for Nature Positive Cities
Date: September 24, 2024

Timeslot 1 (Europe, Asia and Africa)
Time: 10:00 – 11:50 AM CEST (Central European Summer Time)
Location: Online
Registration: Please register here

Timeslot 2 (Americas + Oceania)
Time: 10:00 – 11:50 PM CEST (Central European Summer Time)
Location: Online
Registration: Please register here

Should you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to sophie@sciencebasedtargetsnetwork.org.

We look forward to your participation and valuable contributions to this pivotal initiative!

The Cities’ science-based targets for nature program is a collaborative effort with some of the world’s leading cities networks, research institutions, and advisory organizations focused on cities: CDP, WWF, WRI, C40, ICLEI, IUCN, Durham University, TNC, and Arup.

At the heart of the consortium, Metabolic and Urban Biodiversity Hub will act as core delivery partners.