About the Berlin Urban Nature Pact

Cities, as well as local and regional authorities, already play a key role in driving local action and are uniquely positioned to strengthen efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and promote urban nature. The Berlin Urban Nature Pact provides an opportunity for bold, local action while contributing to global targets.

The Pact seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and the planet in cities worldwide by 2030 and beyond. Its objectives align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, for example by supporting habitat restoration, improving the quality and connectivity of, and access to green and blue spaces, and promoting nature-based solutions.

Compared to other initiatives the Pact is based on smart targets that is tailored to fit the urban context. It also not only focuses on environmental issues but also on how biodiversity can strengthen social and economic resilience; and that it was designed by cities, for cities, worldwide.

The Berlin Urban Nature Pact is an initiative of the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment. Its objective is to realize the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the renewed Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2023-2030) (PDF file, 219 kB) through local action. It aims to foster urban biodiversity and ecosystems through specific measures, building upon the Edinburgh Declaration (2020) and the Montreal Pledge (2022).

The Pact was initiated in 2022 in close collaboration with the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the ICLEI European Secretariat, funded by Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment. More than 90 cities worldwide were involved in its development through a two-year consultation process, making it a city-driven initiative.

Since its official launch at CBD COP16, a growing number of cities, municipalities, and local and regional authorities have joined the Berlin Urban Nature Pact becoming official signatories to the PACT.

The Berlin Urban Nature Pact comprises seven target areas, underwhich 28 smart targets are specified. The seven target areas are:
1) Green infrastructure, trees and forests, 2) Blue infrastructure and water management, 3) Food and agriculture, 4) Education and nature experience, 5) Soil health, 6) Co-habitation, 7) Species and habitats.

Signatories will lead the path towards a nature-positive urban century by committing to at least 15 of the 28 targets.

The voluntary commitments of each city shall be based on local ecological distribution and political conditions, allowing for flexible priority setting. Continuous exchange between cities during the implementation enables mutual learning on dealing with challenges, good practices, and capacity building for cities and local authorities.