1st Berlin Urban Nature Pact meeting, 8 to 10 October 2025 in Berlin

The Berlin Urban Nature Pact Annual Event marked the first major gathering of cities committed to transforming urban spaces into hubs of biodiversity, climate resilience, and community well-being. Over three days, political leaders, urban practitioners, and nature experts from around the world gathered to exchange ideas, share best practices, and shape the future of this emerging movement.

More than just a meeting, the event launched a trusted network of cities united in a vision for greener, more biodiverse urban environments. Through political dialogues, technical exchanges, immersive city tours, and networking opportunities, the event laid the foundation for a long-lasting and growing Pact community.

Pact signatories and allies come together in Berlin for Annual Event

The inaugural annual meeting of the Berlin Urban Nature Pact (8–10 October 2025) brought together fifteen pioneering cities from four continents for three days of inspiration, knowledge exchange, and hands-on experiences.

During the event, a clear theme emerged: that cities are central to reversing biodiversity loss and restoring nature in daily urban life. To fully embrace their pivotal role, cities must mobilise political will to ensure the goals of the Pact are embedded into broader municipal priorities around public health, housing, and climate agendas. In the words of Andreas Kraus, State Secretary for Climate Protection and the Environment, Berlin Senate:

“Our survival as a species depends on how we write the next chapter of our urban story. If cities stand at the forefront of the fight against climate change, it is because they stand on its frontline. The choices we make today will determine the cities – and the world – we leave behind.”

The Berlin meeting laid the groundwork for a lasting alliance of global cities and a community of practice, committed to leading by example. Together, participants agreed that restoring urban nature relies on both environmental action and sociocultural transformation. Cities committed to developing local action plans, strengthening peer exchange and learning, and telling a collective story that connects biodiversity to health, equity, and quality of life. The meeting marked a decisive step toward making nature an indispensable component of urban policy, planning, and the daily experience of city inhabitants.

You can watch the highlights from the event in the video, which captures the energy and ideas our signatories and allies brought against the background of iconic Berlin sites.

We call on nature-loving cities from around the world to join us in our mission.

Register your interest in becoming a Pact signatory!

The Berlin Urban Nature Pact Annual Event 2025 - Highlights

short video with impressions of the event

• Short video description

  The video provides an atmospheric overview of the inaugural meeting of the Berlin Urban Nature Pact in Berlin. First, it shows the venue where the meeting is taking place, as well as the guests arriving. State Secretary Andreas Kraus then begins to speak in the background and appears as an interviewee.
  After a short excerpt from a joint neighbourhood walk, the next interviewee appears: Gabriel Neves from Campinas, Brazil. This is followed by interview excerpts and statements from other international guests: Regina Bakitte, the mayor of Nansana in Uganda; Mikel Siegel, a city councillor from Austin, USA; and Linda Voortman from Utrecht in the Netherlands.
  The video then shows excerpts from the high-level panel discussion and further discussion rounds, as well as the informal exchange between participants. Next, a tour of Berlin by BVG bus is shown, passing various sights, including the iconic television tower. The tour ends at the Rotes Rathaus, where the guests are welcomed by the mayor in the Säulensaal. It is here that the signing ceremony takes place, with the cities of Nansana, Reykjavik and Glasgow joining the Berlin Urban Nature Pact.
  Finally, footage of the bus tour, walks and group photo in front of the Red City Hall is shown again, accompanied by statements from the four interviewees.

Event Synopsis

Day-by-Day Event Overview

Day 1 – Wednesday, 8 October

Political Segment & Reception
The event kicked off with an energising welcome and spotlight session showcasing real-world city initiatives from Kaohsiung, Cali, Paris, and Vienna. Leaders then took the stage for a high-level panel on “Urban Nature Leadership”, discussing how cities are stepping up as champions of global biodiversity action.

After a networking lunch and parallel tracks (political leaders in bilateral dialogues, technical experts in dynamic exchanges), participants were welcomed by Berlin’s Governing Mayor at an official reception, celebrating both founding and new Pact cities. The day closes with a festive dinner – and the option to experience Berlin’s famous Festival of Lights.

Day 2 – Thursday, 9 October

Technical Exchange & Peer-to-Peer Learning
Day two dove deep into the mechanics of turning commitments into action. The morning opened with sessions on city action plans and performance indicators & monitoring frameworks, linking local strategies with global standards such as CitiesWithNature.

In the afternoon, participants joined “Hot Topics in Urban Nature” discussions led by cities themselves, tackling housing, food systems, species co-habitation, and blue-green infrastructure. These exchanges revealed how urban biodiversity can be woven into broader city systems.

The day concluded with an engaging session on implementing the Pact, highlighting governance, capacity building, and knowledge transfer as keys to success – followed by a collaborative dinner in Berlin.

Day 3 – Friday, 10 October

Immersive Site Visits
To end on a high note, participants got outside and experience Berlin’s own urban nature in action. The curated site visits included:

• Birds & Glass in the Government Quarter – exploring biodiversity challenges in the heart of political Berlin.
• Tiergarten tour with city rangers – Berlin’s iconic park through the eyes of those who protect it.
• Rummelsburger Bucht: Sponge City – an inspiring example of climate-adaptive urban design.

The tours provided practical lessons and inspiration for cities to take home, before closing the event at Alexanderplatz.

Why This Event Matters

The Berlin Urban Nature Pact is more than a declaration – it’s a living framework for action, accountability, and collaboration. This inaugural event sets the tone: bold political will meets hands-on urban innovation, connecting city-level ambition to global biodiversity goals.

With leaders, practitioners, and partners from across continents, this wass the moment where the Pact community began to turn vision into impact.

This is just the beginning – what we build together from here will define the future of urban nature.

Please see the full programme below.

• Programme to the inaugural event of the Berlin Urban Nature Pact

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