World Environment Day: What can CitiesWithNature do?

These UNEP Guidelines explore ways to harness climate and resource potential for health and well-being at neighbourhood level

This UNEP report examines how cities can become sustainable and resource efficient as urban populations grow

The UNEP GEO Cities Report provides local governments, scientists, policy-makers and the general public with reliable and up-to-date information on improving urban environmental planning and management

This UNEP report shows how local governments and decisions can help improve the state of the global environment

The Cities and Biodiversity Outlook summarizes how urbanization affects biodiversity and examines 10 ways cities can strengthen conservation and use natural resources more sustainably

Consult these resources to learn how to protect land from degradation

The UN Habitat Guidelines look at how to balance territorial development by enhancing urban-rural linkages

CitiesWithNature, an initiative hosted by ICLEI, IUCN and The Nature Conservancy, is a shared platform for cities and their partners to engage and connect

The Nature of Cities initiative curates conversations about urban solutions to environmental challenges

Cities4Forests encourages cities to better connect, conserve, manage, and restore forests around them

Learn how to better integrate nature into urban life by consulting these handbooks and this poster.

Join the CitiesWithNature initiative that recognizes and enhances the value of nature in and around cities

Sign up to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group

Announce a new “green area” to be created in your city

Use social media accounts to highlight the native biodiversity that exists with in your city and what is in danger of being lost unless measures are taken

Send native plant seeds to citizens on World Environment Day that they can plant on their balcony or garden to encourage biodiversity

Join the Climate and Clean Air Coalition

Join the Cool Coalition

Have the mayor host a virtual chat with citizens pertaining to questions about the environment in the city

Announce new targets pertaining to nature and biodiversity

Adopt a “Whole-of-Government” approach, to allow a wide vision towards sustainable urban development

Include nature-based solutions as part of your city climate strategy

Develop combined transport and ecosystem corridors, naturally shading pedestrians and cyclists while connecting key green spaces in and around the city

Set targets to protect and create green spaces in the city, and introduce innovative policies such as obligations to recreate as much green space as a real estate development is eating up

Consider making living roofs and solar panels mandatory requirements in the specifications for tendering of affordable housing

Create urban gardening opportunities for communities

Produce a sustainable development report to be updated on a regular basis

All cities, large and small, are invited to become part of a unique initiative that recognizes and enhances the value of nature in and around cities across the world

Enlist urban planners to analyse how more trees can be planted in residential neighbourhoods and close to schools and hospitals

If native watersheds were built over due to urban expansion, enlist planners to analyse whether they can be restored

Allocate funds for biodiversity restoration in your annual budget

In collaboration with scientists, find out what ecosystem services you could make use of in your city and protect or restore them.