MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY MR. BRAULIO FERREIRA DE SOUZA DIAS on the occasion of WORLD CITIES DAY 31 October 2014

The inaugural World Cities Day, and its theme “Leading Urban Transformations,” comes less than two weeks after the successful conclusion of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, which saw the adoption of an important decision with a focus on sustainable urbanization.

This decision and its adoption not only demonstrate the important role cities play in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, but recognize that biodiversity offers solutions to the challenges of sustainable urbanization. Titled “Engagement with Subnational and Local Governments,” the decision invites the 194 Parties to the Convention to “increase their efforts to enable, support and guide strategic and sustainable urbanization by working together with subnational and local governments… especially in promoting local and subnational biodiversity strategies and action plans.” Furthermore, it calls on Parties “to incorporate biodiversity considerations into their urban, peri-urban and land use planning and infrastructure”… and to strengthen capacities of subnational and local governments to incorporate biodiversity into urban and other spatial planning processes.”

As cities move forward on implementing this agenda, they will show that they can lead the way in sustainably using biodiversity and the ecosystem services it underpins, as the basis for addressing water and food security, disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and other key issues. In so doing, subnational and local governments will also be contributing to the attainment of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, the overarching framework on biodiversity for the entire United Nations system.

The decision also calls upon the CBD Secretariat to mainstream biodiversity into the considerations of partner organizations; to integrate the contribution of subnational and local governments into the implementation of the Strategic Plan; and to collaborate with other United Nations agencies, international organizations, including biodiversity-related conventions, and stakeholders, on issues related to subnational and local implementation.

The decision, appropriately aligned with the theme for COP 12, “Biodiversity for Sustainable
Development,” reflects the CBD’s increased focus on the issues of urbanization and the subnational implementation of the Convention that is required to complement Parties’ efforts. This focus has already resulted in important publications such as “Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities,” produced in partnership with the Stockholm Resilience Centre, UNHabitat and others, as well as various pilot projects and events.

A key event at COP 12, and indeed the past four COPs, which has helped to demonstrate subnational government support for the implementation of the Convention, has been the “Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Subnational Governments.” Co-organized by long-time CBD partner, ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability, and this time in collaboration with the governments of Gangwon Province and the Republic of Korea, the event was well-attended with hundreds of participants, including governors and mayors, from 46 countries. They and representatives of national, international and United Nations organizations and experts in the field, discussed various aspects of subnational implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the UN sustainable development goals, with a focus on multi-level cooperation on biodiversity.

The Summit also produced the “Gangwon/Pyeongchang Resolution” - a declaration of the commitment by subnational and local governments present, to continue to contribute to the implementation of the CBD and a call for improved or continued cooperation by their national governments to enable that contribution.

Today, on World Cities Day, I am pleased to say that these recent actions taken by cities to conserve biodiversity and the natural systems that underpin the wealth of all nations are playing a pivotal role in our mutual efforts to conserve life on Earth.

New Global Assessment: Maintaining rich biodiversity in and around cities is possible and can greatly improve global sustainable development

Montreal/New York 4 October 2013 – Increasing urbanization over the next decades presents not only unprecedented challenges for humanity, but also opportunities to curb climate change, reduce water scarcity and improve food security, according to the world's first global assessment on the relationship between urbanization and biodiversity loss, released today in New York.

The assessment, entitled Cities and Biodiversity Outlook (CBO), argues that cities should facilitate for a rich biodiversity and take stewardship of crucial ecosystem services rather than being sources of large ecological footprints. The volume of research is produced by Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) together with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in partnership with UN-Habitat and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.

The detailed scientific foundation of the CBO, Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services: Challenges and Opportunities – A Global Assessment, which was launched today in New York as part of local celebrations to mark World Habitat Day, has involved more than 200 scientists worldwide. It states that over 60 percent of the land projected to become urban by 2030 has yet to be built. It further states that if current trends continue, 70 percent of the global urban population will be urban by 2050.

This presents a major opportunity to greatly improve global sustainability by promoting low-carbon, resource-efficient urban development that can reduce adverse effects on biodiversity and improve quality of life, it says.

From emitters to carbon sinks Production and consumption activities heavily concentrated in cities have contributed to some 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions; yet innovative solutions to combating climate change will also come from cities. With rich biodiversity, cities have enormous potential to mitigate climate change. Preservation of larger outlying green areas, green corridors that connect larger green patches, green roofs and "brownfields", or land previously used for industrial purposes or certain commercial uses, can also be used as carbon sinks rather than emission sources. The Japanese district of Yokohama, for instance, which emitted almost 20 million tons of CO2 in 2007, has recognized the importance of biodiversity in stabilizing the local climate. Revenues from a new tax system have since been used to conserve green areas, and roof tops and walls were fitted with greenery.

Yokohama now aims to reduce per capita carbon emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity United Nations Environment Programme 413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800, Montreal, QC, H2Y 1N9, Canada Tel : +1 514 288 2220 Fax : +1 514 288 6588 secretariat@cbd.int www.cbd.int

What is important, according to the assessment, is to develop and incorporate already existing green spaces into the functional infrastructure of a city. "The innovation lies not so much in developing new infrastructural technologies but to work with what we already have. The results are often far cheaper and more sustainable as well," said Professor Thomas Elmqvist, scientific editor of the assessment. Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD, added that “the sphere of influence of city leaders goes well beyond urban habitats. The decisions taken by local authorities affect ecosystems near and elsewhere, with important feedback effects. By taking the steps to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, local authorities can ensure that biodiversity will continue to provide cities and their inhabitants with much needed services including freshwater, clean air, food security and protection and resilience against extreme weather, floods and other environmental risks.” Biodiversity increases food security Amongst a number of other important points, the assessment also highlights the potential for cities to become more self-reliant when it comes to securing sufficient access to water and food.

"Cities need to learn how to better protect and enhance biodiversity, because there is a direct relationship between biodiversity and food security in cities," Elmqvist said. The study highlights a wide range of successful initiatives by cities, local authorities and sub-national governments in both developed and developing countries. For instance Kampala, the capital and Uganda's largest city, has found a way to preserve its vast and highly visible agriculture, even in densely populated areas. Similarly, Cuba has since 1987 focused on urban and suburban agriculture to counter its crisis of lack of imports as well as malnutrition and iron deficiency in the population.

"This locally based approach looks at ways to build diverse supplies of food close to population centers and to strengthen local decision-making and management of food production," Elmqvist said. He argues that development of urban food systems needs to be considered on neighborhood level, city level and city-region level - but it needs to come with proper legislation, training and financial support or economic incentives. Without this, Elmqvist warns, sustainable food systems in urban areas remain on paper only.

The book is a more detailed scientific background to the shorter report Cities and Biodiversity Outlook - Action and Policy, which was launched at the UN CBD COP11 in Hyderabad, October 2012. Read more about the CBO assessment, download the book, and watch the CBO video narrated by Edward Norton here: www.cbobook.org

Press briefing, both live on 4 October 2013 at 1pm EST and on demand, available at: http://webtv.un.org/

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment Programme
413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800, Montreal, QC, H2Y 1N9, Canada
Tel : +1 514 288 2220 Fax : +1 514 288 6588
secretariat@cbd.int www.cbd.int

The Stockholm Resilience Centre
Stockholm Resilience Centre is an international research partner which provides scientific insights on the interactions between humans and nature. It departs from an ambition to better understand the profound imprint humans have on nature and ideas on how to deal with the resulting challenges through enhancing social-ecological resilience. One strategic area of research is urban social-ecological systems, looking at how cities can better integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into their planning and management. The centre also helps facilitate dialogues with policymakers and practitioners from all over the world, and contribute with innovative ideas to improve collaboration and learning between stakeholders at local, regional and national level. It has a particularly respected role as a facilitator for dialogue in the areas of governance and sustainable use of biodiversity in both a rural and urban context. For more information visit: www.stockholmresilience.su.se

Images by Mike Leveille, Ottawa