Cities have a leading role in reaching the EU and global biodiversity goals from integrating biodiversity into urban planning, to assessing and reporting on the status of biodiversity on the ground, to raising awareness of the vital role nature plays in our daily lives. See below our key messages, collected from our working group on green areas and biodiversity, for the European Commission on biodiversity:

1. A post-2020-framework should include SMART results-oriented targets that are quantifiable and clearly define how the overall objectives of the Strategy are to be achieved.
2. The renewed strategy should improve the implementation of existing legislation by strengthening enforcement mechanisms and ensuring frequent stocktaking to achieve progress towards key objectives.
3. The European Commission should mainstream biodiversity into existing legislation and ensure it is an integral part of the 2050 climate vision.
4. A post-2020 framework should improve coordination between different levels of government and non-state actors so that the full potential of their actions may be harnessed.
5. The European Commission should simplify the application process for funding and improve targeted guidance for cities on access to funding.
6. Europe should maximise its potential to utilise trade agreements as a means to promote higher environmental standards by including the ratification of key biodiversity-related legislation as a condition of future trade agreements
7. Europe should lead in aligning a post-2020 EU and global biodiversity framework with other UN environmental legislation to facilitate the achievement of overall biodiversity objectives

Want to find out more? Watch our biodiversity video here!