The contribution of EU cities and regions to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

This study identifies and analyses best practices in biodiversity conservation and nature restoration across European cities and regions, and assesses how they relate to the targets of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The study touches upon governance, policy frameworks, enabling factors, measurable outputs, and impacts of the projects, as well as challenges faced by local and regional authorities in implementing biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration measures. The study is divided in four sections: the first one, identifies the role of cities and regions in protecting and restoring biodiversity by presenting regulatory frameworks guiding their actions, and financial and technical support opportunities; the second section describes in detail ten projects from EU cities and regions, emphasizing the impact for the community and burdens for the governments, and analyses their links to the GBF targets; the third section summarises key lessons learned by highlighting facilitating factors and challenges encountered during implementation at local and regional level; and the fourth section concludes with policy recommendations for local and regional authorities, national authorities and EU institutions which emerge from the case studies. The study emphasises the crucial role of cities and regions in achieving the international biodiversity targets, and encourages increasing their recognition at international and national level and providing them with more support.