Nature Positive: Guidelines for the Transition in Cities

This report, published in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, highlights the pivotal role of cities in leading the global fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Coordinated city action for nature is not only vital to achieving the goals set by the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), but also strategically necessary given the climate-, health- and infrastructure-related urban challenges arising from existing unbalanced relationships with nature and the biosphere.

Cities are powerhouses of the global economy, yet 44% of their global GDP is at risk from nature loss. With only 37% of the world’s 500 most populous cities having developed a dedicated strategy focused on nature or biodiversity preservation, the report provides guidelines local leaders can follow to develop a nature strategy that will advance the nature-positive transition while achieving cities’ full economic and social potential.

By following defined steps and enhancing the enabling environment, cities can advance their nature-positive transition and expedite restorative actions to reap the rewards of a sustainable and resilient urban environment.

The report marks the start of a collection of publications advocating for the regeneration of nature in, and by, urban areas, and is part of the World Economic Forum’s “Nature Positive Transitions” series, which outlines the different pathways cities and business can take to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 – the mission at the heart of the GBF.