The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has announced plans to develop new cities-focused science-based targets for nature, providing independent guidance on how city leaders can set effective goals for protecting and restoring nature.
Confirmed on the sidelines of the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai yesterday as part of a flurry of announcements on buildings, transport, and urban development, the new plan will look to extend the SBTN’s approach to validating emissions targets to cover cities’ targets for enhancing nature and expanding natural carbon sinks.
“This initiative comes as a crucial addition to ongoing efforts in understanding the intricate relationship between cities, climate goals, and the burgeoning realm of nature-related objectives,” said Patrick Frick, founder of the Global Commons Alliance, of which SBTN is a part. “It builds on the existing work of SBTN and will help equip cities to do their part to halt and reverse nature loss.”
The SBTN said the new guidelines would help cities contribute to the goal of ‘halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030′ that was agreed under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that was adopted at the COP15 Biodiversity Summit last year.
“Cities are the largest driver of environmental impact globally, with an estimated 57 per cent of the global population already living in cities and this number is projected to rise to 68 per cent by 2050,” the group said. “Both the direct and indirect impact of cities need to be brought in line with what nature can support.”
The new Cities’ SBTs for Nature program is set to deliver initial guidance in Spring 2025, drawing on input from a host of NGOs and businesses, including CDP, WWF, WRI, C40, Durham University, and Arup.
“With this initiative, cities commit to integrating nature into their climate transition and urban policy agendas as an immediate priority,” said Eva Gladek, founder and CEO of Metabolic, one of the core delivery partners for the project. “This includes establishing clear targets for the creation and preservation of green and blue spaces. Furthermore, cities setting science-based targets for climate and nature, will be seeking alignment and synergies with Local Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (LBSAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.”
The news came as the COP28 Presidency celebrated a wave of announcements designed to curb emissions from buildings, transport networks, and urban environments.
Notable developments included the launch of a new ‘Cement and Concrete Breakthrough’ and ‘Buildings Breakthrough’ designed to bring together governments and businesses to accelerate the roll out of clean technologies in hard to abate sectors, as well as the launch of a new tool for tracking and measuring methane emissions from waste, which is set to go live in 20 global megacities, and a tool to enable policymakers to better measure the benefits of so-called ’15-minute cities’.
The new initiatives followed confirmation of nearly $500m of climate finance for sustainable urban infrastructure projects through the launch of a new Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action (CHAMP) initiative.
“Meeting the aims of the Paris Agreement and keeping 1.5C within reach depends on the leadership and support of the world’s mayors and governors,” said COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber, “That is why at COP28 we have empowered leaders and communities by launching CHAMP and working with organizations like UN-Habitat and Bloomberg Philanthropies to recognize and support the important roles cities and their leaders can play in addressing climate change.”
Yesterday also saw the launch of a new Playbook for Nature-Positive Infrastructure Development, in partnership with WWF and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), and a new Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood initiative, which aims to explore how sustainable timber can be more widely used in new buildings.
The various initiatives were welcomed by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), which recently issued an open letter backed by over 175 companies calling on governments to deliver ambitious new policies that can accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment.
“World Green Building Council and our network welcomes the Buildings Breakthrough,” said Cristina Gamboa, CEO at WorlGBC. “It represents a crucial step towards our shared goal of achieving a sustainable, decarbonised and resilient built environment. We are delighted to have several WorldGBC projects formally recognised as supporting initiatives in the delivery of the Breakthrough targets.”