About

While the main responsibility for implementing the Convention rests with the Parties, engaging cities, local and other subnational authorities accelerates and strengthens implementation in places where people and resources concentrate, and where direct biodiversity pressures are experienced first-hand by ecosystems and communities.

Local and subnational authorities hold substantial control on many things that matter on the ground: they plan land use, set zoning laws, operate infrastructure, manage green space and lead public awareness. They are also the immediate point of contact with the public and are in direct contact with economic activities, communities and nature.

The role of cities and local authorities was first recognized at COP 9 in Bonn, 2008, through Decision IX/28. A dedicated framework has taken shape since, anchored by two ten-year Plans of Action and reinforced by a series of Decisions. Over more than fifteen years the programme has produced two Plans of Action and co-hosted eight Summits alongside the Biodiversity COPs.

Why it matters

Subnational and local governments translate global and national commitments into the decisions that shape landscapes and daily life: where a city grows, how a watershed is managed, whether a wetland is protected or drained. Their engagement makes national strategies more realistic and gives a pathway from negotiated text to action in territory.

This site is for Parties, subnational and local authorities, and the public looking for information on how to engage with and support the CBD mandate on cities and subnational governments.