European cities are at the forefront of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. However, cities and regions cannot achieve this alone. A new policy brief under Urban Nature Plans+ (UNP+) illustrates how national governments can effectively assist cities and regions in implementing Article 8 of the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR).
This article obliges EU Member States to halt the decline in urban green spaces and tree canopy cover by 2030, and to increase these figures from 2031 onwards. However, the responsibility for implementation largely lies with cities and regions, which often face unclear responsibilities, limited resources and conflicting interests.
The policy brief draws on the experiences of cities such as Paris, Barcelona, Mannheim and Belgrade, as well as analyses by ICLEI Europe and the University of Helsinki. It identifies key challenges, ranging from land use conflicts and regional cooperation to financing, social justice and citizen participation, and formulates concrete recommendations for national governments to take action.
The core message is that national strategies and frameworks must empower local action, secure financing and data access, and ensure fair and participatory implementation processes. Only in this way can the ambitious goals of the NRR be achieved.
Explore the Policy Brief.
