IncollaborationwithOliverWyman NaturePositive:GuidelinesfortheTransitioninCities INSIGHTREPORT MAY2024 Images:GettyImages Contents Foreword3 AbouttheNaturePositiveTransitionsseries4 Executivesummary5 1Aglobalcallfornature-positiveaction7 1.1Theconceptofnatureanditscontributionstocities9 1.2Whycitiesshouldactonnature11 1.3Whatitmeansforcitiestobenaturepositive15 2Guidelinesforanature-positivetransition:Citiesasagentsofchange18 2.1Theurbanjourneytowardsnature-positiveaction19 2.2Actionstoimprovetheenablingenvironment25 2.3Thebenefitsofanimprovedenvironment32 3Conclusion33 Contributors34 Endnotes37 Disclaimer Thisdocumentispublishedbythe WorldEconomicForumasacontributiontoaproject,insightareaorinteraction.Thefindings,interpretationsandconclusionsexpressedhereinarearesultofacollaborativeprocessfacilitatedandendorsedbytheWorldEconomicForumbutwhoseresultsdonotnecessarily representtheviewsoftheWorldEconomicForum,northeentiretyofitsMembers,Partnersorotherstakeholders. ©2024WorldEconomicForum.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem. May2024NaturePositive:GuidelinesfortheTransitioninCities Foreword JeffMerritt HeadofCentreforUrbanTransformation;MemberoftheExecutiveCommittee,WorldEconomicForum EmilioElAsmarPartner,GovernmentandPublicInstitutions,OliverWyman Urbanenvironmentsshapeandareshapedbythenaturalworld.Throughouthistory,citieshavebeenanchoredinresource-richareasbecauseallorganisms,humanbeingsincluded,require sunlight,food,water,oxygenandspaceforsurvival. Theintertwiningofcitiesandplanetaryhealthrevealsthatthelossofnaturenotonlyimperilshumanlivesbutalsothefutureoftheglobaleconomy.Anestimated44%ofglobalGDPincities($31trillion)isprojectedtobeatriskofdisruptionduetobiodiversityloss,ecosystemcollapseandshortagesofnaturalresources.Meanwhile,fouroutoffivecitiesgloballyarenowconfrontedwithclimate-relatedcrisessuchasheatwaves,floodsanddroughts. Designingcitiesinharmonywithnaturereducesenvironmentaldegradationwhilealsorepurposingandregeneratingservicesandspacestohelpresidentslive,work,moveandthrive.Thistransitionrequiresincreasedpublic–privatecooperationacrossmultiplesectors,includingrealestate,energy,mobility,commerceandbeyond. TheWorldEconomicForumandOliverWymanjoinedforcesin2023tohelpadvancethenature-positivemovementglobally,conveningexpertdialoguesandcommunitymeetingstorallysupportforagrowingnetworkofcitiesleadingthewayforwardwithrobusturbannatureactionplans. Sustainedmultistakeholderengagementhasbeenvitaltoinstilasenseofstewardshipandaccountability,andtoincreaseawarenessoftheroleofnatureasakeyallyofclimateactionandlocalresilience. Thisreportisthefirstofaseriesofpublicationsthatmakethecaseforregeneratingnatureincities. Throughguidingframeworksandpracticaltools,itisdesignedtohelplocaldecision-makersdevelopandimplementcomprehensivestrategiesthatrethinkurbanplanning,regulations,incentives,economicvalue,cost-benefitanalysesandpublic–privatecollaborationsforthebenefitofnatureandsociety. Byestablishingspecificnature-preservationgoals,citiescanintegratetheconservationandrestorationofnaturalhabitatswitheffortstoenhancemobility,improveenergyefficiencyandalleviatepoverty,amongotherpressingurbanchallenges. Weinvitereaderstoembarkonajourneytoexploretheintricateconnectionsthatcitieshavewith thenaturalworld,theimpactsofurbanizationonbiodiversityloss,theneedforcitiestoestablishanatureactionplanandtheopportunitiestorehabilitatenatureinthebuiltenvironment. Thisglobaleffortwillhelptoshapethefutureofcitiesandourrelationshipwiththenaturalenvironment. Makingnaturenaturalincitiesismorethansimplyacalltoactionforgreenercommunities,itisavitalimperativeforabetter,moresustainablefuture. AbouttheNaturePositive Transitionsseries NaturePositive:GuidelinesfortheTransitioninCitiesispublishedbytheWorldEconomicForumincollaborationwithOliverWyman.ItispartoftheWorldEconomicForum’sNature-PositiveTransitionsreportseriesthatoutlinesthedifferentpathwaystohaltandreversenaturelossby2030–themissionattheheartoftheGlobalBiodiversityFramework. Theseriesconsistsoftwoparts:sectortransitionsandcitytransitions.Thesereportshighlighttherelevanceofnature-relatedrisks,identifytheimpactsanddependenciesoftheeconomyand societyonnature,andprovideguidelinesforcityandbusinessleadersonkeyactionstoacceleratethenature-positivetransition. TheNature-PositiveTransitionsreportseriesbuildsontheNewNatureEconomyReportseries. Formoreinformation,pleasevisit: –Nature-PositiveCities –SectorTransitionstoNaturePositive Sectorreports Selectareporttodiscovermore NaturePositive: RoleoftheChemicalSector NaturePositive: RoleoftheHouseholdandPersonalCareSector NaturePositive:RoleoftheCementandConcreteSector Executivesummary CitiesarecalledontoleadthechargeoftheKunming-MontrealGlobalBiodiversity Framework,ahistoricagreementcommittingnationstohaltandreversenaturelossby2030. Avibrant,thrivingnaturalworldisessentialforthehealthofpeople,theeconomyandtheplanet. InDec