Catalysing biodiversity on buildings

Catalysing biodiversity on buildings

The capacity of cities as landscapes to support biodiversity is accepted as one of the critical steps necessary to halt global biodiversity loss and also address the other two aspects of the triple planetary crisis, climate change and pollution. The intent of the report is to communicate opportunities for the integration of nature and biodiversity into the building scale, through the measures implemented within the individual building structure. The document provides context by reviewing global agreements and initiatives that support these themes, and discusses leading examples from global cities before providing a more in-depth review of the range of initiatives from eight European municipalities.

iucn
Belgium
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Download Visit page
Publication
2025
Authors
Brown, JD, Vega, K., Grossinger, R., Scuto, L.

Related content

IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management annual report 2024

Expansion of Renewable Energy Solutions in Agriculture

The proposed green energy solutions are focused on agriculture in Tajikistan, addressing critical irrigation and energy access issues. Established in 2016, the company ‘Tekhnologiyahoi Sabz’ (Green Technologies) installs solar-powered pumps and irrigation systems to overcome water shortages, frequent power outages, and high diesel costs. Their solar and micro-hydro systems provide efficient, sustainable water access for rural farms, significantly improving agricultural productivity while lowering operational expenses and carbon emissions. By fostering sustainable farming practices, these solutions enhance economic viability for farmers and contribute to a resilient, eco-friendly agricultural sector, advancing Tajikistan’s green transition. The company also offers solar cooling systems for storage and backup power solutions, further reducing dependency on conventional energy and promoting long-term financial and environmental benefits for Tajikistan’s agricultural future.

Jiangxi and Fujian jointly formulate laws to jointly protect Wuyishan National Park.

Jiangxi and Fujian provinces have carried out a lot of collaboration around the protection, construction and management of Wuyishan National Park, but there are relevant laws and regulations no longer adapted to the needs of the construction of national parks, the management system is not smooth, the protection and development of contradictions, insufficient law enforcement, low public participation and other issues, which restricts the high standard of protection and high-quality development of Wuyishan National Park.

Jiangxi and Fujian provinces collaborative legislation, introduced the “Jiangxi Province Wuyishan National Park Regulations” and “Fujian Province Wuyishan National Park Regulations” for the protection, construction and management of Wuyishan National Park provides a rule of law, protection of the tone is more stringent, will promote the enhancement of the protection and management level of the Wuyishan National Park, to help Jiangxi to build a national ecological civilization construction of the highland.

Ecuador, an Exemplary Model of Success in REDD+

PROAMAZONÍA, 2017-2023 Ecuadorian initiative, reduced deforestation and CO2 emissions. Linked national emission reduction efforts, priority agendas, and productive policies within REDD+ “Forests for Good Living” 2016-2025 framework. Achieved 7 million tons of CO2 equivalent emission reductions from deforestation, contributing to Ecuador’s NDC. Composed of GCF and GEF-funded projects, executed by Ministries of the Environment, Water and Agriculture and Livestock and UNDP.

It laid solid foundations for REDD+ financing and governance in Ecuador, leaving an invaluable legacy.

General guidelines for surveillance of diseases, pathogens and toxic agents in free-ranging wildlife : first edition

This document provides broad guidance on surveillance of infectious and non-infectious wildlife diseases, pathogens and toxic agents to assist in the implementation of a national surveillance programme for free-ranging wildlife. It is intended to promote a common understanding, which can serve as a foundation for training and operational procedures. While this guidance is geared to surveillance of free-ranging wildlife (whether in spaces managed by the public or private sector), much of the information is also generally applicable to (though not comprehensive for) wild animals in captive settings.

 

Opportunities for enhancing biodiversity at wind and solar energy developments

The need to transition to a lower carbon, naturesafe renewable energy-based economy is more urgent than ever. This report provides an  overview of potential opportunities for biodiversity enhancement for wind and solar developments, bringing together information on good  practice principles, case studies from industry practice, and a summary of existing approaches to biodiversity enhancement. It is intended as a  compendium summary resource for developers, combining a variety of diffuse information from literature and community of practice.

Agriculture and conservation (Arabic version)

In 2021, IUCN launched the IUCN Flagship Report Series, to help demonstrate the importance of conserving nature for human well-being and all life on Earth. This report, the second in the series, focuses on agriculture and nature. The interactions, synergies, and tradeoffs between the two sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for ending hunger and ensuring food security while also mandating the protection and restoration of nature. Whether the two can be achieved simultaneously, and if so how, are crucial questions for humanity and our planet. IUCN therefore explores the positive and negative relationships between agriculture and nature conservation and mobilises new modelling approaches to examine both imperatives within a range of realistic policies.

Global Species Action Plan (Arabic version)

The Global Species Action Plan (GSAP) is a critical initiative developed to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to address the increasing biodiversity loss worldwide. The GSAP outlines strategic interventions and actions to conserve and sustainably manage species while ensuring equitable benefits. Emphasizing the critical role of species in ecosystem stability, human livelihoods, and cultural heritage, the GSAP seeks to prevent extinctions, reduce threats, and ensure equitable benefits from species use. Implementation involves diverse stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous peoples and Local communities, NGOs, academia, and businesses, fostering cooperation at global, regional, and local levels. The GSAP underscores the collective responsibility to safeguard Earth’s rich biological heritage for future generations.

Sustainable agriculture and Nature-based Solutions

Unsustainable agricultural practices are among the main causes of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution globally. It is thus essential to integrate environmental conservation practices in the agriculture sector when looking at pathways for a sustainable future. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) could be a critical tool for improving the status of productive landscapes. This publication focuses on the relationship between sustainable agricultural practices and the concept of Nature-based Solutions, and specifically the applicability of the IUCN Global Standard for NbS™ in agricultural contexts. The aim is to provide experts and policymakers with ideas, recommendations, and concrete uses for these tools, in order to outline a potential path to a more sustainable future for the agricultural sector.

The global status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras

In the 20 years since the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group’s first status report (2005), much has changed for sharks, rays and chimaeras. This report updates our understanding, and the scope of information reflects the scale of these two decades of change. The breadth of research topics has expanded, mirroring the inclusion of a greater diversity of species, and attention is being trained on the emerging threats and the accelerating global changes to aquatic ecosystems. The 2005 report heralded a sea change for sharks, rays and chimaeras, whose historical obscurity in policy, conservation and fisheries management was a serious concern. In this report, the increased focus that was called for is now apparent in the scale of work happening across the planet.

Spatial planning for wind and solar developments and associated infrastructure

This technical note focuses on spatial planning for wind and solar development with respect to biodiversity. It is intended primarily for government planners responsible for the longterm sustainable roll out and/or expansion of renewable energy and associated infrastructure (e.g. grid infrastructure and facilities such as ports) at regional, national, and sub-national levels. For developers and lenders/investors, this technical note could also help illustrate how these actors could play a role in spatial planning in certain contexts (e.g. emerging markets, providing resources, and supporting governments to identify appropriate areas for development).

Guidance on biodiversity cumulative impact assessment for wind and solar developments and associated infrastructure

The key aim of this guidance is to reframe cumulative impact assessment (CIA) to help support biodiversity conservation and the achievement of global biodiversity goals (alongside climate and other societal development goals). This guidance is focused on biodiversity and wind and solar development, and is aimed primarily at government planners and project developers. The report applies approaches for government-led CIA and project-level CAI. However, since it is designed to help tackle some of the existing challenges of CIA, there is potentially broader applicability.