Reykjavík City signs Berlin Urban Nature Pact
Reykjavík City has committed to join an international project that aims to boost biodiversity in cities, restore ecosystems and strengthen green infrastructure. Líf Magneudóttir, Chair of the City Executive Council, signed the Berlin Urban Nature Pact on behalf of the City at the city hall in Berlin, Germany's capital, yesterday.
Reykjavík's participation had already been approved by the Environment & Planning Council, City Executive Council and City Council.
Green spaces, nature education and food gardening
Cities that have signed the agreement commit to implementing at least 15 of 28 measurable actions by 2030. The actions can include expanded nature education, more trees and vegetation on municipal land, food gardening for residents, implementing blue-green solutions and improving access to green spaces.
"One of our most urgent tasks today is preserving and restoring nature and wildlife habitats in a rapidly growing city. We Reykjavík residents are fortunate to have easy access to natural areas and green spaces, but we can't take them for granted. We must care for them and understand that these places are also essential for other living creatures, just as they are for us. We should work hard to nurture our urban nature and be among the leading cities when it comes to biodiversity," says Líf.
We should work hard to nurture our urban nature and be among the leading cities when it comes to biodiversity.
"With this signature, we are committing to do our best in this urgent task and join valuable partnerships and dialogue with like-minded cities around the world when it comes to protecting biodiversity," she says.
Goals and strategies to achieve them
Reykjavík City already has a biodiversity policy that dates back to 2016. A ten-year action plan was created after the policy was approved, so it's now time to review it. The timing of the Berlin Urban Nature Pact is therefore perfect and gives Reykjavík City valuable tools for this effort, as cities that participate in the agreement commit to creating an action plan on this issue within one year of signing.
Participating cities submit annual progress reports and learn from each other through the agreement's collaborative network. The agreement therefore covers not only the goals to be reached by 2030, but also the strategies to achieve them.
Follow-up to the Montreal Pledge
In addition, Reykjavík City has signed international commitments to boost biodiversity through the mayor's signature on the Montreal Pledge in 2022. Since signing the Montreal Pledge, the City of Berlin has led efforts to implement the declaration's goals, deepen them and formalize them. The result of this work was establishing this new agreement, the Berlin Urban Nature Pact, which Reykjavík City is now formally a party to.
A group from participating cities at the steps of Berlin City Hall.