The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which features a 12-day agenda, is being held in Cali, Colombia.
The second edition of the “Biodiversity Charming Cities” list was officially released on October 26 local time at the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities, an official parallel event to COP16. Meanwhile, CitiesWithNature, a platform for cities worldwide to share knowledge and present cases, was also unveiled. It was co-initiated by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Nature Conservancy, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the CBD Secretariat. Mentougou District became Beijing’s first administrative district to be included in CitiesWithNature.
The distinctive practices and typical cases of biodiversity conservation in Mentougou in recent years were showcased at the summit. Its landmarks, unique animals and plants, such as Yongding Tower, Brown Eared-Pheasant and grapes in Baihua Mountain gained international recognition and captured the world’s attention.
The “Biodiversity Charming Cities” and “CitiesWithNature” are global initiatives within the framework of the Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities. These initiatives aim to showcase and commend cities and regions that have achieved outstanding results in biodiversity conservation, thus collectively advancing global biodiversity governance goals.
(Edited based on information from Beijing Daily)
