The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) highlighted challenges in its development of nature-based targets for cities including skills, data, and geographical differences on Tuesday.

The network must understand the barriers blocking momentum to help cities become more nature positive, said Guillermo Dekker, cities and regions lead at Metabolic, one of the initiative’s delivery partners.

SBTN will address how targets differ across cities from one geography to the next, and whether they are in absolute or relative terms, said Dekker during an online workshop.

Stakeholders often say that an important issue is how different layers of government interact with one another across local, regional, national, and international levels, he said.

“What’s the governance structure, and which mandate lays where? We need to create collaboration, because sometimes we work in silos.”

Governments need to break down divisions by creating comprehensive cross-departmental action plans, SBTN has heard from market actors.

In addition, stakeholders said that engagement with local communities and businesses should be a pre-requisite for nature-related plans.

The question of how cities should build capacity, through education and efforts to change mindsets, had come up repeatedly, he said.

SBTN had heard market actors wanted a user-friendly platform to help cities monitor their progress against nature targets, while creating access to financing mechanisms.

In December, SBTN announced it was developing targets for nature focused on cities, with initial guidance launching in Spring 2025.

THE NUANCES OF TREES

Respondents to SBTN had said nature presented its own complexities that were fragmented and difficult to address. “The lack of data is clearly one issue, and the lack of resources is also something that keeps being addressed,” said Dekker.

“Some comments are mentioning how the tree coverage, for example, needs to be nuanced by talking about native trees versus foreign species – a very important topic that will be addressed in the guidance.”

The network is collaborating on the city initiative with CDP, WWF, World Resources Institute, C40 group of cities, local governments consultancy ICLEI, Durham University, The Nature Conservancy, and consultancy Arup.

Last week, SBTN appointed an independent body to validate corporate targets for an interim period of up to three years.

By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com

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