10 largest cities vow to halt biodiversity loss

Finland’s ten largest cities on Wednesday issued a joint statement with the commitment to halt nature loss and enhance biodiversity, said the City of Helsinki on Wednesday.

Mayors of the 10 largest cities agreed in Tampere on five common objectives and actions to boost positive impact on nature.

“We, the mayors of Finland's ten largest cities, understand the importance of biodiversity and recognise the seriousness of its loss and the urgency of addressing it. Biodiversity is important for human well-being, health, the economy and the vitality of cities, and we believe it is important that nature remains diverse for future generations in order to safeguard their well-being,” the statement said.

The cities have long been taking action to protect biodiversity and committed to continuing this work in an even more goal-oriented manner, the mayors said.

The common objectives and actions to boost positive impact on nature are committing to developing and maintaining the blue and green areas of the cities in order to support biodiversity and to promote the well-being of citizens, to bring the pursuit of nature positivity alongside climate change mitigation in the strategies of the cities, to support and encourage both the EU and the Finnish Government in preparing and implementing their biodiversity-related regulations, pooling resources in biodiversity work and the preparation of an implementation plan for the EU Nature Restoration Law in Finland and to meet once a year at the Urban Nature Forum to assess progress and update the collaborative agenda to tackle the loss of biodiversity.

Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen, Tampere Mayor Kalervo Kummola, Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä, Vantaa Mayor Pekka Timonen, Oulu Mayor Ari Alatossava, Turku Mayor Minna Arve, Jyväskylä Mayor Timo Koivisto, Kuopio Mayor Soile Lahti, Lahti Mayor Niko Kyynäräinen and Pori Mayor Lauri Inna signed the joint statement after the meeting.

In 2025, the mayors will meet in Espoo.