91% of Europe’s cities are looking to nature-based solutions to fight climate change

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights that 91% of European cities are employing nature-based solutions to counter climate change
• The report surveyed 19,000 climate action plans, revealing that options like maintaining parks, green roofs, and urban forests are popular to enhance urban resilience

🔭 The context: The report notes that Europe's urban centers are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, facing heatwaves and flooding
• Large cities like Ghent and Nantes are taking the lead in implementing green strategies, while smaller cities are collaborating to secure funding for adaptation initiatives

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Urban centers contribute significantly to global climate change, and mitigating its impact within cities is crucial
• The report indicates that these nature-based solutions also yield benefits like recreational spaces, pollution reduction, and improved water retention, aiding both the environment and urban dwellers

⏭️ What's next: Despite the uptake of green solutions, the EEA emphasizes the need for specific targets to ensure progress
• It suggests that cities need national and European support to upscale their initiatives and calls for a shared goal beyond "enhancing resilience."

💬 One quote: Ine Vandecasteele, an urban adaptation expert at the EEA, stresses, "There is a strong need for networking and peer-learning... Best practices can and need to be shared."

📈 One stat: 91% of the 19,000 surveyed climate action plans included nature-based solutions like maintaining parks and green roofs.

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