Maider Etxebarria, the Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz and a Member of ICLEI Europe’s Regional Executive Committee, discusses Vitoria-Gasteiz’s strategy for leveraging nature-based solutions for urban resilience
Vitoria-Gasteiz, a city of over 259,000 people at the political heart of the Basque Country, is a paragon of long-term planning for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Our work has received international and local recognition, receiving the accolades of European Green Capital 2012, Basque Country’s Sustainable Municipality of 2017, and the Global Green City Award in 2019.
Biodiversity to address sustainability challenges
The key to our success lies in our deep appreciation of biodiversity’s role in addressing sustainability challenges. Over the years, our city’s commitment to biodiversity has evolved from a focus on conservation for its own sake – a perspective that remains incredibly vital – to a broader understanding: we cannot effectively combat the environmental, social, and ecological consequences of climate change without protecting the plant and animal life that make up our local ecosystems. In fact, biodiversity conservation is essential to tackling and reversing the growing environmental challenges we face.
Like many countries, Spain is grappling with climate and biodiversity crises. Our status as a biodiversity hotspot is under threat, and desertification is on the rise. If this trend continues, Spain will fall short of its national goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The leading cause of climate change is human activity, as climate change is a consequence of our non-sustainable lifestyle. Still, the solution is also in our hands: evidence shows that cities have a crucial role to play.
Local approach to integrated environmental planning
In Vitoria-Gasteiz, we have committed substantial resources to integrated urban renaturing. Our Green Urban Infrastructure (GI) Strategy, launched in 2014, is a prime example of this commitment. The strategy focuses on enhancing urban biodiversity, restoring degraded areas, and improving the connectivity and functionality of various urban and peri-urban natural spaces. These interventions address climate change induced changes in precipitation patterns, which have increased the risk of flooding and drought.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are the core of our strategy. By harnessing and partnering with the power of nature, we have enhanced groundwater, recharged and cooled the city – mitigating heat stress and increasing resilience to flood events. Our work includes the restoration of the river corridor in Gasteiz Avenue and renaturing of vacant areas in districts like Zabalgana and Salburua.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz approach to integrated environmental planning seamlessly interweaves a wide range of municipal plans, including the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and the Plan to Combat and Adapt to Climate Change. Our city’s model is one that other cities can learn from.
The guidance of the EU directives
However, our initiatives are not solely in response to local or national policies; the European Union (EU) directives also guide us. The EU’s commitment to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss is a core priority of the European Green Deal (2019), the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (2020), the EU Adaptation Strategy (2021), and the EU Nature Restoration Law (2024).
Notably, these policies urge cities with populations over 20,000 to develop Urban Nature Plans (UNPs), which formalise a city’s commitment to promoting biodiversity and urban nature. Like our GI Strategy, UNPs are long-term strategic frameworks that ensure municipalities place biodiversity and resilience front and centre. UNPs are essential tools for fostering biodiversity and addressing climate change.
Vitoria-Gasteiz is proud to be at the forefront of the curve and a movement encouraging other cities to leverage the resources that have been instrumental to our success. Our city continues to benefit substantially from knowledge exchange opportunities made available through platforms such as CitiesWithNature and the ICLEI network of local and subnational governments. Participation in such programs and initiatives is not optional. While the EU strategies and policies are admirable, there is often a gap between European and local levels. Projects like UNPplus and NetworkNature, which share resources for mainstreaming nature-based solutions, are valuable but insufficient on their own.
As we look to the future, I call on international governments to elevate this conversation. It is one thing to agree that biodiversity must be protected; it is another to implement the necessary strategies to achieve this goal. COP16 must move beyond setting targets and focus on providing the resources and strategies that enable cities and local authorities to meet them.
Vitoria-Gasteiz took a stand on this issue with hundreds of other cities and subnational governments worldwide in signing the Edinburgh Declaration in 2021. We recognise the Berlin Urban Nature Pact as the next global milestone after the Edinburgh Declaration and the Montreal Pledge as it translates the global biodiversity goals into local action.
By setting SMART targets across a range of domains, supported by concrete implementation guidance, the Pact is a critical framework for cities, as key actors, to make the bold, transformative changes necessary to safeguard and restore urban nature. It also lays the foundation for building a global network of dedicated urban leaders and practitioners, collaborating and exchanging solutions for shared challenges. Please join us in taking concrete and ambitious actions to protect biodiversity worldwide. Our future depends on it.
The Aalborg Conditions represent a significant evolution in the commitment of local governments to sustainable urban development, building on over 30 years of European efforts to address environmental challenges through collective action. Originating from foundational milestones like the Aalborg Charter (1994), the Aalborg Commitments (2004), the Basque Declaration (2016) and the Mannheim Message (2020), these conditions highlight the critical role of local governance in implementing ambitious climate and sustainability strategies.
Effective transformation towards climate neutrality
As cities like Vitoria-Gasteiz exemplify, effective transformation towards climate neutrality requires shared governance, integrated financing, and a cohesive transition that empowers local communities. We invite all stakeholders, including national governments and European institutions, to endorse the Aalborg Conditions as a framework for collaborative action. This endorsement is crucial for fostering a democratic and inclusive approach to sustainability that recognises the unique challenges and opportunities present in each local context. Together, we can harness the potential of local governance to create resilient urban environments that contribute meaningfully to global climate goals.
