“We envision a world where cities recognise their interdependence with the world’s forests and use their political, economic, and cultural power to ensure their health and vitality.”

From distant rainforests to neighbourhood street trees, forests provide tremendous benefits to urban areas such as clean air and water, climate resilience and biodiversity, better human health and wellbeing. Forests also provide jobs, recreation and a nature-based solutions for city infrastructure.

Cities4Forests is an initiative to connect those forests with cities around the world – to fight climate change together.

Based in Washington D.C. but spanning from Accra to to Mexico City, it’s led by more than 60 cities to better conserve, manage and restore inner forests (such as city trees, urban parks and other green infrastructure), nearby forests (like watershed drainage basins) and faraway forests, especially tropical forests.

Cities4Forests articulates a unique approach to addressing climate change: harnessing the power of cities and local communities to build climate resiliency at the local level – by building awareness about the importance and benefits of trees and forests. This is especially important for climate, biodiversity, poverty reduction and human wellbeing.

“We support our cities to better conserve, manage and restore these forests.”

They provide tailor-made technical assistance and cultivate a community of practice among city professionals, cities work to fight climate change. By catalysing forest-positive city actions, policies and investments, Cities4Forests also provides technical assistance to align local policies, knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning and communication activities so cities are encouraged to take action together.

AtlasAction: Review this briefer for more information on the Cities4Forests Toolbox and get in contact here.

Cities4Forests Communications Manager at REVOLVE Media