From Metrics to Mechanisms: Leveraging Urban Forestry for Biodiversity-Positive Urban Transformation

Urban green spaces have significant potential to advance the goals of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), yet this potential remains underused due to fragmented data systems, weak regulatory integration, inadequate biodiversity monitoring, and disconnected planning practices. As cities densify, the multifunctionality of urban green areas, which provide habitat, ecosystem services, enhance climate resilience, and support human well-being, continues to be undervalued in decision-making. This contribution presents findings from the Measuring Urban Forests Outcomes (MUFO) project, which has developed a standardised, scalable framework linking urban forestry indicators with biodiversity metrics to support biodiversity-inclusive urban planning and the emerging field of urban biodiversity credits.

Drawing on a review of existing biodiversity metric frameworks, interviews with practitioners in urban ecology and ecosystem valuation, and an assessment of policy and governance needs, the MUFO framework identifies a set of ecological, structural, and social indicators that serve as reliable, cost-effective proxies for broader urban biodiversity outcomes. Indicators such as canopy cover and habitat connectivity enable cities to assess ecological performance using data that is widely collected or easily obtainable.

The framework illustrates how urban forestry metrics can inform land-use planning and greening requirements, and other nature-based solutions by making biodiversity gains measurable, verifiable, and comparable across spatial scales. In doing so, it supports implementation of GBF Targets 2, 3, and 12 by enabling cities to monitor restoration progress, identify priority areas, and communicate ecological and social benefits in ways that resonate with policymakers, investors, and communities. The project further underscores the transformative potential of integrating scientific data with traditional and local knowledge, participatory monitoring, and inclusive governance as key elements for overcoming institutional barriers and mobilising civil society as long-term biodiversity stewards.

By embedding standardised biodiversity and urban forestry indicators into planning, regulatory, and investment processes, cities can enhance the quantity, quality, connectivity, and accessibility of green spaces while laying the groundwork for innovative mechanisms such as biodiversity credits. This pragmatic and scalable approach offers a viable pathway for accelerating GBF implementation and transforming urban environments into biodiverse and resilient habitats.