
Catalysing biodiversity onbuildings A review of supporting initiatives in European citiesJD Brown, Kevin Vega, Robin Grossinger, Loredana Scuto INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE ABOUT IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. Itprovides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enablehuman progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing theknowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 17,000 experts. Itis a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCNto fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists,businesses, local communities, Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations and others can work together to forgeand implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio ofconservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of localcommunities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being. www.iucn.orghttps://x.com/IUCN/ ABOUT HOLCIM Holcim is a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions with net sales of CHF 27.0 billionin 2023. Our 63,000 employees are driven by our purpose to build progress for people and the planetacross our regions to improve living standards for all. We partner with our customers to offer the broadestrange of advanced solutions, from sustainable building materials ECOPact and ECOPlanet, to our circulartechnology ECOCycle®, all the way to Elevate’s advanced roofing and insulation systems. www.holcim.com ABOUT SECOND NATURE ECOLOGY + DESIGN Second Nature Ecology + Design is a unique consultancy specializing in bringing the science of urbanecology into planning, design, and management. We work collaboratively with policy-makers, businesses,designers, and communities to incorporate high-quality nature at the site, neighborhood, and city scale —bringing tangible benefits to biodiversity, climate resilience, and community health. Combining innovativeresearch and practical experience, we’re dedicated to bringing the benefits of nature into daily life, makingour cities better, healthier, more resilient places. www.secondnatureeco.com Catalysing biodiversity onbuildings A review of supporting initiatives in European citiesJD Brown, Kevin Vega, Robin Grossinger, Loredana Scuto The designation of geographical entities in this work, and the presentation of the material, do not imply theexpression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN, Holcim Ltd. or Second Nature – Ecology + Designconcerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation ofits frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN, Holcim Ltd. or Second Nature –Ecology & Design. IUCN is pleased to acknowledge the support of its Framework Partners who provide core funding: Ministryof Foreign Affairs, Denmark; Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland; Government of France and the FrenchDevelopment Agency (AFD); Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea; Ministry of the Environment, Climateand Sustainable Development, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; the Norwegian Agency for DevelopmentCooperation (Norad); the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation (SDC) and the United States Department of State. This publication has been made possible by funding from Holcim Ltd. Published by:Produced by:Copyright: IUCN, Gland, SwitzerlandIUCN Cities, Culture and Youth Team© 2025 IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesReproduction of this work for educational or other non-commercial purposes isauthorised without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided thesource is fully acknowledged.Reproduction of this work for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited withoutprior written permission of the copyright holder. Recommended citation:Brown, JD, Vega, K., Grossinger, R., Scuto, L. (2025).Catalysing biodiversity onbuildings: a review of supporting initiatives in European cities. Gland, Switzerland:IUCN. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARYACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v SECTION 1 | REPORT PURPOSE + SCOPE01 1.1 Why this report?1.2 European case study cities selection and methodology1.3 Audience for this report020303 SECTION 2 | POLICY AREAS RELEVANT TO THE BUILDING SCALE04 2.1 Living architecture standards2.2 I