ICLEI President Launches TEEB Manual for Cities at the Liveable Cities Forum in Montreal

ICLEI President, David Cadman, launched the latest TEEB tool for cities, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management.

This practical guide for cities highlighting how a focus on ecosystem services and their valuation can create direct benefits for urban areas and can be performed even with limited resources, was written in partnership between ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers team and IUCN.

Cadman said the TEEB Manual built upon the TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers report in 2010 and tailors the information specifically for an urban context.

He said that cities depend on a healthy natural environment that continuously provides a range of benefits: ecosystem services.

“Healthy ecosystems are the foundation for sustainable cities, influencing and affecting human well-being and most economic activity. This manual outlines how cities can incorporate a focus on ecosystem services into city planning and management. By considering ecosystem services, cities can make better informed decisions and make some very positive changes, saving on municipal costs, boosting local economies, enhancing quality of life and securing livelihoods.”

The TEEB Manual is a practical resource, outlining the step-wise approach introduced in the TEEB Report with in-depth real-life case examples from cities around the world that have employed this approach. This manual aims to inspire cities to start thinking about ecosystem services and how a focus on their valuation can be useful at the local situation, thus creating sustainable and resilient cities.