Berlin Secretariat for Biological Diversity

Biodiversity is declining rapidly worldwide, including in Germany. Cities play an increasingly important role in preserving biodiversity. They provide diverse habitats for countless animal and plant species that cannot find space in the surrounding rural areas, which are often intensively used and cleared for agriculture. Urban green spaces, parks, and gardens are not only more and more important for biodiversity; they also play a central role in climate change adaptation for cities. Nature-based solutions, such as green roofs and all other urban green spaces promote local biodiversity while simultaneously mitigating critical impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves and heavy rainfall events.

As a rapidly growing city, Berlin is challenged with halting the decline of its vital green spaces and protecting these habitats for animals and plants. To achieve this, the state of Berlin has developed specific measures and adopted its first Biodiversity Strategy in 2012. This strategy has now been revised in light of new findings and is expected to be approved by the Berlin Senate in early 2025.

On behalf of the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection, and the Environment, adelphi establishes and operates a Secretariat for Biological Diversity within this project. It will function as a central hub for implementing the new Berlin Biodiversity Strategy 2030+. This includes preparing, implementing, and evaluating specific measures, as well as monitoring the 19 strategic goals assigned to three overarching fields of action. As the Secretariat for Biological Diversity, adelphi will coordinate existing citizen initiatives and nature conservation projects within the framework of the Biodiversity Strategy, particularly increasing the visibility of smaller projects. Additionally, participatory processes, events, and thematic workshops will be initiated and supported. adelphi will also be involved in implementing the associated communication strategy, helping to ensure that the topics of urban nature and nature-based climate change adaptation reach as many Berlin citizens as possible. The goal is to raise public awareness and increase engagement among Berlin's residents and to strengthen the view of biodiversity as a corss-sectoral topic.

Through this initiative, adelphi contributes at the local level to the conerservation of a green and species-rich city of Berlin. In close cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department, it is possible to "think quality of life, climate, and biodiversity together," as it is the aim of the new Biodiversity Strategy.