WCC-2025-Res-099 - Progress Report submission form

No activity reports have been submitted to date by Members, Commissions or other IUCN constituents under this Resolution. Consequently, implementation has not yet advanced to coordinated Union-wide action. However, several Secretariat-led knowledge products and technical initiatives provide a foundation for future implementation and contribute to addressing key elements of the Resolution.
Recent Secretariat work has strengthened the evidence base on biodiversity and the built environment. In particular, IUCN publications on biodiversity (https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/52155) and circular approaches (https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/52839) in the construction sector have highlighted the importance of considering biodiversity throughout the life cycle of buildings and construction materials. These publications identify significant opportunities to better integrate nature considerations into the built environment but also reveal remaining knowledge gaps regarding biodiversity-specific impacts of construction materials and the comparative impacts of different construction typologies. These gaps remain directly relevant to the implementation of operative paragraph 1(a) of the Resolution.
In addition, the forthcoming Regenerative Roof Scorecard provides a practical tool and technical guidance for integrating biodiversity considerations into building design and restoration. The Scorecard was explicitly developed to support implementation of Resolution 099 and includes assessment criteria related to biodiversity support, wildlife features, bird-safe design, management planning, nature-positive material sourcing, pollution reduction, and long-term monitoring. The guidance notes that the tool helps practitioners assess design choices related to biodiversity support, wildlife features, bird-safe design, material impacts and management planning, thereby providing a practical design-stage pathway for applying the Resolution's objectives in the built environment.
The Scorecard further addresses biodiversity outcomes for species by incorporating indicators related to habitat creation, ecoregion-appropriate vegetation, wildlife-support features, bird-safe infrastructure, management practices, and long-term stewardship. It also includes mapping to major building certification systems and sustainability frameworks, illustrating how biodiversity considerations can be embedded within existing standards and assessment processes.
Notwithstanding these advances, important implementation gaps remain. Additional work is required to:
assess how existing building labels and certification systems incorporate biodiversity considerations;
identify opportunities to strengthen biodiversity criteria within recognised certification frameworks;
improve guidance and training materials for architects, planners, developers and local authorities;
strengthen evidence on biodiversity impacts across construction materials and building types;
develop practical approaches for implementation by governments and the private sector.
To advance implementation, the Secretariat intends to convene a coordination meeting with relevant Members and Commissions, including CEESP, CEC and interested experts, before the end of 2026. The objective will be to identify priorities, clarify roles, develop a workplan, explore opportunities for resource mobilisation, and embed Resolution implementation within ongoing programmes and projects. Particular attention will be given to leveraging existing initiatives related to nature-positive cities, biodiversity-sensitive urban development, circular economy approaches and sustainable construction. Progress is therefore assessed as limited (10–30%), reflecting the availability of supporting technical products and foundational work, while recognising that coordinated implementation and reporting by the wider Union have not yet commenced.
Challenges / Lessons Learned

Knowledge and evidence gaps remain a significant challenge. While recent Secretariat publications have advanced understanding of circularity and nature-positive construction, evidence remains limited regarding biodiversity-specific impacts of construction materials, the relative impacts of different building typologies on biodiversity, and practical approaches for measuring biodiversity outcomes in the built environment.

Capacity and training needs are also evident. There is currently limited guidance available for practitioners on integrating biodiversity systematically into building design, construction and restoration processes.

Certification and standards alignment presents a major opportunity. Delivering on Operative Paragraph 2 ("ENCOURAGES the States to adopt strict regulations or guidelines, promoting the recognition and development of building labels and certifications that take biodiversity into account and put forward concrete solutions") would benefit from a systematic mapping of existing building labels and certification systems and an assessment of how biodiversity considerations can be strengthened within them.

A key lesson learned is that implementation will likely be most effective when embedded within existing sustainable cities, urban nature, regenerative design and circular economy initiatives, rather than being pursued as a standalone workstream. The emergence of practical tools such as the Regenerative Roof Scorecard demonstrates the value of translating policy commitments into actionable guidance for practitioners