Addressing climate change in cities: Policy instruments to promote urban nature-based solutions

This guidance document responds to gaps and highlights a range of policy and supporting instruments relevant for NBS design, implementation and maintenance. Policy instruments include regulations, strategies, programmes, action plans and financial incentives. Each instrument is briefly described, including how it works and what benefits it can deliver. Case studies showcasing how different cities approach NBS and foster their integration into their policy frameworks are presented for each instrument. Wherever possible, the case studies stem from Berlin and Leipzig, Germany to showcase the diverse set of policy instruments being used in each city to implement NBS. Berlin and Leipzig’s policy landscapes are introduced below in more detail to present a snapshot of possible policy instruments to foster NBS, highlighting the importance of working in an integrated and cross-sectoral manner.