The Nordic Network for Ambitious Nature Municipalities brings together municipalities and biosphere reserves in a joint Nordic effort to strengthen local action for biodiversity.
The initiative stems from the Nordic collaboration Man and the Biosphere – Local Actions for Biodiversity, which for several years has worked on local implementation of biodiversity targets in Nordic UNESCO Biosphere Areas.
With support from the Nature Programme under the Nordic Council of Ministers, the effort is now being expanded into a municipal network, where municipalities take on the central role as drivers and exemplars.
The work is led by the Møn UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Vordingborg Municipality, Denmark, and is carried out in close cooperation with Nordic UNESCO Biosphere Areas, with IUCN as an international partner.
The ambition is to support local authorities in translating global biodiversity goals into concrete policies, planning, and actions.
At the core of the project is the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
While the framework sets global targets, its success depends on strong local ownership, cross-sector collaboration, and the ability to adapt goals to specific places and contexts.
The Nordic Network for Ambitious Nature Municipalities addresses this gap by focusing on knowledge sharing, capacity building, and practical testing of new approaches.
The project is anchored in the Nordic tradition of collaboration and contributes to the vision of the Nordic Council of Ministers of making the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
In 2022 the Kunming-Montreal 'Global Biodiversity Framework' - also known as 'KMGBF' - was adopted as part of the UN Convention on Biodiversity.
It features 23 targets to be met by 2030 and four overarching global goals to be achieved by 2050 in order to preserve biodiversity for current and future generations.
The targets to be met by 2030 aims on stopping the global loss of biodiversity, while the goals towards 2050 focus on ensuring the progress of biodiversity globally.
It also aligns with the ambitions of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme and the IUCN, emphasising the role of biosphere reserves as model areas for place-based sustainable development.
MAB-LAB III is structured around four main phases: network building, thematic collaboration and capacity building, local pilot projects, and strategic dissemination. Together, these activities support municipalities and biosphere reserves in developing and testing new methods, strengthening peer learning, and contributing to policy development across the Nordic region.
A key premise of the project is that effective implementation of global biodiversity goals requires more than national policies. It depends on local engagement, multi-level governance, and collaboration across public authorities, civil society, and the private sector. Through this approach, participating municipalities and biosphere reserves act as living laboratories for developing and demonstrating new solutions.
Building on the results of MAB-LAB I and II, this project continues and strengthens a well-established cooperation, further positioning the Nordic region as a frontrunner in local implementation of global biodiversity commitments.