About the Co-Bio project

The Co-Bio project aims to support the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, with the concrete focus of urban biodiversity. The project will result in capacity building of professional and volunteer adults within the public, private and civil society sector in how to co-create shared solutions for urban biodiversity.

The biodiversity crisis:
As global populations rise and economies develop, the demands on land-use systems increase. This has resulted in widespread declines in biodiversity and 80 percent of European habitats are in poor condition.

We face a crisis, where the recovery of biodiversity is extremely important for nature and our wellbeing as humans. For us to turn back the damages and restore biodiversity, ecosystems and promote new climate and biodiversity friendly practices, we need to engage all parts and sectors in society (OECD 2020; EU Nature Restoration Law; European Green Deal; EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030).

Urbanization of previously natural areas is a threat to biodiversity. The remaining green urban spaces are often fragmented and increasingly threatened by the rapid urban growth (Jaeger et al, 2016).

Lack of competence and guides:
The lack of cohesive measures such as clear guidelines and collaborative measures between the different stakeholders, often result in unsuccessful biodiversity promoting initiatives and policies (Aronson et al, 2017). Co-creation allows multiple stakeholders to come together in a democratic process to contribute to a shared solution, however research shows that lack of competences is one of the barriers and challenges to co-creation (Tortzen 2017).

Some existing local level guidelines (e.g. ICLEI and the World Bank) on urban biodiversity considerations highlight the need for active involvement of citizens. However, few provide practical advice on how active involvement can take place and which creative and co-creation
methods exist to facilitate this involvement. There is also insufficient information for local communities about how local actions contribute to the EU’s and global biodiversity, climate and sustainability related policy objectives.

The project focus:

• 1. Formulating a teaching methodology that will enable the partners to facilitate local cross-sector stakeholders in engaging in local co-creation processes on urban biodiversity. The process will act as a practice-based training process, where the local stakeholders will gain the necessary competences, knowledge and methods to be able to co-create through local case projects.
• 2. Working on creating direct impact and experiences about how to co-create shared solutions to support urban biodiversity and local mobilization by formulating a guide that provides tools and information needed for local stakeholders, and bridges the local actions with a European framework, connecting to the relevant strategies.

In the project, the partners will develop four concrete outputs that will promote urban biodiversity by providing competences, networks and tools to stakeholders from different sectors like public administrations, civils society and private companies.

1. State of the art and local mapping:
Collecting research, best practices and methods relevant for designing trainings, guides and cases in the project.

2. Teaching methodology on facilitation of co-creation:
Method for facilitating local cases where stakeholders gain skills while cooperating to support urban biodiversity.

3. Guide on co-creation of urban biodiversity:
Important knowledge, tools and methods for local stakeholders to co-create urban biodiversity.

4. Casetesting and descriptions:
Best practice descriptions of the six local cases in the project and evaluation of the project results.

The project will result in capacity building of professional and volunteer adults within the public, private and civil society sector in how to co-create shared solutions for urban biodiversity. This will result in a Guide on local co creation for urban biodiversity. The project will also collect important insights into what drives local co-creation and develops a Teaching methodology for local trainers and educators, to promote the method of facilitating local co-creation as a learning process.