COP16 Colombia

In 2024, for the first time in history, Colombia will host the 16th edition of the biannual Conference on Biodiversity. COP16 will take place in Cali, Colombia, between October 21 and November 1, 2024.

This year’s slogan is “Peace with Nature”. This is a call for reflection to improve the relationship we have with the environment, to rethink an economic model that does not prioritize the extraction, overexploitation and pollution of nature.

AIPH will be involved in three primary sessions during the Conference:

• 22nd October – Biopolis Symposium: Learning from Cities: People and Nature in the Urban Context
• 23rd October – Panel: Transformations leading to the ideal city state for a green future
• 26th October – 8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities

Biopolis Symposium

08.00-17.30 | 22nd October 2024

Casa Humbolt, Centro Cultural Nelson Garces Vernaza, Cali

At the tipping point of the current environmental crisis, there is an urgent need to design and build urban landscapes that integrate plants, birds, pollinators, microorganisms, and other non-human forms of life that are key to functional and resilient communities.

The Biopolis Symposium is organised by the International Living Infrastructure Commission (LINC) bringing together key global networks and organizations: The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), The International Federation of Landscape Architecture (IFLA), the US Green Building Council, and local partners: The National University of Colombia, The Alexander Von Humboldt Institute, and the Colombian Green Building Council.

Keynote speakers from five continents and world leaders will share their experience and expertise in green infrastructure, landscape architecture, nature based solutions, urban ecology and biodiversity.

Dr Audrey Timm, AIPH Technical Initiatives Manager, is a keynote speaker at the Symposium and will present ‘Learning from Cities: People and Nature in the Urban Context’. See below for more details.

View the full agenda for the Biopolis Symposium.

Learning from Cities: People and Nature in the Urban Context

10.50-11.10am | 22nd October 2024

Keynote at Biopolis Symposium

Cities are dynamic ecosystems that play a valuable role in global conservation through integration of nature into the urban environment. Increasing green spaces through city-wide planning enhances biodiversity, supports diverse flora and fauna, and fosters conservation-minded citizens. Public and private spaces alike can contribute, making nature an integral part of urban life and education.

Bringing biodiversity into cities requires a combination of attention to detail and broad scale vision. There are many global organisations that support city biodiversity such as Biophilic Cities, ICLEI CitiesWithNature, IUCN, and ISUH. Local and national authorities are recognising the importance of urban biodiversity, and this is reflecting in policies, agendas and planning resulting in tangible action.

The International Association for Horticultural Producers, AIPH, advocates that plants have the capacity to provide multiple benefits, combining functionality and supporting biodiversity. Case studies from the AIPH World Green City Awards demonstrate how cities that can be highly successful in protecting biodiversity and restoring urban ecosystems.

Presenter

Dr Audrey Timm, AIPH Technical Initiatives Manager

Dr Audrey Timm is a horticultural scientist specialised in ornamental horticulture. Spanning many aspects of horticulture, Audrey’s career has covered academic research in South Africa, industry support, training and on-farm research and development in Australia, and promoting the connection between design and ecology in urban landscapes with the University of Sheffield in the UK. Since joining AIPH as Technical Advisor in early 2019, Audrey leads their Green City initiative with the purpose of increasing the quality and quantity of living green in urban environments, and nurturing a strategic shift in city form and function. Audrey also manages AIPH’s programmes in Plant Health, Sustainability, and Novelty Protection. Through knowledge exchange, advocacy, and networking, Audrey supports AIPH’s position as the world’s champion for the power of plants.

Transformations leading to the ideal city state for a green future

14:00 – 15:00pm | 23rd October 2025

Blue Zone, Local & Subnational Hub – Place Québec

Cities have the opportunity and the responsibility to invest in nature. The panel will present a range of perspectives on the many benefits that incorporating plants and nature into city form and function can provide to people and our planet. The International Association of Horticultural Producers, AIPH, leads this session in describing an ideal green city state and presenting a framework that enables cities to both demonstrate their current achievements and realise further ambitions. Panellists will demonstrate the power that cities have to achieve national and global agendas when resourced by national governments. They will motivate the need for a city-wide approach, informed by landscape design that responds to cultural and climatic trends. They will outline themes to mobilise financial support for cities to deliver a nature positive future. Together, these collectively rich presentations create a strong narrative for visionary cities to transform, driven by collaboration, engagement and commitment to act for biodiversity.

8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities

All day

Plenary Room / Working Group Room 1 in Blue Zone

Dr Audrey Timm will present the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026 edition, highlighting the success of the 2022 and 2024 editions and extending an invitation to all cities to celebrate their innovative action in urban greening through AIPH global networks.