Copy of PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE on Nature for Cities – 3rd Edition

Become a Champion for Sustainable Cities

The IUCN Academy proudly presents the Professional Certificate on Nature for Cities – an advanced training programme designed for professionals across all sectors who are committed to shaping greener, more resilient, and biodiverse urban environments.

About this course

About this course Cities are where the future of nature will be decided. As urban areas expand, leaders face growing challenges in understanding and managing the complex relationship between cities and the natural world. Too often, fragmented data and inconsistent approaches limit progress toward sustainable and equitable urban development. To address this, IUCN developed the Urban Nature Indexes (UNI), a standardized framework that provides a lens through which participants can explore, analyse, and understand a city’s relationship with nature. The UNI integrates six key themes—consumption drivers, human pressures, habitat status, species status, nature’s contributions to people, and governance responses—offering a holistic view of how cities depend on, impact, and can regenerate the natural systems that sustain them. Through this course, participants will use the UNI framework to examine real-world cases, identify practical entry points for action, and design locally relevant solutions that balance urban growth with nature conservation and human well-being.

A collaborative learning experience

The course combines self-paced learning with live expert sessions, interactive group discussions, and collaborative assignments. Participants will engage directly with peers from around the world, sharing perspectives and developing collective insights into urban biodiversity and resilience.

Each cohort benefits from guest lectures by leading practitioners, researchers, and city officials, providing first-hand perspectives on current innovations and challenges in the field. Group work and discussions are at the heart of the course, fostering mutual learning, critical thinking, and professional connection across disciplines and geographies.

Who should attend this course?

This course is designed for professionals from all sectors—including urban planners, environmental managers, sustainability officers, researchers, architects, engineers, and civil society actors—who wish to deepen their understanding of how cities can work with nature to enhance resilience, liveability, and biodiversity.

What will you get from this course?

Learn how to apply the Urban Nature Indexes as a framework for analysing and improving cities’ relationships with nature.
Gain practical tools to assess, monitor and improve urban biodiversity using evidence-based methods.
Explore case studies from cities worldwide, learning from successes and challenges in urban ecology, planning, and citizen engagement.
Strengthen your ability to inform and support local authorities and communities in identifying opportunities for nature-positive action.
Develop integrated, inclusive approaches that bring together science, policy, and community participation.
Build valuable professional networks through group work, discussions, and live sessions with experts.

Why should you take this course?

By joining the Professional Certificate on Nature for Cities, you will:

Contribute to the sustainable use, protection, and restoration of natural assets within urban areas.
Gain the knowledge and confidence to lead transformative urban nature initiatives.
Join a global movement, spearheaded by IUCN, that empowers cities to become biodiversity champions.

Course details

📅 Course dates: 5 February – 12 March 2026 (detailed schedule)

⏰ Live session timing: The live sessions are scheduled from 13:00 to 15:00 CET.

⏳Duration: 5 weeks

🕒 Weekly estimated effort: 5 – 7 hours, including live sessions

📖 Course type: Hybrid – self-paced e-learning + expert live sessions.

📚 Includes: Modules, individual & group assignments

🗣️ Language: English

🏅 Award: Professional Certificate upon successful course completion

Fees

IUCN Commission members: 33% discount on the non-profit rate.
Young Commission members (under 35): 50% discount on the non-profit rate.
IUCN Members organisations: up to 75% discount depending on category of membership as detailed here
Non-Profit Organisations and independent applicants: 1’450 CHF
For-Profit Organisations: 1’750 CHF
A number of partial scholarships are available for nationals from developing countries and LDCs, contact academy@iucn.org for more information.
IUCN Staff: sign up via this link.