Increasingly, cities around the world are ready to expand green spaces, plan sustainable housing and transport, participate in the production of healthy food, use water resources better, and link all the above to their economies. FAO's Forestry Director Zhimin Wu explains in this op-ed for World Cities Day.

The High-level segment of the First International Green Cities Conference, held during the World Food Forum 2025, produced two significant outcomes – a Communiqué and the Green City Principles and Criteria – to guide the next steps in advancing global efforts to make cities greener, more resilient, and inclusive.

The initiatives will protect forests in Papua New Guinea, promote sustainable fisheries in Saint Lucia, and help grow Africa's Great Green Wall.