FAO Green Cities Network: Cities Go Green Worldwide

FAO Calls on Cities Worldwide to Join Green Cities Network for a More Sustainable Urban Future

The UN food agency is urging municipalities to transform urban spaces into greener, healthier and more resilient places to live — and offering tools, training and technical support to help them do it.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is renewing its call for cities across the globe to join the Green Cities Network, a growing coalition aimed at reshaping urban life through greener, healthier and more resilient development. The appeal, shared through FAO’s official channels under the campaign hashtag #GreenCities, invites municipalities of every size — from sprawling megacities to small towns — to tap into a shared pool of tools, training programs and international events designed to help urban centers deliver measurable economic, social and environmental benefits.

The initiative comes at a pivotal moment for the planet’s cities. With nearly two-thirds of the global population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, pressure on food systems, natural resources, public health infrastructure and climate resilience is mounting rapidly. FAO’s message is direct: cities do not have to face these challenges alone, and joining a global network of peers may be one of the most effective ways to build lasting solutions.

What Is the FAO Green Cities Network?

The Green Cities Network sits at the center of FAO’s broader Green Cities Initiative (GCI), which the organization launched in 2020. The Network itself is described by FAO as a community of cities committed to transforming urban spaces through integrated approaches that generate economic, social and environmental value simultaneously — rather than treating sustainability, public health and economic growth as competing priorities.

Rather than promoting a single fix, the Network organizes its work around three interconnected pillars:

• Urban and peri-urban forestry — expanding tree cover, parks and green corridors within and around cities
• Urban and peri-urban agriculture — integrating food production into city and near-city landscapes to improve food security and local supply chains
• Sustainable bioeconomy — including organic waste management and bioenergy solutions that reduce environmental footprints while creating economic opportunity

FAO says these three areas work together to strengthen urban-rural linkages, build resilience against external shocks such as extreme weather or supply disruptions, and improve access to healthy diets and healthy environments alike.

More than 300 cities have already joined the Network, according to FAO, including several affiliated through the joint FAO–Arbor Day Foundation “Tree Cities of the World” recognition program. The agency’s long-term ambition is far larger: it aims to bring measurable improvements in human well-being and environmental health to 1,000 cities by 2030.

Why FAO Is Calling on Cities Now

FAO frames the invitation to join the Network as an opportunity rather than an obligation, emphasizing tangible, practical benefits for participating municipalities. According to the agency, cities that join stand to gain:

• Increased international visibility as recognized leaders in sustainability-oriented urban governance
• Tailored technical assistance from FAO and its network of partner organizations
• Access to green and climate financing opportunities that can help fund local projects
• Peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, allowing cities to learn directly from others facing similar challenges
• Practical tools for green urban planning, implementation and ongoing monitoring

Membership is free of charge, which FAO says is intended to keep the opportunity accessible to cities of different sizes and income levels, including those in the Global South that may have limited budgets for large-scale sustainability initiatives but significant on-the-ground need.

How the Initiative Aligns With Global Sustainability Goals

FAO has positioned the Green Cities Network as a direct contributor to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing alignment with several targets in particular:

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) — through urban and peri-urban agriculture that strengthens local food security
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) — via improved access to green space and healthier environments
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) — the Network’s core urban-development focus
• SDG 13 (Climate Action) — through resilience-building and emissions-reducing bioeconomy practices
• SDG 15 (Life on Land) — via forestry and biodiversity-focused interventions

This multi-goal framing reflects a broader shift in how international development bodies are approaching urban policy: rather than treating environmental, health and economic outcomes as separate silos, initiatives like the Green Cities Network attempt to design interventions that advance several goals through a single coordinated strategy.

Momentum Building Since 2020

The Green Cities Initiative has steadily expanded since its 2020 launch under FAO’s Director-General. In October 2025, the agency convened the First International Conference on Green Cities at its Rome headquarters, in partnership with UN-Habitat, bringing together mayors, national authorities, urban practitioners and private-sector representatives to advance a shared vision for sustainable, healthy and resilient cities.

That conference produced two notable milestones: the introduction of formal FAO Green Cities Criteria and a Green Cities Commitment Pledge, both intended to give participating cities clearer benchmarks for what genuine progress looks like. Conference participants also adopted a communiqué outlining next steps, with commitments expected to be carried forward to the World Urban Forum 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

UN-Habitat’s Executive Director has described the Green Cities Initiative as a vehicle for integrating food systems, housing, basic services, land management and climate action — themes that also feature prominently in UN-Habitat’s own Strategic Plan for 2026–2029. The overlapping priorities between the two UN agencies suggest the Green Cities push is becoming part of a wider, coordinated international effort on urban sustainability rather than a standalone FAO program.

Applications for the 2026 cohort of the Green Cities Network have been open for several months, with FAO continuing to actively recruit new member cities throughout the year.

Who Can Join, and How

FAO says the Network is open to any city or municipality committed to putting people at the center of green, inclusive and resilient urban transformation. To qualify, applicant cities are generally expected to show commitment to:

• Implementing urban forestry, green space expansion, peri-urban agriculture and sustainable bioeconomy practices, including organic waste management and bioenergy
• Integrating green infrastructure and sustainable agrifood systems into broader urban and territorial development planning
• Engaging in continuous learning and improvement through exchange with peer cities and FAO technical staff

Interested cities can apply through FAO’s online application form. Successful applicants receive official admission to the Network, along with access to tools, training resources, international events and cooperation opportunities with other member cities. FAO asks that applicant cities designate an official focal point to coordinate ongoing engagement with the organization.

Once admitted, FAO uses documentation from each city’s application and subsequent activity to track engagement, monitor progress and outcomes, and tailor future technical assistance to that city’s specific needs. New member cities are announced publicly as they join.

A Growing Global Community of Practice

For city governments navigating tight budgets, rising climate risks and growing urban populations, the appeal of a no-cost network offering technical support, financing pathways and peer learning is clear. FAO’s pitch positions the Green Cities Network not as a top-down mandate, but as a collaborative platform — one where a small town and a global megacity can, in principle, learn from the same pool of shared solutions.

Whether the initiative reaches its 1,000-city target by 2030 will depend heavily on continued political will at the local level and the availability of financing to turn commitments into completed projects. But with over 300 cities already on board, a formal set of Green Cities Criteria now in place, and growing coordination with partners like UN-Habitat, FAO’s Green Cities Network is emerging as one of the more concrete efforts to translate global sustainability goals into street-level, city-by-city action.

Cities and municipal officials interested in joining the Green Cities Network can find application details and additional resources through FAO’s official Green Cities Initiative webpage, and can follow ongoing updates through the #GreenCities hashtag on FAO’s social media channels.

This article is based on publicly available information from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and related reporting on the Green Cities Initiative.