IUCN Urban Alliance Development of the IUCN Urban Nature Index platform TERMS OF REFERENCE December 2020 1. BACKGROUND The IUCN Urban Alliance—a broad coalition of IUCN constituents concerned with urban dimensions of nature conservation—is developing a platform, labelled as an ‘Urban Nature Index’, to help cities understand their impacts on nature, set science-based targets for improvement, and monitor progress accordingly. By shining a spotlight on the ecological performance of cities, the index will serve to enhance environmental transparency and accountability, facilitate goal-setting and spur conservation action. To develop the index, an IUCN Technical Expert Group was established comprising experts drawn from IUCN Members, Commissions and partners as well as represe