City, relatively permanent and highly organized centre of population, of greater size or importance than a town or village. The name city is given to certain urban communities by virtue of some legal or conventional distinction that can vary between regions or nations. In most cases, however, the concept of city refers to a particular type of community, the urban community, and its culture, known as “urbanism.”

Ecological connectivity supports biodiversity by allowing wildlife to move freely to access food, water, shelter, and breeding habitat. Connectivity also facilitates shifts in the ranges of plants, animals, and natural communities in response to environmental and climate change.

ESG stands for environmental, social and governance and refers to a set of standards used to measure an organization’s environmental and social impact. It’s typically used in the context of investing, although it also applies to customers, suppliers, employees and the general public.

Green cities are defined as those that are environmentally friendly. The greening of cities requires some, or preferably all, of the following: (1) controlling diseases and their health burden; (2) reducing chemical and physical hazards; (3) developing high quality urban environments for all; (4) minimising transfers of environmental costs to areas outside the city; and (5) ensuring progress towards sustainable consumption”.

Sustainable finance refers to the process of taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into account when making investment decisions in the financial sector, leading to more long-term investments in sustainable economic activities and projects.

Timber refers to wood that has been prepared for use in construction or other applications. It is obtained from trees through logging and subsequent processing. Timber can come from both hardwood and softwood trees, depending on the desired properties and applications.

Urbanisation is the transformation of unoccupied or sparsely occupied land into densely occupied cities. Urban areas can grow from increases in human populations or from migration into urban areas. Urbanisation often results in deforestation, habitat loss, and the extraction of freshwater from the environment, which can decrease biodiversity and alter species ranges and interactions.