Conservation Highlights May 2014 edition - PowerPoint Presentation

Recent achievements and challenges in WWF’s work to protect biodiversity and reduce humanity’s footprint in priority areas of the global conservation programme

Conservation HighlightsMay 2014

Since its launch in 2007, WWF’s Earth Hour has become the world’s largest mass participation environmental initiative, active in over 160 countries, and is becoming a platform where people are mobilising action on climate and other global, regional and local environmental priorities.

EARTH HOUR

Conservation Highlights, May 2014

Earth Hour 2014 set new records for global participation in March, with 162 countries and 7,000 cities celebrating the event. New crowdsourcing and crowdfunding initiatives enable people to use their voices or their money to support WWF conservation actions.

© Getty Images


Earth Hour 2014 event

WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge recognized Cape Town as the Global Earth Hour Capital 2014. The South African city took bold steps to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The competition attracted 160 cities from 14 countries to promote low carbon development and combat climate change.

© We love cities


Cape Town awarded Earth Hour Capital 2014

The idea of mobilizing the voices of the Earth Hour audience in support of environmental actions around the globe took off with Earth Hour 2014:

In China, Earth Hour took the theme “Blue Sky” on the need to stop pollution and smog, using a photo-based phone app

• The #maketheswitch Earth Hour message in the UAE reached more than 5 million people, urging a switch to energy efficient lighting

• For the 3rd year running, more than 100,000 Earth Hour fans in Russia joined an environmental petition, this time calling for increased protection for 5 threatened species including the Far Eastern leopard


Earth Hour 2014 launches crowdsourcing 1/2

•Over 2,000 energy-efficient stoves were distributed in Madagascar, to reduce pressure on forests, and crowdfunding on the Earth Hour site raised funds for a further 500 stoves

• In Finland, 20,000 people called for a fair subsidy policy for solar power. Helping drive the pledge #EarthHourSuomi was the most tweeted hashtag in the country

• 12,000 signatures on a petition against the proposed Ptolemaida V coal-fired power station in Greece will go to the government and KfW, the finance bank and sole investor


Earth Hour 2014 launches crowdsourcing 2/2

WWF has run many campaigns to focus attention on key issues and solutions. Current global campaigns include a call to shift investments away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and an emergency campaign to address the threat of oil drilling in Africa’s prized Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS


WWF is campaigning to save Virunga – Africa’s oldest national park and most biodiverse protected area – from oil drilling. Virunga is also a vital resource for local communities, supporting tens of thousands of people. But this iconic place is under threat from irresponsible oil exploration. Some lines should not be crossed, and drilling for oil in Virunga is one of these.

VIRUNGA


Allegations of human rights violations and breaching of environmental protection by UK oil exploration company Soco International PLC relating to its work in Virunga, are being investigated by an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agency. Announced in February, this follows a complaint from WWF that Soco has breached OECD global corporate responsibility standards.

OECD investigation of Soco


© Brent Stirton / Reportage by Getty / WWF-Canon

Protests against Soco’s plans to start seismic testing for oil in Virunga voiced community concerns this will damage or destroy their livelihoods, and could reignite civil conflict.

More than 675,000 people have joined WWF’s petition to demand that Virunga be protected from the damaging impacts of oil.

Opposition increases to Soco’s oil plans


© Edgar Mbekemoja

French oil giant Total has confirmed it will not explore for oil and gas in World Heritage Sites (WHS). This was announced in February by the United Nations agency in charge of WHS. Total’s decision follows an earlier pledge to remain out of Virunga.

World Heritage Sites now ‘no-go’ for Total


© Brent Stirton / Reportage by Getty Images / WWF-Canon

UK oil company Soco International PLC announced in June it will end its operations in Africa’s oldest national park and has committed to remain out of all other UNESCO World Heritage Sites. “Today is a victory for our planet and for good practices in business. This success is the work of government officials, activists within DRC and supporters worldwide who joined together to help remove the most immediate threat to Virunga,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International.

BREAKING NEWS: Soco agrees to pull out of Virunga!


© Brent Stirton / Reportage by Getty / WWF-Canon

WWF’s Seize Your Power campaign to promote clean, renewable energy aims to mobilize key organisations investing in new energy sources to shift US$40 billion away from fossil fuels into clean renewable energy sources. This shift is crucial to rapidly move the world towards climate-safe energy.

Seize Your Power


WWF welcomed the decision by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to phase out funding of coal-fired power stations, but called for effective implementation. EBRD is the third major development finance body to move away from coal-based energy projects.

EBRD commits to step out of coal


© WWF-Canon / Mauri RAUTKARI

A major UN report calls for a more than tripling of investments in clean energy solutions as the main measure to mitigate climate change. The April report, agreed by the IPCC, finds that investment in clean energy sources will have limited economic impact compared to the very significant costs of inaction.

Action to counter climate change must happen now


© Kevin Schafer / WWF-Canon

WWF’s regional campaigns range from action on threatened species such as tigers and sharks, to specific challenges against environmentally-damaging development schemes such as dams.

REGIONAL CAMPAIGNS


As apex predators, sharks are crucially important to the health of the world’s oceans, but are being wiped out on a massive scale – an estimated 100 million killed annually, mostly for shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. Sharks also breed slowly. WWF offices in the Asia-Pacific region are campaigning to get their countries to stop importing, selling and consuming shark fin.

SHARKS


Key shark fin importing hubs, Hong Kong and Singapore, report reduced demand for shark fin following campaigns against unsustainable shark killing. HK reported a one-third drop in shark fin imports in 2013 compared to 2012. In Singapore shark fin sales to hotels and restaurants also fell by one-third, and prices fell similarly.

Progress on addressing the shark slaughter


© NC Turner / WWF-Canon

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has donated $3 million for WWF to help double Nepal’s tiger population by 2022. WWF’s work with local agencies and communities has helped one tiger population almost triple to 50 tigers. Habitat destruction and poaching are the key threats to the 3,200 remaining wild tigers.

DiCaprio funds help Nepal’s tiger numbers double


© Tom Munro/JBG Photo

WWF has a strong and successful track record of challenging development projects that will cause environmental and social damage. Current campaigns are running against ill-planned projects such as ports, roads and dams in conservation priority areas such as the Amazon, Mekong and Danube as well as World Heritage Sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and Doñana.

CHALLENGING DAMAGING DEVELOPMENT


A declaration opposing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Laos on the main Mekong River has been issued by a consortium representing 39 NGOs and civil society groups including WWF. The dam threatens the huge Mekong fishing industry which supports 60 million people in the region with food and livelihoods.

Dam threatens food security in the Mekong


© WWF-Greater Mekong

WWF has joined a legal challenge launched in Australia to stop the dumping in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) of 3mill m3 of material excavated for development of a megaport for coal exports. The dumping is also opposed by tourism operators: tourism in the GBR generates $5 billion annually.

Development threats to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef


© WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY

Croatia has stopped a proposed scheme that would have canalized a 53 km section of the Danube River along the Croatia-Serbia border, and destroyed key natural sites including a renowned bird paradise.

Victories in Europe against destructive development 1: Danube


© WWF-Canon / Anton VORAUER

A WWF campaign against construction of small hydropower in high conservation value rivers in Rumania has gained success with a government commitment to develop a hydropower policy in line with EU standards.

Victories in Europe against destructive development 2: Rumania


© WWF-România

A 22-year battle to save the Acheloos River in Greece from a massive water diversion scheme has been won with a decision by the country’s supreme administrative court upholding the objections of WWF and a coalition of NGOs and municipal authorities against the diversion.

Victories in Europe against destructive development 3: Greece


© Nikoç Metpou

Spain’s Coto Doñana is one of Europe’s most valuable wetlands, sanctuary for millions of migratory birds. Purchase of the land in 1963 started WWF on the path to protect thousands of priority places and species worldwide. In this 50th anniversary of Doñana’s creation, WWF remains committed to ensure Doñana remains a vital stopover for migratory birds.

Doñana at 50 – a paradise still threatened


© Jorge Sierra / WWF-Spain

WWF’s biodiversity meta-goal is to ensure the integrity of the most outstanding natural places on Earth. This includes the protection of biodiversity in high conservation priority areas, and restoring populations of those species with the highest ecological, economic and cultural value.

BIODIVERSITY


WWF recognised Namibia’s communal conservancy programme as a Gift to the Earth. Wildlife & habitat have recovered and rural communities gain by managing their own environment. The 79 conservancies cover 16 million hectares, help bring half of Namibia under conservation management and involve 1 in 10 Namibians.

WWF recognises community conservation in Namibia


© John E. Newby / WWF-Canon

The 3 countries sheltering mountain gorillas, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, agreed to protect gorilla habitat spanning their shared borders and maximise the value of tourism for local communities. Gorilla-based tourism brings income to local communities, whose support is essential to protect the gorillas.

Community support vital to secure endangered species 1:Mountain gorillas



Anti-poaching action helped more than triple Saiga antelope populations in Mongolia from 3,000 in 1998 to 10,000 in 2013, and the species has expanded into regions where it was wiped out decades ago.

Community support vital to secure endangered species 2:Saiga antelope


© Wild Wonders / Igor Shpilenhok / WWF

Eight south-east Europe countries, from Albania in the south to Slovenia in the north, have agreed regional cooperation on conservation and to increase protected area by 13% including two new national parks. Conservation goals will be included in national development plans and nature-based tourism promoted.

Regional conservation agreed in south-east Europe


© Wild Wonders / Ruben Smit / WWF

The five countries host to polar bear populations committed to ensure the future of this species as climate change hugely threatens its ice habitat. At a high level forum in Moscow in December, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and US agreed to implement a circumpolar action plan for polar bear conservation.

Regional conservation agreed in Europe and Arctic


© WWF / David Jenkins

Forty-six countries committed to “decisive and urgent action” at the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in February with stronger enforcement, reduced consumer demand and sustainable livelihoods for communities living alongside wildlife. Poaching threatens wildlife, rangers and civil society by promoting criminality.

Governments commit to action on poaching crisis


© James Morgan / WWF-Canon

Poachers killed 1004 rhinos in South Africa in 2013 -- a sharp increase from 668 lost in 2012. Recent conservation success in rebuilding rhino numbers is now at risk. South Africa, home to about 80% of Africa’s rhinos, is working with key countries including Viet Nam to counter the illegal trade, through tougher sentences and reduced demand.

Slaughter of SA rhino continues



WWF honoured the work of 9 organizations in Nepal with Leaders for a Living Planet awards for having achieved zero poaching of elephant, rhino and tiger for a second 12 month period. The organizations, including protected area agencies, military and police units, show poaching can be stopped, wildlife crime curbed, and tourism can benefit.

Nepal celebrates a year of zero poaching


© Akash Shrestha / WWF Nepal

WWF has been active in Latin America and the Caribbean since its creation, as this region hosts tremendous biodiversity riches including the world's largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon. To mark the holding of WWF's 2014 Annual Conference in Brazil, a selection of conservation highlights from the region is presented.

FOCUS ON WWF IN LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN


Bolivia has committed to wisely manage the 6.9 million-hectare Llanos de Moxos wetland, headwaters for the priority Madeira River – major southern tributary of the Amazon River. WWF recognized this globally significant action as a Gift to the Earth. Bolivia leads the world with almost 15 mill ha of wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention.

Bolivia takes leadership on freshwater conservation


© WWF-Bolivia / Omar Rocha

For four consecutive years, numbers of migratory gray whales are up in the main coastal lagoons of Mexico’s Baja California. Researchers in one lagoon counted 2017 individuals in February compared to 1178 in 2013 – a 44% increase. Gray whales congregate in the lagoons during the winter breeding season.

Increased sightings of gray whales in Mexico


© WWF-Canon / Michel Terrettaz

Successes of WWF’s five year partnership with the Carlos Slim Foundation include 300,000 ha of protected areas, better management of a further million ha, and reduced logging in the core zone of the monarch butterfly reserve. WWF seeks to protect the butterfly migration route across North America – a major natural wonder.

Protection of monarch butterfly habitat in Mexico


© WWF-Canon / Kevin Schafer

Creation by Chile of a new marine protected area (MPA) helps secure a local blue whale population – the largest mammal on Earth – following 15 years of effort by WWF and other organizations to protect the area from salmon farming and damaging development. The MPA is a vital feeding and nursery area for blue whales and several other cetacean species.

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Chile acts on blue whale conservation


© Naturepl.com / David Fleetham / WWF

Colombia has created a new coastal protected area to secure important nesting beaches for endangered leatherback and hawksbill turtles, in collaboration with local community councils

Marine conservation in Colombia


© Nils Aukan / WWF-Canon

Almost one-third of the world’s beef is produced in Latin America and demand for beef drives forest loss in many of WWF’s priority areas. WWF seeks implementation of the Global Roundtable on Sustainable Beef principles to achieve less damaging cattle ranching practices through improved land-use and consumer demand.

Towards sustainable beef production in Latin America


© Adriano Gambarini/ WWF-Brazil

After several years of declining deforestation rates, Brazil’s annual deforestation rate has risen 28 percent. Forests are cleared for reasons including illegal mining and soy production. The Brazil Government stated its commitment to reverse increased deforestation and eliminate illegal logging in the Amazon.

Deforestation rates in Brazil surge


© Brent Stirton / Getty images / WWF

Deforestation of the WWF priority Atlantic Forest in Argentina’s Misiones Province has decreased by 70% since new regulations in 2010 to stop rampant forest clearance. The landuse law forbids clear-cutting and imposes other restrictions in the remaining forest, reducing annual forest loss from 18,000 ha to 5,300 ha.

Drop in deforestation in Argentina’s Atlantic Forest


© WWF-Canon / Michel Gunther

WWF’s second meta-goal is to reduce humankind’s Ecological Footprint so that we live within the renewable resource limits of our planet. This builds on strong foundations and targets humanity’s carbon, commodity and water footprints which have the greatest impact on biodiversity.

FOOTPRINT


WWF is partnering with global fashion company H&M and the Mondi Group, one of the world’s largest pulp and paper producers, to implement water stewardship and support wise water management in priority river basins.

WWF develops key water stewardship partnerships


© WWF

The European Parliament voted in October for measures to support sustainable fishing and against destructive practices along lines proposed by WWF.

A WWF pilot project shows satellite surveillance of fishing activities can promote legal and transparent fishing operations – especially to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Progress towards sustainable fisheries


© Mike R. Jackson / WWF-Canon

Twenty-five of the world’s major pulp and paper manufacturers, with a combined annual output of 85 million tonnes, joined the WWF Environmental Paper Company Index 2013 and disclosed the footprints of 40 product categories, reporting on targets and performance. This industry is key to conserving forests.

Leading paper companies embrace transparency


© Edward Parker / WWF-Canon

Atlantic salmon from Norway certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is now available for consumers in Japan, a major seafood consumer. Farmed fish now makes up half of all seafood and demand is growing. ASC sets robust standards to minimise impacts on local communities and environments

ASC salmon available in key Japanese market


© WWF-Canon / Jo BENN

WWF calls for continued pressure on Indonesia’s pulp and paper industry to ensure recent commitments on responsible forest management and reduced deforestation are implemented. Companies such as APRIL and APP can restore critical forest and wetland areas, reduce climate emissions, and compensate affected communities.

Indonesian paper companies turning over a new leaf?


© Eyes on the Forest

Since 1994, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has certified 180 million ha of forest across 81 countries worldwide as sustainably managed. WWF helped create the FSC to mobilize market forces, including consumer choice, in support of responsible forest management that delivers social and environmental benefits

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is 20 years old


© N.C. Turner / WWF-Canon

The climate crisis is perhaps the ultimate test of WWF’s ability to harness its strengths to leverage political commitment at the scale required by an issue that threatens the world as we know it.

CLIMATE


WWF has recognised as a Gift to the Earth Denmark’s inspiring leadership and example addressing climate change with its highly ambitious commitments to reduce carbon emissions, phase out fossil fuels, and switch to renewable energy. Denmark has committed to achieve 100% clean renewable energy by 2050 with coal phased out by 2030.

Denmark recognised for climate leadership


© National Geographic Stock/Sarah Leen/WWF

World leaders agreed a finance package to provide funds for tropical forest nations which are reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). This addresses the 20% of global emissions caused by forest loss and is a major victory for the world’s tropical forests, forest communities and our climate.

World leaders agree key mechanism to stop deforestation


© Brent Stirton / Getty Images

A UN climate impact report prepared by the world’s leading scientific authorities in the IPCC shows climate change is is affecting the lives of people worldwide and the ecosystems sustaining life. The report sets a stark choice: cut emissions and face challenging and barely manageable risks - or do nothing and face a world of devastating risks and impacts.

IPCC report details clear evidence of climate change


© Juan Carlos Del Olmo / WWF

Perhaps WWF’s greatest strength is its people - the staff and officers who together with our partners strive for a living planet. And there are many leaders and champions playing key roles outside WWF to achieve conservation success and sustainable development. By highlighting these environmental champions WWF recognises their contribution, profiles conservation success and inspires others to take up the challenge to secure a living planet.

PEOPLE


Paul Polman, CEO of global consumer group Unilever, has been recognised by WWF for his global leadership in making sustainability a key issue within the global retail sector with the 2013 WWF Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal. Polman led the drive to reduce Unilever’s environmental impact.

Unilever CEO awarded top WWF honour


© WWF / Jay Louvion Studio Casagrande

Nina Jensen, CEO of WWF- Norway has been recognised as one of 200 young global leaders 2014 by the World Economic Forum for her community involvement and inspired leadership.

WWF paid tribute to former South African President Nelson Mandela who died in December. Mandela received WWF’s Gift to the Earth award in 1998 for creation of Table Mountain National Park.

Inspirational environmental leaders recognised


© Getty Images

WWF announced the appointment of Dr Marco Lambertini as Director General of WWF International. With 25 years of global conservation leadership, Marco began as a WWF youth volunteer in Italy. Marco officiated at the opening in March of the new WWF-Korea office which will focus on footprint issues such as climate change, and sustainable fisheries.

New Director-General for WWF International


© Gemma Parkes / WWF

http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/successes/conservation_highlights_2014___may_edition/

Thank you


Conservation Highlights May 2014 edition - PowerPoint Presentation

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