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Peru increases Amazon protection

2010-02-08

The Peruvian government has allocated significant funds to help protect a large swathe of the Amazon, home to several endangered species and indigenous groups.

The Peruvian National Protected Areas Service has pledged USD280,000 to boost surveillance activities in the Alto Purus National Park and the Purus Communal Reserve – a total area larger than El Salvador. WWF originally helped with the process of creating this protected region in 2004.

It covers some of the most pristine forests in the southwestern Amazon and shelters jaguars, pink dolphins, arapaimas (large freshwater fish) and other endangered species. It’s also home to at least eight ethnic groups, including an unknown number of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation.

The director of WWF’s Amazon Headwaters Initiative, Jorge Herrera, says: “This represents a major success for all Peruvians. The government’s commitment to safeguard the Peruvian Amazon will help us build long-term conservation strategies for roughly three million hectares of some of the richest forests in the world.”

Why the Amazon needs surveillance
For years, activities such as illegal logging – mainly for mahogany – and poaching damaged these unique forests and disturbed the indigenous communities. The government support will help sustain a team of more than 20 park guards to look after the area.

WWF – with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation – has helped by equipping park and reserve authorities so they can set up seven strategic control posts and create an efficient team of guards, made up of experienced technicians and local people with broad knowledge of the rivers and forests they now protect.

The area is part of a landscape, shared between Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, that WWF has identified as particularly important for conservation. In Brazil, WWF is working with the Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign, which aims to help save a billion trees in the state of Acre.

You can…

Find out more about our work in the Amazon

A big step towards greener homes

2010-02-05

When you talk about the causes of climate change, most people think of the belching gas guzzlers, giant coal-fired power stations or new airport runways. Very few people picture a three-bedroom semi or a block of flats...

That’s all about to change. Our homes are on the frontline of the fight against climate change – not just because housing accounts for 26% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, but also because the country might be excitingly close to a huge low-carbon retrofit programme.

On Monday 1 February, the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons was packed with a wide range of people talking very passionately about insulation – and even managing, occasionally, to make it sound pretty exciting.

The purpose of this gathering was the launch of the Existing Homes Alliance manifesto, which is essentially a five-point plan for how we can turn the 26 million homes in the UK from drafty, wasteful, expensive-to-run buildings into low-carbon, cheap-to-run, cosy homes.

We're founder members of the Alliance, and the reason we're so optimistic about the whole retrofitting scheme is because the Alliance includes such a range of expert organisations working in all sectors – including finance bodies, builders and installers, energy utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, social housing managers, landlords, local authorities and government agencies.

The turnout was great, the passion palpable and after the letdown of Copenhagen it was a great feeling to be in a room with a load of people that are actually ready to start the low-carbon revolution, not just talk about it.

You can…

Fixing the UK’s inefficient housing

2010-02-03

The government must upgrade Britain’s woefully outdated homes if we’re to succeed in becoming a low-carbon economy. And the new manifesto from the Existing Homes Alliance makes it clear why they should get started right away.

In the UK our homes account for 22% of our ecological footprint and up to 30% of our carbon emissions. And those emissions are rising – by 5% in the past decade alone.

That’s why the WWF-chaired Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) – which brings together key players in the construction sector, from builders and energy specialists to financial institutions and local authorities – has issued some urgent demands.

The Existing Homes Alliance 2010 Manifesto calls on the government to commit to a national retrofit programme:

all homes must have a whole-house retrofit by 2030
£6bn a year should be invested in retrofitting the UK’s existing homes
a 2010-2030 roadmap should set out minimum regulatory and aspirational standards for home energy efficiency
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) must play a bigger part in the marketing of homes, and house prices should reflect energy efficiency
homeowners must be given a range of financial options to help cover upfront retrofitting costs
more support and advice should be offered to homeowners to encourage them to use less energy and buy higher EPC-rated properties

We believe this will benefit the economy by creating new jobs, reducing levels of fuel poverty and providing incentives for investment in low-carbon technologies.

Colin Butfield, chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, says: ”It’s a sad fact that in the UK the majority of our homes are underperforming, leaving many of us out of pocket, out in the cold and wastefully emitting CO₂.

“This manifesto outlines what we see as the solutions to our housing crisis. It is now essential that the government urgently establishes a national retrofit programme so we can meet the UK’s carbon budget targets.”

You can…

WWF ambassador Sir Mervyn Pedelty

2010-02-03

We were very sorry to learn that WWF ambassador Sir Mervyn Pedelty passed away on 28 January 2010.

Sir Mervyn was a long-term supporter of WWF, both while he was chief executive of the Co-operative Bank and later in his role as ambassador. He was a great advocate of our work on sustainable finance, and his extensive knowledge, expertise and experience in this sector was of enormous value in shaping and developing our work.

Sir Mervyn was chief executive of Co-operative Financial Services, the Co-operative Bank and the Co-operative Insurance Society until his retirement in December 2004.

As well as maintaining a close interest in all aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility, his non-commercial activities included charity, community and public service work. He was Chair of the Policy Committee for the FTSE social responsibility indices (FTSE4Good) since its inception, was a Director of Business in the Community and a Trustee of the Symphony Hall in Birmingham and of the mental health charity Triumph over Phobia.

He was knighted in the 2004/5 New Year Honours List for services to business and to charity.

Sir Mervyn will be very much missed and we extend our sympathies to his family and others who were fortunate enough to work with him and benefit from his wisdom and guidance.

HSBC gets active for Earth Hour 2010

2010-02-02

At 8.30pm on 27 March, HSBC’s UK head office (8 Canada Square in London’s Docklands) will be plunged into darkness for one hour to support WWF’s Earth Hour climate change campaign.

The ‘world’s local bank’, a long-standing partner of WWF and well known advocate of action on climate change, is one of the first big switch-offs confirmed for the mass public event organised by WWF.

Last year around 100,000 individuals and 700 businesses, including HSBC, signed up to switch off their lights to show global leaders they wanted strong action on tackling climate change in the lead-up to the UN Copenhagen talks.

Now in 2010, post-Copenhagen, a global climate deal is still far from confirmed, which means the world faces an uncertain future. HSBC’s involvement in Earth Hour demonstrates the company’s ongoing support for and commitment to reducing the effects of climate change.

HSBC will also be hosting a number of employee engagement activities as part of WWF’s Earth Hour, asking employees, bank branches and other offices around the UK to sign up and switch off to show their support for Earth Hour.

Peter Bull, Head of HSBC in the Community in the UK says: “WWF’s Earth Hour is one of the biggest collaborative demonstrations to show we all care about what’s happening to our planet. HSBC is very active in calling for action on climate change, as well as supporting on-the-ground work to help combat the impacts climate change is having on the world’s wildlife, people and places.

“As well as our relationship with WWF through the HSBC Climate Partnership, our ongoing support for Earth Hour is another way for us to make a visual statement that as an organisation we care about climate change!”

You can...

Sign up, switch off and support WWF's Earth Hour

WWF and M&S make waves with sustainable seafood

2010-01-25

Marks & Spencer has become the first UK retailer to sign WWF’s Seafood Charter, making a commitment that its fish products will all be from sustainable sources by 2015.

Seafood is a growing market in the UK – it’s unlikely our appetite for fish and shellfish will decrease any time soon, especially as more consumers realise its health benefits.

But not enough people know whether the fish they buy is from sustainable sources. M&S is aiming to solve that problem, with help from us.

M&S is the first UK company to sign up to WWF’s Seafood Charter – a joint commitment to protect our seas and work towards sustainable management of wild and farmed fish.

We’ll evaluate the company’s entire range of seafood products over the next few years, and help them identify and develop more sustainable sources, in line with M&S’s Plan A commitments.

WWF’s Seafood Charter
WWF’s Seafood Charter aims to encourage a favourable market for sustainably caught and farmed seafood.

The problems of Europe’s depleted fish stocks have been well documented, but positive steps are being taken. In Scotland, the pioneering Conservation Credit Scheme – where fisheries are rewarded for sustainable fishing – is yielding signs of improvement in some fish stocks. We believe this could be replicated across Europe. We’re also intent on tackling the wasteful practice of discards, as are M&S.

The Seafood Charter is mainly targeted at retailers and processors, but will affect thousands of UK fishermen whose income depends on a healthy supply of fish, and ultimately the millions of people who buy, cook, and eat fish.

Seafood is a renewable resource as long as it’s properly managed. By supporting the efforts of those who fish sustainably, retailers and consumers can ensure we have plenty more fish in the sea to enjoy.

Tom Aikens supports WWF’s work on sustainable fish
The acclaimed chef Tom Aikens, author of Fish, has also given his support to WWF’s Seafood Charter, and created delicious recipes using the M&S sustainable fish range. Tom says: ”Overfishing is one of the biggest threats facing our oceans, but the solution to the problem lies in our own hands.

“As a chef I am always looking for good quality and sustainable fish and am keen to support our fishing communities. By teaming up with WWF to ensure all their seafood is from sustainable sources, M&S is making it easier for consumers to make the right choices."

You can…

Find out how to buy sustainable fish
Get some recipe ideas for sustainable seafood
Watch our film 'Meet the Fishermen'

SABMiller raises £24k for Great Ruaha project

2010-01-25

The Christmas appeal run by brewers SABMIller among their employees and associates raised a healthy £24,262 for WWF's Great Ruaha River project in Tanzania.

The Great Ruaha river once flowed continuously through Tanzania’s second largest national park, but is now dry for as much as three months of the year. Many of the six million people living in the area live in poverty and are dependent on the river for drinking water, agriculture and fishing.

Water scarcity has devastating consequences on their lives. The dry periods also affect the region’s biodiversity and wildlife, including elephants and hippos, which depend on the river for daily sustenance.

Thanks to generous donations from partners like SABMiller, WWF has been able to help improve river flow in the Great Ruaha, and further improvement is expected.

The Great Ruaha appeal complements SABMiller's pioneering work with the Water Futures partnership on global water scarcity.

You can...

find out more about WWF's partnership with SABMiller

Tell Gordon – carbon cuts must be 42% by 2020

2010-01-22

Maybe you’ve been trying not to think about it, but we have to face the fact that world leaders let us down in Copenhagen. Never fear – this is no time to give up on a global climate deal. In fact, we’re asking you step up the pressure.

Back in December, world leaders failed to agree the fair, ambitious and binding climate deal that we need for tackling climate change. Instead, countries are now being asked to sign up to the rather weaker Copenhagen Accord by 31 January. This would involve declaring voluntary reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions – hopefully filling up the so-far sadly blank Accord form you can see here on the left.

Worryingly, if countries just stick to their current targets, the world will be heading for warming of 3°C or even 4°C (rather than the maximum 2°C acknowledged in the Accord), with catastrophic consequences for people and the planet.

That’s why, as part of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, we’re calling on the UK to lead the way and aim for a 42% emissions reduction (on 1990 levels) by 2020. Scotland has already committed to 42% cuts in their Climate Change Act, and in mid January a Parliamentary Committee called on the UK government to do the same.

We also want the UK to push the EU as a whole to strengthen its commitment to at least 40%.

You can...

Sign the Twitter petition (#FixCOP15) to ask Gordon Brown to commit to a 42% cut in emissions by 2020 (you need to have or create a Twitter account to sign this petition).

Food and climate change

2010-01-18

A new report from WWF and the Food Climate Research Network reveals the truth about the huge role played by the food industry in greenhouse gas emissions – and concludes the only way to make significant cuts is through big changes in food technology and consumer behaviour.

The food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report – How Low Can We Go? – published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN). Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20%, but this study is the first to take account of the way land is used overseas in the production of our food.

Land-use change – mostly replacing forests with crops or animal pasture – is a major source of climate changing emissions. Each year, worldwide, an area of forest equivalent to half of England is lost.

We’re calling for a radical change to our food system to help stop deforestation and reduce emissions from the food chain.

Cutting food industry emissions
How Low Can We Go? points out that if the food industry is to play its part in keeping average global temperature rise below 2°, its emissions need to be cut at least 70% by 2050.

It’s a daunting task, but not impossible. The report explores a number of options – for instance:

     • decarbonising the energy used in the food chain – at the moment most fertilisers, processing equipment and transportation is dependent on fossil fuels
     • making the whole industry more efficient, from field to fork – including improved crop yields and changes to animal feeds to reduce methane emissions
     • changing our eating habits – particularly the amount of meat and dairy products we consume.

None of these elements is sufficient on its own. The only way to achieve big enough cuts is to change food production and consumption patterns.

We were pleased to see that the idea of collaboration – between producers, processors, retailers, NGOs and government – was highlighted in the government’s recently published Food 2030 document, which sets out a vision for UK food.

The role of sustainable diets – and defining what that means – will be an important step. We’ll look into this in a follow-up study tackling the question of how changing consumption will affect land use.

You can…

find out more about our One Planet Food programme
visit the Food Climate Research Network website

Ten to watch in 2010

2010-01-14

We’re excited that 2010 is the UN’s official Year of Biodiversity, because biodiversity is at the heart of all WWF’s work. Now more than ever, the international spotlight is on preserving the variety of life on Earth. Our ’10 to Watch’ list offers just a few examples of species needing urgent protection.

WWF has had many successes in the past, rescuing species from the brink of extinction, but the increasing threats from deforestation, poaching and climate change are threatening to unravel some of our hard work – and we’re doing everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen.

This selection is just 10 from a growing list of officially endangered species, with a reminder of some of the work we’re doing, with your support, to help them survive.

WWF’s ‘10 to Watch in 2010’ list

Tiger
New studies indicate there may be as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild. Tiger numbers have gone down by a huge 95% in the past century – and their habitat shrunk by 40% in the past decade alone, largely because of deforestation.

Sadly there’s also still a high demand for tiger skins, and body parts are used in traditional Asian medicine – all despite international and national bans. We’re determined to halt unscrupulous and illegal trading so that the remaining tigers don’t go the way of their now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives.

Climate change further complicates the picture, for instance causing the sea level rise that threatens the mangrove habitat of tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh and India.

The upcoming Chinese Year of the Tiger, from February 2010, will mark an important period for tiger conservation – and we’ll continue to play a vital role, with bold new strategies for saving this magnificent big cat.

Javan rhinoceros
Here’s a shocking thought: all the existing Javan rhinos could fit into two average school classrooms. There are fewer than 60 left in the wild, in two separate populations – the largest one in Java and the other in Vietnam – making the Javan rhino one of the most endangered large mammals.

Like tigers, they’re highly prized for use in traditional Asian medicine, and their forest habitat has been systematically destroyed, mostly for farmland. We’ve been involved in protecting them since 1998, helping forest rangers increase patrols, surveying rhino populations and raising awareness of the rhinos’ importance to local communities.

Trained sniffer dogs have recently been used to search for traces of the extremely rare and endangered Vietnam population, of which no more than a dozen are thought to exist. The samples will be analysed to gauge the gender mix and whether this small group of Javan rhinos has a chance of survival.

Bluefin tuna
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a large migratory fish found in the western and eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s popularly used for making high-grade Japanese sushi, and big profits have led to unsustainable over-fishing, leaving bluefin tuna fisheries near collapse and the species at serious risk of extinction.

A temporary ban on international trade would allow this overexploited fish to re-establish its numbers. That’s why WWF is calling on all countries who are members of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to protect this species at their next meeting in March.

We’d also encourage restaurants, chefs, retailers and consumers to stop serving, buying, selling, and eating bluefin tuna until this amazing species shows signs of recovery.

Polar bear
The Arctic’s polar bears have become the iconic symbols of climate change. Despite the recent creation of protected areas in parts of their range in the USA and Russia, polar bears will be increasingly vulnerable within the next century if warming trends in the Arctic continue, and we see the disappearance of summer sea ice, where many polar bears hunt for food and raise their young.

Warming seas could also cause a drop in numbers of seals, the polar bear’s main source of food. We’re supporting field research into how climate change is affecting polar bears, and how we might help them adapt and survive. We also work with governments and industry to reduce threats from shipping and energy development, and with local communities to reduce human-bear conflict wherever bears are displaced as their habitats shrink.

The most important step that can be taken to protect polar bears is to minimise the impact of climate change itself, so we are also working with governments, industry and the public to find ways to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions responsible in part for the melting of the polar bears’ sea ice habitat.

Amur leopard
The world’s rarest cat – with only about 35 left in the wild near the far-eastern Russia/China border – the Amur leopard’s natural forest habitat has been largely destroyed by logging, forest fires and land clearance for farming. It’s estimated that 80% of its range was lost between 1970 and 1983.

Over-hunting of roe and sika deers, their main prey species, also means the leopards have to seek out other prey – and are sometimes shot by farmers protecting their livelihoods. And despite its ‘critically endangered’ status, this beautiful creature is still poached for its skin, and its bones used in traditional Asian medicines.

Our work includes: restoring and linking areas of forest, so leopards can move between habitats; persuading local governments to expand well-protected areas; promoting sustainable use of natural resources in the region; reducing habitat loss through better fire-prevention measures; and demanding stronger action against poaching and illegal trade of Amur leopards and prey species.

Marine turtle
There are seven marine turtle species, six of which are officially ‘endangered’ or ‘critically endangered’. In the Pacific, the hawksbill and the mighty leatherbacks are heading for extinction fast (having survived for more than a hundred million years), and Mediterranean green turtle numbers have plummeted. Atlantic turtle populations are more stable, but scientists predict a decline because of the numbers of adults that are accidentally captured in some fishing equipment, which often causes slow drowning.

A turtle takes decades to reach maturity and start breeding, and fewer and fewer are surviving long enough to migrate back to the beaches where they hatched to breed and lay their own eggs. Rising sea levels and higher temperatures on beaches due to climate change are posing new challenges, affecting their nesting grounds and ability to breed. Warmer nests reduce the number of male turtles being born.

After 30 years of conservation, Kemp's Ridley turtle is making a slow comeback in the Gulf of Mexico. But time is running out for others. We’re raising awareness so local communities will protect marine turtles and critical nesting beaches – in recent years they’ve become important ecotourism attractions. We’re working with fisheries to introduce new turtle-safe fishing methods to decrease bycatch. And we’re fighting the illegal trade in marine turtle meat, eggs and decorative shell products.

Orang-utan
There are two separate species of orang-utan, one living on the island of Borneo, the other on Sumatra. A century ago orang-utan numbers totalled 230,000, but this has fallen – most dramatically in the last decade – so now there’s only around 7,500 on Sumatra and 55,000 on Borneo.

The biggest common threat is the destruction of rainforest habitat – 80% of it has disappeared in the last 20 years alone, and only around 2% of what’s left is legally protected. A lot of the logging activity is unregulated, and encourages further damage from road building and poaching in previously inaccessible areas. Orang-utans are also illegally killed for their meat or caught for the pet trade.

We’re working with politicians in Borneo to conserve and restore forest areas. Along with TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade monitoring partner of WWF and IUCN) we also help governments enforce restrictions on wildlife trading. Rescued orang-utans are taken to refuges to be rehabilitated and eventually released back to the wild.

Penguin
Latest figures show that 11 of the world’s 18 penguin species are decreasing in numbers (according to the 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)

Almost all penguins originate from the southern hemisphere – the furthest north is the Galapagos. Many species are found around the Antarctic peninsula, which is one of the three fastest warming places on the planet. Some sea ice cover there has shrunk 40%, and penguin food supplies (such as krill, which depends on the sea ice) have become scarcer.

Although Antarctic species are not currently as at risk as the Galapagos and New Zealand yellow-eyed penguins, we’re concerned about recent fluctuations in populations there and the links with climate change. Many penguins visit the Antarctic, but only the chinstrap, macaroni, gentoo and ice-dependent Adelie and emperor penguins breed there. Some emperor colonies have halved in number over the past 50 years, and some Adélie populations dropped 65% in 25 years.

Mountain gorilla
Mountain gorillas are classed as critically endangered, with only about 680 left in the wild, all in central Africa. The primary threat to these great apes comes from forest clearance and degradation. They’ve also been victims of hunting, disease, wars and capture for the pet trade.

There are two distinct populations: one in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the other in the Virunga Volcano Region on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Conservation efforts have led to a slight increase in numbers (14% in the Virunga population since 1987), but the mountain gorilla’s status remains fragile.

WWF co-founded the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) with the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International and local authorities. By improving the livelihoods of local people, encouraging sustainable use of resources and tackling other local issues, the IGCP is influencing attitudes to conservation at all levels.

Giant panda
An international symbol of conservation since WWF started in 1961, the giant panda still faces an uncertain future. There are only around 1,600 left in the wild, dispersed over 20 or so small, isolated populations in the forested mountains of southwest China.

WWF has been active in giant panda conservation for nearly three decades, working with the Chinese government to create protected areas and help local communities become less dependent on forest resources for their income and daily lives.

Over half the habitat where pandas live is now protected, and corridors are being established to connect key panda populations. But as China develops industrially and economically, new pressures emerge, so there’s still much more to be done.

Why bioversity matters
The loss of any individual species is a tragedy in itself, but also has wider implications for other wildlife and people sharing its environment. The flip side of this is the knowledge that saving one species and its habitat has knock-on benefits for many others.

The three biggest threats to the world’s species right now are:

habitat loss – whether through deforestation, urban spread, destruction of marine environments, pollution or other (often man-made) causes
poaching – despite great strides against illegal hunting and illicit wildlife trading over the years, it’s still a threat to the survival of some rare species
climate change – while politicians drag out their negotiations, the realities of climate change are already having an impact on vulnerable wildlife and people

If you want to live in a world with tigers, polar bears, pandas – and the rest of the great biodiversity that makes for a healthy, living planet – please help us work on all these fronts to save endangered species, before it’s too late.

You can…

Offshore wind picks up

2010-01-08

We're pleased to see the results of the Crown Estate's offshore wind farm tender competition, with details of the consortia that will lead the development of nine zones in the North Sea.

WWF's head of climate change, Keith Allott, says: “It's crucial that the UK delivers on its 15% renewable energy target by 2020. These efforts from government and the Crown Estate to speed up the development of offshore wind power in UK seas will help us move forward in decarbonising the UK’s energy supply.

"This project is the most ambitious of its kind in the world and will be a huge boost to the green economy, creating new jobs in the development of clean energy and helping to power millions of homes.”

We still want a full consultation on the proposed wind farm sites to ensure that areas rich in biodiversity, such as the Dogger Bank, are not put at risk. We've campaigned for this area to be designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to protect marine wildlife such as harbour porpoises, and sand eels, which are a key element of the food chain for a number of seabirds.

Keith Allott adds: “The new UK Marine and Coastal Access Act will help in the future planning of our seas, and we will be keenly watching the development of this project to ensure that the right technology is situated in the right places.

"With a proper marine planning system in place, the environmental impacts of offshore wind farms are perfectly manageable, and we can harness the immense benefits of wind power in the UK while also ensuring healthy seas."

Lady Scott

2010-01-06

Lady Scott, widow of WWF founder Sir Peter Scott, has died at the age of 91.

Born in South Africa, Philippa Scott (née Talbot-Ponsonby) worked in the code school at Bletchley Park during WWII. She married Peter Scott in 1951, having previously been his assistant for four years, and became central to his work and life.

An accomplished wildlife photographer in her own right, she accompanied Peter on many overseas expeditions.

The couple set up home in the stunning grounds of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre Scott had established at Slimbridge near the River Severn. They had three children and eight grandchildren.

Fond memories of WWF
WWF’s chief executive David Nussbaum visited Lady Scott at her Slimbridge home a couple of years ago (as seen in the photo above). He recalls: “I greatly enjoyed our meeting. Philippa spoke of her fond memories of WWF, and how she still maintained a keen interest in environmental issues.”

In 2000, Lady Scott wrote a special millennium message for WWF:

“The three great problems affecting the environment globally remain the ones that my husband described over a decade ago – population, poverty and pollution. My hope for the 21st century is that account may be taken of these acute dangers to the natural world.

“Only through the good and continuing efforts of such organisations as WWF, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and others can we hope to succeed in bringing to the attention of the people and governments of the world the dangers that exist to our planet.”

The “Scott partnership”
Sir David Attenborough was one of the special guests at Lady Scott’s 90th birthday celebration in 2008, and he spoke of her contribution to the Scott legacy:

“The Scott partnership put conservation on the map at a time when conservation was not a word people understood, at least not in the natural history context.

“I believe in decades to come the name Scott will be revered even more around the world than it is today.”

Thanks for your support in 2009!

2009-12-23

2009 was a big year for us here at WWF, and as always we’re profoundly grateful to all our supporters for backing our work so generously – especially when we know money is tight for many people. Without that support, we couldn’t fund our vital conservation and environmental projects in the UK and across the world.

Whether you donate to WWF, take part in our campaigns, adopt our wild species – or are just thinking about getting involved in some way next year – we’d like to thank you for your dedication, passion and enthusiasm.

We can achieve great things when we work together, and there’s still lots of work to do…

Best bits of 2009
Here are just a few examples of 2009’s successes, which we couldn’t have managed without people like you:

WWF’s Earth Hour last March saw hundreds of millions of people around the world switch off their lights for an hour to send a unique and unified signal to world leaders – that we care about climate change.

The lack of a decisive climate deal in Copenhagen in December is all the more reason to step up the pressure. That’s why we’re going to stage Earth Hour 2010 on 27 March.

We know these efforts have a cumulative impact – as we were reminded when we handed in the impressive Vote Earth petition to Ed Miliband at parliament, and took the Wave march to Gordon Brown in Downing Street. And of course in Scotland, the pressure resulted in the amazing success of the Scottish Climate Change Act.

See, you really do make a difference.

Our supporters have also helped us protect many endangered species around the world, with our campaigns to highlight the severe threat to bluefin tuna and the western gray whale.

We’ve been involved in strengthening wildlife laws in Malaysia and helping save vulnerable forests (and the people and animals that rely on them) by stopping illegal timber entering the EU through legal loopholes.

We’ve launched a number of specific, very successful appeals – like Save a Billion Trees with Sky Rainforest Rescue, and Tigers in Crisis, which will seriously assist our goal of doubling tiger numbers by 2020.

Closer to home, you’ve helped us:

     • support the Grand Designs Great British Refurb campaign to finance home eco-improvements (thanks Kevin!)
     • highlight the threats of a third runway at Heathrow, which goes against all the government’s low-carbon promises (boo!)
     • finally achieve an effective UK Marine Act that will protect sealife and coastal communities (hurrah!)

So it’s been an eventful and dramatic year where we’ve made some great progress together in helping safeguard the natural world.

We hope you can have a relaxing and enjoyable festive break, and from all of us at WWF – a very very big THANK YOU and best wishes for a healthy and happy (and wild) 2010!

You can…

get ready for WWF’s Earth Hour 2010 on Saturday 27 March…

Copenhagen: half-baked and unclear

2009-12-19

The UN climate talks in Copenhagen were inches away from total failure, and ended with an outcome far too weak to tackle dangerous climate change. Here's our final verdict...

“Copenhagen was on the brink of failure because of poor leadership and an unconvincing level of ambition”, says Kim Carstensen, head of WWF’s global climate initiative.

“Well meant but half-hearted pledges are simply not sufficient to address a crisis that calls for completely new ways of collaboration across rich and poor countries.”

By our reckoning, the conference met none of the 10 objectives needed to keep global warming below the widely agreed 2°C high-risk level, although there was movement in some areas.

Politicians around the world seemed to be in agreement – in theory at least – that we must stay below the 2°C threshold. But in practice what leaders have put on the table adds up to 3° of warming or more, according to our estimates – and backed up by leaked figures from the UN climate secretariat during the conference.

If the gap between rhetoric and reality are not closed, this deal could cost millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.

What happens post-Copenhagen?
Attention will now shift to follow-up negotiations which need to fill in a lot of the details in the often vague Copenhagen Accord draft, which is a long way from becoming a legally binding framework for decisive climate action.

“We needed a treaty now, but at best we will be working on one in half a year’s time,” says Carstensen.

“What we have after two years of negotiation is a half-baked text of unclear substance.

The lack of clarity is illustrated by a call for a global peak in emissions “as soon as possible”, in contrast to the 2007 IPCC call for emissions to peak in 2017.

On a more positive note, we will now see a host of new initiatives by countries, cities, companies and communities that are starting to build low-carbon economies from the ground up.

“We are disappointed with the Copenhagen outcome, but the story continues,” Carstensen sums up.

“Civil society was excluded from the final negotiations to an extraordinary degree. But we can assure the world that WWF and other elements of civil society will continue engaging in every step of further negotiations.”

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The deal is far from done

2009-12-18

Copenhagen, 18 December 2009: in reaction to tonight's declaration by 25 countries at the end of the UN climate talks, WWF CEO David Nussbaum had this response...

"They may think it's all over, but this deal is far from done. After years of negotiations we have reached a declaration of will which currently binds no one and fails to guarantee a safe climate for future generations.

"As it stands, this weak accord will not keep global warming below the dangerous level of 2º. If the gaps between rhetoric and reality are not closed, this deal could cost millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.

"If the EU had only responded with ambition earlier in the process and moved unilaterally to 30%, we could have been in a better position at this point.

"The UK Government showed determination in identifying the scale of international funding necessary, and the emissions cuts required to make any sort of acceptable deal. We look to Brown for continued leadership in coming weeks to salvage a fair, ambitious and binding agreement.

"While today's declaration is deeply disappointing, industrialised countries have been given until February to commit to their emission reduction pledges. It is vital that they take this opportunity to increase ambition, and close the huge loopholes in the current targets – without more ambition, this deal is headed for dangerous levels of warming.

"Governments must also act urgently to set out a clear timetable for when a legally binding agreement will be reached – the world is still awaiting the leadership it needs."

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Vote Earth – step up the pressure for a stronger climate deal

Copenhagen update, Friday 4pm

2009-12-18

Here’s the latest from a breathless final day at the vital UN climate talks...

World leaders have been in private talks much of the day.

President Obama was blunt in his speech to the conference, saying the time for talking was over and they needed to take action, but he didn’t make any new surprise offers himself, as some had hoped.

Chinese leader Wen Jiabao told the summit that China would 'honour its word', but there still seems to be mistrust between some parties.

There was a rumour that leaders were being asked to stay overnight in order to make sure a deal is finalised, but this was later denied. Lots of confusion all round.

WWF’s Kim Carstensen sums up today’s other developments so far:

“We’re seeing a number of different texts coming forward, and there will be more drafts as the day unfolds. But nothing we've seen so far matches the level of ambition or detail needed. And time is running out.

“The EU appears to be weakening their conditional pledge to move to 30% emissions reduction, which is a real disappointment.

“China needs to move forward too, though it was good to hear Wen Jiabao agree to meet China’s current pledges without seeking any extra financial help (despite their official status as a 'developing' country).

"He also indicated China might be willing to do more in terms of ‘transparency’, or how open they are about their progress.

“India has also said they would do more if they were supported.

“Heads of state must all seize this opportunity, while it still exists.”

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Vote Earth – take action on climate change

Why Copenhagen matters

2009-12-18

All the politics, protests and negotiations at the UN summit can distract attention from the real reasons the world urgently needs a strong climate deal in Copenhagen.

Climate change is the big challenge of the 21st century. Global warming will cause more droughts, but also more storms, flooding and sea-level rise. It threatens many millions of people around the planet, as well as the survival of almost a third of the world’s wild species.

But although we’re told the frightening statistics, the concept of climate change can still seem a bit abstract and far off. It’s hard to imagine what this ‘warmer’ world might be like, or how quickly it will materialise.

That’s why it’s important to see how it’s already affecting many places and people – and is set to get much worse. The people there are vital ‘climate witnesses’ to what’s happening. You can see and hear some of their experiences here.

How WWF is tackling climate change
Climate change affects everything we do at WWF, that’s why we’ve been investing so much time and energy on the Copenhagen deal.

If we don’t act now, we’ll be adding to the burden for future generations. More hardship and conflict for people and wildlife, and a much tougher job to pull the world back from catastrophe.

WWF’s worldwide reach, and decades of environmental experience, means we’re well set-up to address some of the worst impacts – in fact we feel duty-bound to do it. But it also needs world leaders to make bold decisions to stop things getting worse.

Find out more about climate change, and how we’re helping wildlife and threatened communities to cope.

How you can help
Your support is crucial in helping us build a future where people and nature thrive – especially in the face of climate change.

You can help in any or all of the following ways:

Sign up to WWF's Earth Hour, 27 March 2010 – show you care about climate change

Donate to WWF – every penny of your generous donations helps fund our work, helping people and wildlife adapt to a changing environment

Adopt an animal – feel closer to the wildlife you’re helping to save, and receive detailed updates on particular species

New hope for Copenhagen talks

2009-12-17

The arrival of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday – with her backing of new finance – and the imminent arrival of President Obama, has offered a hint of new hope for stagnating climate talks.

After a gloomy midweek of disagreements, crisis meetings and angry protests, Thursday shone a small light at the end of a long dark tunnel in Copenhagen. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived to tell the UN climate conference that the US is ready to do its fair share.

The US is now supporting a global package of $100 billion annually by 2020 to help climate change initiatives and adaptation in the developing world.

As WWF’s Kim Carstensen says, “We do need to make sure this is referring to new money, and not a reshuffling or double counting of existing aid, but it’s good to have new offers hitting the table.”

We hope the new US impetus can create a knock-on ‘domino effect’, influencing other countries to see beyond the sticking points of the past few days and move forward, building to a global effort that will protect us all from climate change.

We still need more from Europe on emissions targets, moving to at least 30% cuts by 2020. This could be a deal-making gesture, and show the developing world that some of the developed world really is listening to their concerns.

And China needs to move on the contentious issue of how open and transparent their low-carbon development will be – that could also be a real deadlock breaker.

There’s plenty of work to do yet, but Thursday marked a big step forward. There’s new hope that we could still see a decent Copenhagen deal.

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follow all the new developments at Copenhagen

Voice of the people crucial in climate change fight

2009-12-17

On Wednesday night, with the eyes of the world on political leaders at the UN climate summit, lights went out across Copenhagen for a special Earth Hour event.

The citizens of the UN climate summit host city turned off their lights for a special Earth Hour, recalling the global event in March 2009 when hundreds of millions of people across the world Voted Earth for decisive action on climate change.

The Copenhagen lights-out event, tagged ‘Earth Hour Hopenhagen’, began with a lantern parade – almost a thousand children from Copenhagen took to the streets holding paper lanterns, all created by children from across the world and inscribed with a personal message to world leaders.

As the lights were turned back on afterwards, Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Chief of Staff, stated: “Climate change may be bigger than each of us, but it is not bigger than all of us.”

The People’s Orb
WWF director general James Leape and 10-year-old Anne-Katrine Bisgaard Håkansson from Denmark handed Mr Nambiar a shimmering globe, The People’s Orb.

Created collectively by all the major climate campaigns, including Seal the Deal, tcktcktck, Raise your Voice, 350.org and Vote Earth, the People’s Orb contains a 350-gigabyte hard drive packed with the hopes, dreams and experiences of people from every continent of the world.

It includes contributions from communities living in deserts, forests and by the sea – as well as the 26,796 people who signed our own Vote earth petition in the UK– adding up to a global mandate for action.

Vijay Nambiar said this show of global support has given him hope: “The size of the challenge has not daunted your commitment,” he told the crowd. “With this Orb – with the voices you have raised – you are urging your leaders to protect people and the planet.

“Together, let’s make Copenhagen the place where the world came together to usher in a new era of hope.”

Jim Leape stressed that the time to act is now, saying: “It’s imperative that by 27 March next year – WWF’s Earth Hour 2010 – the people of the world will feel confident we are heading in a positive direction to protect our planet and make it a safer, cleaner, healthier future for all.”

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get our updates from Copenhagen as the talks enter the final stages

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UN backs ban on bluefin tuna

2009-12-16

We’re pleased to see the UN put its weight behind a trade ban on endangered bluefin tuna. Now we’d like them to do the same for other threatened marine species.

Experts at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have agreed there’s strong enough evidence to justify an international trade ban on the overfished Atlantic bluefin tuna.

The FAO’s views will have a big influence on how countries vote during the next CITES meeting – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is holding its 15th meeting in March next year in Qatar.

Countries with strong fishing interests often rely on advice from the FAO panel on how to vote during these meetings, which means the long-term survival of some endangered species often depends on the FAO panel’s recommendations.

Dr Sergi Tudela, head of fisheries at WWF Mediterranean, says: “A listing on Appendix I of CITES, which would temporarily ban all international commercial trade, is the best option by far to ensure the recovery and long-term survival of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the east Atlantic and Mediterranean."
The FAO also recommended increasing protection for porbeagle, scalloped hammerhead and oceanic white tip sharks, via the slightly less stringent Appendix II CITES listing.

But we’re disappointed by their view that spiny dogfish and red and pink corals do not meet the criteria for more protection – even though they admitted to “serious concern” about “inadequate management in many areas of distribution of these species”.

We don’t agree with the FAO that national governments and regional fisheries can remedy these issues on their own – we believe they need the support of a CITES Appendix II listing.

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