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WWF: Rare species caught on camera

2013-05-22

Today (22 May) WWF released dozens of photographs and video footage of endangered species captured by camera traps in the mountainous giant panda reserves in China. Over 100 infra-red camera traps were set up across six nature reserves in central-western China, as part of WWF’s giant panda conservation programme in collaboration with its partners from the local forestry authority.

The images and footage were taken in remote habitats in south-western Sichuan Province and showcase an array of endangered species including giant panda, red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque and leopard cat. Jiang Zeyin, species programme officer at WWF-China said:

“The multimedia materials are obtained under circumstances where there was little external disturbance and therefore they truly reflect the conditions of those species in the wild.”

The footage will help conservation staff at WWF gain a deeper understanding of these species and the areas in which they live, as well as assess the impact human activity is having. WWF hopes this visual intelligence will lead to better management of these habitats and nature reserves in China. John Barker, head of China and India programmes at WWF-UK said:

“China’s growing economy is leading to more roads, more railways, and more dams- and this ultimately means more impact on wildlife habitats. Maintaining the integrity and connections between these habitats and landscapes is vital if we are to retain ecologically rich places with diverse wildlife, like that of Sichuan in China.”

-ENDS-

Download images:
Video footage: http://www.wwfchina.org/a/0522-biodiversity-video-EN.zip
Photographs: https://photos.panda.org/gpn/external?albumId=4416

For more information:
Qiu Wei, Senior Communications Officer
WWF-China, Email: wqiu@wwfchina.org / Phone: +86 10 6511 6272

WWF: Royal event to tackle illegal wildlife trade

2013-05-21

Today (21st May) His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and the UK Government will host a conference to call for action at the highest level to end the trade in illegal wildlife – a trade that presents a grave threat not only to the natural world, but also to national and regional security. WWF welcomes this initiative, which aims to highlight this issue on the international political agenda. As President of WWF-UK, HRH The Prince of Wales shares many of the same conservation interests, including the desire to see an end to illegal wildlife trade. With reference to the event, David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK said:

“The illegal wildlife trade threatens to overturn decades of conservation efforts, putting some iconic and ecologically important species at risk of extinction. This multi-billion pound trade also fuels other types of crime and has a devastating impact on some of the poorest people on the planet.

“With poaching and wildlife trafficking at record levels, we hope that this meeting will be the start of a ground-breaking initiative in the fight against this deadly and destructive trade.”

A record 668 rhinos in South Africa were killed by poachers last year, and close to 300 have died so far in 2013. Earlier this month, at least 26 elephants were massacred in a World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic, after 17 individuals armed with Kalashnikov rifles entered the unique elephant habitat Dzanga Bai, known locally as the “village of elephants”. [1]

This meeting will lay the groundwork for a Heads of State meeting in the autumn, also hosted by the UK Government. It is hoped that governments at the autumn meeting will commit to actions that will reduce demand for endangered wildlife and related products in markets around the world; improve global enforcement and criminal justice against the organised syndicates engaged in this activity; and assist rural communities to find long-term, viable alternatives to the trade. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said:

“It is all too easy to think that the extinction of a species is a thing of the past, when it is a very real problem today. That is why I’m pleased to be co-hosting the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference with the Prince of Wales. This is a real opportunity to get these issues raised at the highest level internationally. By working together we can reduce demand for endangered wildlife and related products around the world and assist communities to find long-term alternatives to the trade.”

In preparation for this meeting, WWF, along with other partners, have been working with The Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to share expertise and knowledge of illicit wildlife trafficking, and potential solutions to the current global wildlife crime crisis.

In summer 2012, WWF and TRAFFIC [2] launched a global Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign to raise the profile of illegal wildlife trade as a serious crime and to spur governments and international institutions to tackle it as such. For more information go to wwf.org.uk/endwildlifecrime and note that the official Twitter hashtag for the event on 21 May 2013 is #endwildlifecrime

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Notes to editors:
[1] For more information: http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/index.cfm?uNewsID=6585
[2] TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint programme of WWF and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). For more information: www.traffic.org

For more information:
Robin Clegg | Media Relations Manager, WWF-UK
E: rclegg@wwf.org.uk | M: 07771 818 707

Clear evidence of environmental impact of livestock production

2013-05-20

Commenting on a report released today (20 May) by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Beef and Lamb [1], WWF-UK said that the report was wrong to claim that there was no clear evidence of the environmental impact of livestock production.

Duncan Williamson, corporate stewardship manager at WWF-UK, said: “We appreciate that this is a complex area, and feelings run high. However, the main point in this report – that the evidence isn’t clear on the environmental impact of livestock production - simply isn’t true. There’s lots of evidence of the high environmental impact associated with livestock production; we’ve just got to face up to that.” [2]

The charity agreed with the point made by the APPG that an ‘eat less red meat to save the planet’ message is too simplistic, pointing to extensive work that WWF had carried out with farmers, producers, retailers and other stakeholders on this issue [3]. WWF said it was ‘very supportive’ of extensive pasture based farming in the UK and had repeatedly said this publicly, as this is a system that is kind to the environment and helps conserve biodiversity.

Nevertheless, said Duncan Williamson: “There is no getting away from the fact that meat is an environmental ‘hot spot’. High-meat diets in the west, and increasingly in the developing world, are not just bad for people’s health – they’re bad for the planet too.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Beef and Lamb, The carbon footprint of the beef cattle and sheep sector, is released on 20 May.

2. See for example Livestock’s long shadow, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2006): http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM or the UK Government’s Foresight Report, The Future of Food and Farming (2011) http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/11-546-future-of-food-and-farming-report.pdf

3. See for example, Prime cuts: Valuing the meat we eat, by WWF-UK and the Food Ethics Council (February 2013): http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/prime_cuts_food_report_summary_feb2013.pdf

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

Fisheries Ministers agree position on CFP reform

2013-05-15

After pulling yet another all-nighter, European Fisheries Ministers finalised their negotiating mandate on the current EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform. Despite the agreement between Members States being a positive step forward, Ministers unfortunately have failed to match the ambition of the European Parliament and the public to bring forth a proposal that will ensure sustainably managed fisheries in Europe for future generations.

Helen McLachlan, Fisheries Programme Manager at WWF-UK said:

“The devil is in the detail, but in this case it’s the lack of detail, as Fisheries Ministers decided on a legally neutral text with few binding timelines and concrete measures. If implemented as such, poor management of our fish stocks and the knock on effect it has on our seas is likely to continue for yet another decade. On the opposite side of the coin, the public is demanding an ambitious reform that would deliver new fishing laws aimed at restoring fish stocks, through transparency, fixed timelines, accountability and enforceability.

"This is a once in a decade opportunity to safeguard fish stocks and the communities that depend on them. The Fisheries Council has played its hand, it's now up to the European Parliament to decide whether they accept or reject what the Council is offering.

"Europe’s fish stocks, the wider marine environment and the fishermen who depend on it for a living need to see the Council and Parliament deliver a new CFP that will ensure a sustainable future for them. Ministers should be asking themselves if what they are offering today really does this."

Ends

Notes to Editors

[1] WWF's More Fish Campaign
http://www.wwf.org.uk/morefish

Levels of climate changing gases reach 400ppm

2013-05-10

Data from stations monitoring concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere have indicated that the world has reached 400 parts per million (ppm) of the climate-changing gas for the first time in human history [1].

Responding to the news, David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK, said: “The milestone we’ve just reached is a reminder that we are heading in the wrong direction in terms of dealing with climate change. It challenges us all to come to terms with the fact that fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and that, instead, we need to switch to renewable alternatives if we want to avoid dangerous climate change in the future.”

WWF is calling for the global climate deal, to be concluded at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the UN Climate Convention in Paris in 2015, to reflect the best available science as represented by the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, which will be coming out later this year.

David Nussbaum continued: “There is limited time for governments to achieve the goal they have set themselves for agreeing a global deal that effectively tackles climate change. Our political leaders have it in their power to address their chronic failure to agree a deal that reflects what is scientifically necessary to reverse the rise in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.”

A recent report by Carbon Tracker and LSE [2] showed that between 60-80% of coal, oil and gas reserves of publicly listed companies need to be considered ‘unburnable’ if the world is to have a chance of not exceeding global warming of 2°C. WWF-UK calls on the UK government to show national and global leadership in the urgent transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable low-carbon economy.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Readings from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, recorded by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, showed that concentrations of atmospheric CO2 reached 400ppm this week; the last time they were this high was between three and five million years ago (the Pliocene era). More information: the Keeling Curve http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/ and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/weekly.html

2. Carbon Tracker/LSE Grantham Research Institute: Unburnable carbon 2013: Wasted capital and stranded assets http://www.carbontracker.org/wastedcapital

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

WWF: At least 26 elephants massacred in world heritage site

2013-05-10

At least 26 elephants were massacred in the Dzanga Bai World Heritage Site in the Central African Republic, after 17 individuals armed with Kalashnikov rifles on Monday entered this unique elephant habitat, known locally as the “village of elephants”.

WWF sources on Thursday said they had counted at least 26 elephant carcasses in and around the Bai, a large clearing where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate every day to drink nutrients present in the sands.

Four of the elephants were calves, the sources said, adding that local villagers had started taking meat from the carcasses.

Since the poachers arrived no elephants have been seen at the Bai, which was described as an “elephant mortuary” the sources added.

Although the 17 armed individuals, who presented themselves as part of the country’s transitional government forces, have left the area, WWF and other conservation partners fear the killing could continue unless the area is properly secured.

The Central African Republic has been rocked by violence and chaos since the beginning of the year, and WWF and other conservation organizations left the field office next to the Bai in April for security reasons. Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, said:

“The killing has started. The Central African Republic must act immediately to secure this unique World Heritage site.

“The brutal violence we are witnessing in Dzanga Bai threatens to destroy one of the world’s great natural treasures, and to jeopardise the future of the people who live there.

“The international community must also act to assist the Central African Republic to restore peace and order in this country to safeguard its population and its natural heritage.

“WWF also asks Cameroon and the Republic of Congo to assist the Central African Republic in preserving this World Heritage Site, which not only encompasses the Bai, but also includes large neighbouring areas of these two countries.

“The events in Dzanga Bai are a vivid reminder of the existential threat faced by forest elephants in Central Africa. Populations of this species have plummeted 62 per cent over the past ten years.

“The unfolding tragedy in Dzanga Bai must also spur the governments of China and Thailand to act on their commitments to shut down the ivory markets in their countries that are fueling this illicit trade.”

On 21st May 2013, the Prince of Wales and her Majesty’s government will host a conference to call for action at the highest levels to stop illegal wildlife trade, St. James Place, State Apartment, London. The hash-tag on the day is #endwildlifecrime

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:
Photograph’s available here - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ih8etzc82vpe8nq/Ke8ECklNpo
For further information, please contact:
Jules CARON - Head of Communications for WWF anti-poaching programme in Central Africa
jcaron@wwfcarpo.org / +237 79 51 90 97

Comment on Transport Committee report on Aviation Strategy

2013-05-10

Responding to a report published today (10 May) on the UK Government’s Aviation Strategy by the Transport Select Committee, Jean Leston, transport policy lead at WWF-UK said: “This report from the Transport Select Committee is about as predictable and welcome as rain in a British summer.

“It speaks volumes that climate change hardly gets a mention yet this is the biggest environmental threat that we face. It is no good thinking that we can simply pass on the responsibility for our global emissions to someone else to deal with; we have to take action at home.

“As WWF’s latest report on the Economics of Airport Expansion, by CE Delft, so clearly points out [1], there is no proven link between greater connectivity and economic growth. Major airport expansion simply isn’t needed—we have ample existing capacity to grow within environmental limits without endangering UK climate targets.” [2]

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Economics of Airport Expansion by CE Delft was commissioned by WWF, RSPB and HACAN and was recently launched at the House of Commons. This report concludes that claims about the economic benefits of connectivity are not founded on solid evidence and there is no proof that extra connectivity results in economic growth, especially for cities like London that are already well-connected: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/economics_of_airport_expansion_march_2013.pdf

2. A WWF/AEF report, Available UK airport capacity under a 2050 CO2 target for the aviation sector, shows that, even in the South, there is sufficient available runway and terminal capacity to meet demand to 2050, and in line with CCC limits to aviation growth, without the need for further expansion http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/airport_capacity_report_july_2011.pdf

3. A WWF/AirportWatch report, International Air Connectivity for Business, shows that connectivity from Heathrow and other London airports dwarfs that of its European rivals with more than more than double the number of flights to key business destinations each week compared with Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam: http://www.aef.org.uk/downloads/Business_Connectivity_Report_August2011.pdf

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

Poachers enter Unique Elephant Habitat

2013-05-07

Poachers have entered one of Africa’s most unique elephant habitats on Monday, threatening to cause one of the biggest elephant massacres in the region since poachers killed at least 300 elephants for their ivory in Cameroon’s Bouba N’Djida National Park in February 2012.

According to WWF sources, a group of 17 armed individuals on Monday entered the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and headed for the Dzanga Bai, locally known as the “village of elephants”, a large clearing where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate every day to drink mineral salts present in the sands.

Two WWF-supported local researchers said that three members of this group armed with Kalashnikov rifles approached them in the forest on Monday, asking for food and directions to the viewing tower at the Dzanga Bai, which is used by scientists and tourists to observe elephants. After giving a false lead, these sources immediately ran away and heard gunshots coming from the Bai on their way into hiding.

Also on Monday, two ecoguards said they saw they saw armed individuals on the Dzanga Bai observation platform shooting in the direction of elephants. While going into hiding, these sources said they saw the vehicle which had transported the 17 gunmen parked at the entrance of the park.

WWF calls on the international community to help restore peace and order in the Central African Republic, which has been rocked by violence and chaos since the beginning of the year, and to help preserve this unique World Heritage Site.

Jim Leape, WWF International Director General, said:

“Unless swift and decisive action is taken, it appears highly likely that poachers will take advantage of the chaos and instability of the country to slaughter the elephants living in this unique World Heritage Site.

“Wildlife crime is not only a consequence of instability, but a cause. It fuels violence in the region, in a vicious circle that undermines the stability of these countries and their economic development..

“Central African Republic has to immediately follow through on its promise of two weeks ago to mobilise troops to end poaching in the region. WWF also calls on the international community to immediately provide assistance to Central African Republic in restoring peace and order in the country, and to preserve its unique natural heritage.

“We also urge Cameroon and Republic of Congo to provide support to the Central African Republic in preserving this World Heritage Site, which not only encompasses the Bai, but also includes large neighbouring areas of these two countries.

“Finally, ivory consumer country governments, and notably China and Thailand, must redouble their efforts to end demand – the root cause of the extermination of elephants across Africa.”

-END-

WWF is campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF is also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

Photographs are available here:

https://photos.panda.org/gpn/external?albumId=4392

For further information, please contact:

Jules CARON Head of Communications for WWF anti-poaching programme in Central Africa jcaron@wwfcarpo.org +237 79 51 90 97

Justin AVERN Interim head of media relations javern@wwf.org.uk 07879 602738

Join us at www.facebook.com/WWFCentralAfrica

Forest loss figures highlight need for green growth in the Greater Mekong – WWF

2013-05-02

Bangkok, Thailand - The Greater Mekong subregion in Southeast Asia risks losing more than a third of its remaining forest cover within the next two decades if regional governments fail to boost protection, value and restore natural capital and embrace green growth, warns a new WWF report.

WWF’s analysis reveals the Greater Mekong has retained about 98 million hectares of natural forest, just over half of the region’s land area, but further rapid loss is expected if current deforestation rates persist. Between 1973 and 2009, the five countries of the Greater Mekong lost just under one-third of their remaining forest cover. During this period, Cambodia lost 22 per cent of its 1973 forest cover, Laos and Myanmar lost 24 per cent, and Thailand and Vietnam lost 43 per cent.

Large connected areas of core forest also declined significantly across the region from over 70 per cent in 1973 to about 20 per cent in 2009. Core forest is defined as an area of at least 3.2km2 of uninterrupted forest. If current trends continue, WWF predicts that by 2030 only 14 per cent of the Greater Mekong’s remaining forest will consist of contiguous habitat capable of sustaining viable populations of many wildlife species.

“The Greater Mekong is at a crossroads,” said Peter Cutter, Landscape Conservation Manager with WWF-Greater Mekong. “One path leads to further declines in biodiversity and livelihoods but if natural resources are managed responsibly, this region can pursue a course that will secure a healthy and prosperous future for its people.”

The report, “Ecosystems in the Greater Mekong: past trends, current status, possible futures,” provides new analysis on the current status and potential future of the region’s principal forest and freshwater ecosystems, and some of the most endangered species these ecosystems support.

The report offers two scenarios for the region’s ecosystems, one predicts what will likely happen by 2030 under an unsustainable growth model in which the deforestation and degradation observed over the past decade persists, while the other scenario assumes a 50 per cent cut in the annual deforestation rate and offers a future based on green growth. Under the green economy scenario, core forest areas extant in 2009 across the five Greater Mekong countries would remain intact.

“The green economy approach is the choice for a viable future in the Greater Mekong,” added Cutter. “Regional leaders have already affirmed that healthy economic growth goes hand in hand with healthy and productive ecosystems, but fast and effective responses are needed now to avoid permanent environmental degradation.”

The report highlights the Xayaburi dam development as a key threat to the health and productivity of the Mekong river and delta. The Mekong basin hosts 13 unique, yet connected, freshwater ecosystems, but the controversial Xayaburi project will sever the mainstem of the lower Mekong river, blocking migratory fish and sediment flow with devastating consequences for livelihoods and food security for 60 million people.

The report also maps the enormous decline in the range of several important and iconic species of the region, including the tiger, Asian elephant, Irrawaddy dolphin and the endemic saola. The survival of many species in the Greater Mekong depend on the existence of effectively managed protected area systems, and while protected areas have expanded dramatically since 1970, many are not well managed.

“Many protected areas exist in name only,” added Cutter. “Even relatively secure protected areas are under intense pressure from poaching and timber theft, while others have been reduced in size by government’s eager to cash in on land concessions to mining companies or plantation owners.”

Despite documenting the degradation of ecosystems over the past 50 years, the report also emphasizes the region is still rich in natural resources and the value of its ecosystem services, including food, water and fibre, is among the highest in the world. The Greater Mekong’s vast natural wealth provides a significant opportunity for sustainable development, and WWF believes building greener economies is well within reach.

“Given that the majority of the region’s biological heritage and supporting ecosystems occur in landscapes that cross borders, regional collaboration is critical,” concluded Cutter. “Increased and more sustainable investment in maintaining ecosystem integrity must also be a priority at landscape, national, and regional scales."

For further information:

Robin Clegg, WWF-UK. rclegg@wwf.org.uk Tel: 07771 818 707
Sarah Bladen, Communications Director, WWF-Greater Mekong, tel: +844 37193049 ext 164. mobile: +84 1224 223 760 sarah.bladen@wwfgreatermekong.org
Chris Chaplin, Media Officer, Asia Pacific, WWF International. cchaplin@wwf.panda.org

Notes to Editors:

• Download the full report (56MB): http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/greater_mekong_ecosystems_report_020513.pdf

• For photos and captions please download at: https://photos.panda.org/gpn/external?albumId=4388

• For video b-roll, please go to: http://gvn.panda.org/?c=2296&k=5e06c47b5b

About WWF

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

WWF: Response to Lords European Union Committee report on European competitiveness and energy

2013-05-02

Responding to a report by the House of Lords Sub-Committee on the EU’s energy infrastructure [1] which warned of “uncertainty, complacency and inertia”, WWF-UK said that greater political leadership and ambitious climate policies in Europe were essential for future competitiveness.

Nick Molho, head of climate and energy policy at WWF-UK, said: “The Lords have asked the hard questions, and their answers are a powerful vindication of the need for greater political leadership on the low carbon economy and climate change. European cooperation makes sense for our energy future, but the Lords rightly warn that the benefits and investments won’t materialise without stable policies and willing leaders.”

“Policy uncertainty at EU level and in key Member States is damaging the renewables and energy efficiency industries and hampering economic growth and job creation [2]. Investors are already flocking to Asia [3], so the EU urgently needs to restore confidence among investors and agree a strong climate and energy package for 2030, which is just one investment cycle away.”

On the Lords’ recommendation of a triple-target 2030 package in Europe, he said: “The UK Government should take a bold, joined-up approach in Europe to get the best climate and energy package for 2030. The Lords are right to recognise that strong binding targets work, and the appallingly low carbon price – for the foreseeable future – won’t.”

He added, “With two out of the next three climate change summits happening in Europe, our political leaders need to look beyond short-term challenges to the long-term risks of climate change.”

WWF also referred to a recent report by Cambridge Econometrics [4] which showed that investing substantially in offshore wind over the next 20 years would be far more economically beneficial for the UK than going down the route of another ‘dash for gas’ in the power sector.

The report found that compared to a gas-heavy scenario, a strong deployment of offshore wind would add £20bn to UK GDP each year by 2030, would increase net employment by 70,0000 jobs, reduce annual imports of gas in the UK by some £8bn/year by 2030 and would mean that carbon emissions in the UK’s power sector would be three times smaller by 2030.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:
1. The House of Lords European Union Committee report, No Country is an Energy Island: Securing Investment for the EU’s Future, will be published on 2 May 2013
2. The report notes that the renewables industry employs 110,000 people in the UK, expected to rise to 400,000 by 2020; across the EU, it is predicted to rise to 2 million by 2020 and 3 million in 2030. Energy efficiency has ever greater potential. See paragraphs 25-27.
3. Pew Charitable Trusts: Who’s winning the clean energy race? 2012 edition (17 April 2013) www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/reports/whos-winning-the-clean-energy-race-2012-edition-85899468949
4. Cambridge Econometrics: A study into the economics of gas and offshore wind (30 November 2012) www.wwf.org.uk/wwf_articles.cfm

For more information:
Cara Clancy, Media Officer, WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412305, Mob: 07917 086 494, email: CClancy@wwf.org.uk

New London Assembly report brings sanity to airport expansion debate, says WWF

2013-05-01

A new report out today discussing London air capacity reevaluates the need for aviation expansion in London. The report examines the heavy environmental and social costs associated with expansion and concludes that the case for increasing airport capacity is not clear cut, a conclusion strongly supported by WWF.

Jean Leston, WWF-UK’s transport policy lead said: “This report sheds new light on London airport capacity, showing that there is room to improve existing airports without having to build new runways at Heathrow or the Thames Estuary. At a time when the airport expansion debate is often distorted by misleading information and flawed economic arguments, it’s good to see a new report that helps to set the record straight rather than pander to pro-expansionists”.

WWF agrees with the report’s conclusions that ‘using existing airports more smartly could be more cost effective than building new runways or airports’ and that ‘London remains the best connected European city across the 23 fastest growing economies.’ These conclusions support WWF’s analysis of available UK airport capacity¹ which highlights the need to make better use of spare capacity in London airports and use larger planes at Heathrow to increase passenger numbers without requiring expansion. WWF research² also disputes that London and Heathrow airports are losing out to Continental competitors.

WWF recently published a report on the Economics of Airport Expansion³ which also found no proof that extra connectivity, through airport expansion, results in economic growth.

Notes to editors:

The WWF/AEF report - Available UK airport capacity under a 2050 CO2 target for the aviation sector- shows that, even in the South, there is sufficient available runway and terminal capacity to meet demand to 2050, and in line with CCC limits to aviation growth, without the need for further expansion http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/airport_capacity_report_july_2011.pdf
The WWF/AirportWatch report International Air Connectivity for Business shows that connectivity from Heathrow and other London airports dwarfs that of its European rivals with more than more than double the number of flights to key business destinations each week compared with Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam: http://www.aef.org.uk/downloads/Business_Connectivity_Report_August2011.pdf
The Economics of Airport Expansion by CE Delft was commissioned by WWF, RSPB and HACAN and was recently launched at the House of Commons. This report concludes that claims about the economic benefits of connectivity are not founded on solid evidence and there is no proof that extra connectivity results in economic growth, especially for cities like London that are already well-connected: http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/economics_of_airport_expansion_march_2013.pdf

For more information

Natalie Clark, Media Officer, t. 01483 412253 e. nclark@wwf.org.uk

Shale gas incompatible with controlling global warming

2013-04-26

Responding to a report published today (26 April) by the Energy and Climate Change Committee on shale gas in the UK, WWF expressed dismay that the report appeared not to acknowledge the fundamental incoherence between exploiting shale gas and tackling climate change.

WWF said that the report also plays down concerns about the impact of shale gas on the natural environment many of which are legitimate and backed up by scientific evidence from the US.

Jenny Banks, energy specialist at WWF-UK said: “The committee should recognise the incompatibility of exploiting shale gas and tackling climate change.

“There's a hard truth that we need to face up to on fossil fuels; it's simply impossible to keep global warming below 2°C and burn all known fossil fuel reserves – let alone exploit unconventional reserves like shale gas.

“In other words, the climate impacts on new fossil fuel developments must be front and centre of any decision on shale gas, not a secondary concern. Continuing this doublethink will lead to poor policy decisions.”

WWF said that global fossil fuel reserves are already huge, and therefore the vast majority of unconventional fossil fuels need to stay in the ground. A recent report by Carbon Tracker and LSE [2] showed that between 60-80% of coal, oil and gas reserves of publicly listed companies are ‘unburnable’ if the world is to have a chance of not exceeding global warming of 2°C.

Jenny Banks continued: “The Committee is also absolutely right to caution against basing energy policy on the assumption that gas prices will fall in future. The International Energy Agency predicts gas price rises out to 2035 even in its ‘dash for unconventional gas scenario’ [3]. Basing policy on the assumption that there will be plentiful cheap gas in the future would be a huge and irresponsible gamble at the UK consumer’s expense.

“The UK would be far better off directing its efforts to develop its position as a leader in offshore wind, which reports show could give the UK a £20bn GDP advantage compared to relying heavily on gas over the period to 2030 [4].”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The report by Energy and Climate Change Committee, the Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets, is published on 26 April 2013.

2. Carbon Tracker and the LSE Grantham Research Institute: Unburnable carbon 2013: Wasted capital and stranded assets http://www.carbontracker.org/wastedcapital

3. IEA, Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas, May 2012

4. Cambridge Econometrics: A study into the economics of gas and offshore wind (30 November 2012): http://www.wwf.org.uk/wwf_articles.cfm?unewsid=6342

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

Field reports indicate slaughter of elephants, conservation staff evacuated

2013-04-25

WWF and WCS have received alarming reports from their field operations that elephants are being slaughtered in the violence-ridden Central African Republic (CAR), where there is currently a power struggle.The conservation organizations are issuing today a joint call for immediate action.

Due to the violence and chaos in the area, the exact number of elephants slaughtered is not known, however initial reports indicate it may be extensive. WWF has confirmed information that forest elephants are being poached near the Dzanga-Sangha protected areas, a World Heritage Site. Elephant meat is reportedly being openly sold in local markets and available in nearby villages. The security situation is preventing park staff from searching the dense forest for elephant carcasses.

The two organizations, WWF and WCS that have worked in CAR since the 1980s, are calling on the Central African Republic and its neighbours to immediately increase security in the region to protect the area's people and elephants. Governments are meeting next week at an extraordinary meeting to discuss ways to stop the poaching that has plagued the region. Up to 30,000 elephants are killed in Africa each year for their ivory tusks, which are in demand in Asia.

The following statements have been issued by WWF and WCS:

Jim Leape, WWF Director General said:

“The elephant poaching crisis – driven by insatiable ivory demand – is so severe that no area is safe, not even the World Heritage Site Dzanga-Sangha where both WWF and WCS have now worked for the conservation of elephants for decades. Heroic rangers are standing firm in the face of immense danger, but they alone cannot safeguard the special species and places the world treasures. When meeting next week, Central African governments must urgently join forces against this criminal activity that is also threatening the stability and economic development of their countries. I encourage them in the strongest terms to take a stand against wildlife crime and together declare that poaching and illicit trafficking will not be tolerated.”

Cristian Samper, WCS President and CEO said:

“Together, WCS and WWF, are calling on the Central African Republic government to immediately increase security in the region to protect these elephants from poachers and is asking other regional governments to provide assistance to stop the killing. Our staffs have been forced to evacuate in the chaos. I recently visited CAR and saw first-hand that without a full-time conservation presence in the region, these elephants are in jeopardy from poachers. WCS and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to protect elephants across their range.”

WWF has worked in Dzanga-Sangha for 30 years and supports protected area management, gorilla research, law enforcement and tourism development. WCS has been in the area for than 20 years, in charge of monitoring and research of the elephants of Dzanga Bai, a forest clearing containing a mineral-rich watering hole. In addition, WCS works immediately across the border in the Republic of Congo to protect the same population of elephants there where the government is working to ensure their additional security on that side of the border.

###

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth. Visit www.wcs.org.

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. To learn more about WWF’s wildlife trade campaign visit panda.org/wildlifecrime and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.

Photographs are available here: https://photos.panda.org/gpn/external?albumId=4238

For further information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
WCS: Mary Dixon, mdixon@wcs.org, +1 347 840 1242
WCS: Stephen Sautner ssautner@wcs.org, +1 908 247 2585
WWF: Alona Rivord, arivord@wwfint.org, +41 79 959 1963

Response to CCC report on UK’s carbon footprint

2013-04-24

Responding to a report published today (24 April) by the Committee on Climate Change on the UK’s carbon footprint, Nick Molho, head of climate and energy policy at WWF-UK said: “Today’s report shows the importance of reaching a global agreement to reduce carbon emissions by 2015.

“But with two out of the next three climate change summits taking place in the EU, an ambitious global deal will only materialise if the EU’s key member states show a strong commitment to decarbonise their own economies.

“The EU and the UK cannot afford a repeat of last week’s fiasco where the European Parliament, aided by many Conservative UK MEPs, voted against a proposal to strengthen the appallingly low price of carbon in the EU.”

On the question as to whether carbon policies have contributed to a shift in manufacturing other countries, Nick Molho said: “Impacts of policies on energy intensive users must be taken seriously but are manageable. In the interest of domestic consumers, it is critical that Government policies towards energy intensive users are proportionate and taken on the basis of transparent criteria to avoid the risk of over-compensation seen in countries like Germany.”

ENDS

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

No evidence to support Government proposals to control Judicial Review

2013-04-23

A Coalition of environmental NGOs [1] today criticised Government proposals to tackle the ‘soaring’ number of Judicial Review applications being made in England and Wales’.

The Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment (CAJE) said that there was no evidence to support the description of a government overwhelmed by judicial reviews on planning issues, nor any data to support a credible claim that judicial review presents a significant impediment to economic progress.

CAJE said that the proposals, coming shortly after the Government lost a case in the European Court over the meaning of ‘prohibitive expense’ in environmental legal proceedings [2], represented an attack on people’s constitutional right to challenge public bodies.

Today’s announcement follows a 2012 consultation paper [3] claiming that JR is “stifling innovation and frustrating much needed reforms, including those aimed at stimulating growth and promoting economic recovery” and which sought views on proposals to address a reported rise in the number of JRs from 6,692 in 2007 to 11,359 in 2011.

However, the Government acknowledges that immigration and asylum cases make up the vast majority (some 8,734) of the total (11,359) and the 2012 consultation paper contained no data or statistics in relation to planning cases. In fact, figures published by the Ministry of Justice confirm that the proportion of applications for ‘other matters’ has remained unchanged from 2010 [4] (and has, in fact, remained unchanged since 2005).

Carol Day, Solicitor at WWF said: “These measures will significantly affect our ability to protect the environment. Judicial Review cases are not road traffic matters – they concern complex legal arguments of unlawful behaviour by public bodies. Restrictions on judicial review are of constitutional importance, and should not be confused with measures to cut red tape. Individuals and civil society groups should not be denied their fundamental constitutional right to check an abuse of power and protect the environment on the basis of costs-cutting.”

CAJE is particularly concerned about proposals to halve the time limit for lodging an application for a JR of a planning decision. This will undoubtedly include a small, but significant, number of environmental cases. The procedures for review of such cases are covered by the UNECE Aarhus Convention and EU law [5], which requires such procedures to be “timely”, thereby ensuring that individuals and groups have enough time to construct what may be complex cases raising issues of public importance.

The Government also proposes to ban people from seeking a hearing in person if their initial written application has been ruled as totally without merit, even though such cases can go on to be successful. The Friends of the Earth ‘solar case’ was originally refused permission on the papers, but was granted permission with expedition at oral renewal and subsequently succeeded in both the High Court and Court of Appeal, with the Government being refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Friends of the Earth’s Head of Legal, Gita Parihar, said: “Our successful legal challenge played a key role in saving the UK’s solar industry by preventing the Government from changing tariffs in an unlawful way. Under these rule changes the challenge would have fallen at the first hurdle - with tragic results for jobs and action on climate change. These proposals are an affront to justice.”

Finally, CAJE is also concerned about the introduction of a £215 court fee for anyone seeking a hearing in person after their initial written judicial review application has been turned down. Increasing the fees for judicial review at a time when the UK is being infracted by the EU over the high costs of legal action in environmental cases [6] will clearly make it more difficult for concerned individuals and civil society groups to bring environmental cases.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment (CAJE) includes WWF, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Capacity Global, Environmental Law Foundation and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

2. CAJE: European Court finds against UK on access to environmental justice (11 April 2013): http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?6553/European-Court-finds-against-UK-on-access-to-environmental-justice

3. A copy of CAJE’s response to the consultation paper is available on request.

4. The number of applications for ‘other matters’ in 2010 comprised 2,091 out of a total of 10,548 and in 2011, 2,213 out of a total of 11,200 (roughly one fifth respectively in both 2010 and 2011).

5. The UK was obliged to implement EC Directive 2003/35/EC (the "Public Participation Directive" or "PPD") by 25th June 2005. Article 3 of the PPD requires that judicial or administrative procedures in respect of Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control (IPPC) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be ‘fair, equitable, timely and not prohibitively expensive’. The UNECE Aarhus Convention seeks to ensure a minimum standard with regard to access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters across the UNECE region. Article 9(4) of the Convention requires review procedures in respect of environmental matters to be ‘fair, equitable, timely and not prohibitively expensive’.

6. CAJE submitted a complaint to the European Commission about the high cost of legal action in environmental cases in 2005. The Commission sent the UK a letter of formal notice in December 2007 and issued the UK with a Reasoned Opinion in March 2010. The case was referred to the European Court in April 2011 and a Hearing is expected in 2013.

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

Major new aviation report argues “claims about the economic benefits of connectivity are not founded on solid evidence”

2013-04-22

LAUNCH: 22 April 2013, Committee Room 9 of the House of Commons, 2 - 3pm. Hosted by Zac Goldsmith MP; Speakers include Jasper Faber from CE Delft, the main author of the report, and Mark Reckless MP

A major new report, to be launched in the House of Commons on 22 April, challenges the view that improved international air connectivity will necessarily bring significant benefits to the UK economy (1). The report by the independent Dutch consultants CE Delft, and commissioned jointly by WWF, RSPB and the Heathrow campaign group HACAN, argues that “claims about the economic benefits of connectivity are not founded on solid evidence.”

The report is timely. The Airports Commission, set up by the Government under Sir Howard Davies, has been charged with looking at whether the UK, and London and the South East in particular, requires additional airport capacity in order for the UK to maintain its first rate international links over the coming decades. At present it is actively “seeking evidence on aviation connectivity (2).”

CE Delft concluded: “many studies find a positive correlation between aviation and economic growth, but no causal relationship between connectivity and economic growth was found”. Their analysis of the evidence shows that increasing connectivity is less beneficial for developed countries than for developing economies. They also found that extra connectivity in cities that are already well-connected, like London, does not necessarily deliver measurable or substantial economic benefits.

The report also challenges the way that the costs and benefits of airport expansion have traditionally been measured. It points out gaps in the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) which should “provide an overview of current and future pros and cons of a particular project for society as a whole (public, private sector and government) as objectively as possible.” It argues that the DfT’s current Cost-Benefit Analysis method still omits key social or environmental costs, such as landscape impacts, water pollution and biodiversity, resulting in an overestimation of economic benefits.

There are also enormous uncertainties in CBA work as it must predict future demands and costs. For example, the Department for Transport estimated that Heathrow expansion would produce £5 billion in economic benefits but when the New Economics Foundation re-ran their figures using different predictions for growth and oil prices but the same models they found that Heathrow expansion would result in a £5 billion loss (3).

This report also looks at some of the economic arguments being used by proponents of airport expansion and finds them to be miscalculated and exaggerated, distorting the aviation debate (4).

RSPB economist Adam Dutton said, “This report highlights the uncertainty surrounding the economic benefits of aviation expansion. New airport infrastructure could destroy internationally important and increasingly scarce habitat, such as that found in Thames estuary, and jeopardise the UK’s legally binding greenhouse gas emissions targets, all for uncertain economic benefit and a net loss to society. More specifically, this report urges caution about automatically linking improved connectivity with economic performance. While some base level of connectivity is important for any economy, this report demonstrates that the benefits of extra connectivity in a city as well connected as London are doubtful and difficult to demonstrate with certainty”.

Jean Leston, head of transport policy at WWF, said, “The methods for assessing the benefits and costs of new runways and airports are hopelessly inadequate and open to gross manipulation. CE Delft has instilled a dose of reality into the airports debate. We hope that the Airports Commission and the Department for Transport will adopt the better SCBA methodology and require development proposals to do the same.”

HACAN Chair John Stewart said, “This report could not be more timely. It comes just as the Airports Commission is asking the hard questions about airport capacity and connectivity. And its message is clear: new runways may not be nearly as important for our economy as is commonly assumed.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Copies of the report, The economics of aviation policy, are available at the launch and at http://wwf.org.uk/airporteconomics

2. Airports Commission seeks evidence on aviation connectivity: http://www.gov.uk/government/news/airports-commission-seeks-evidence-on-aviation-connectivity

3. NEF: Grounded: A new approach to evaluating Runway 3: www.neweconomics.org/publications/grounded

4. Economic arguments that were scrutinized include those by Frontier Economics, Oxford Economics, as well as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); all were found to be faulty and misleading, based on an overestimation of economic benefits, false comparisons or selective use of data.

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

John Stewart, Chair HACAN
Tel: 0207 737 6641; 07957385650m email: johnstewart2@btconnect.com

Nik Shelton, Media Officer RSPB
Tel: (01767) 693554, Mob: 07739 92146, email: nik.shelton@rspb.org.uk

Breaking News…budding ‘young reporters’ needed to help save the rainforest

2013-04-22

Sky and WWF have launched an exciting rainforest themed competition to find budding ‘young reporters’ as part of an initiative called I Love Amazon Week. Pupils are being asked to write or produce a short video news report on why they think the Amazon is amazing.

The Young Reporters Competition, which is being supported by Sky News presenter Charlotte Hawkins, is part of Sky Rainforest Rescue - a partnership between Sky and WWF which aims to help save one billion trees in the Amazon rainforest.

The winner of the competition will earn their school a visit from Charlotte Hawkins, as well as £500 towards a green project within their school. The initiative aims to encourage children of primary school age to learn about the wonders of the Amazonian rainforest and the steps needed to help protect it.

Find out more about the competition here: https://rainforestrescue.sky.com/activities-for-children-and-schools/i-love-amazon-week/young-reporter-page

Cherry Duggan, head of schools and youth relations at WWF-UK, said: “We’re hoping to appeal to any budding ‘young reporters’ out there who can bring to life some of the issues the rainforest is facing. As the next generation, children play a vital role in understanding and protecting this amazing treasure trove of biodiversity and this competition is a fun and engaging way to get school children involved.”

Home to one in ten of all wild species on earth, including the iconic jaguar, the Amazon is a unique and irreplaceable ecosystem. All of us, people and wildlife, locally and globally depend on it every day. Deforestation is putting the future of the people, animals and plants that call the Amazon their home, at risk. And it's also having a huge impact on climate change. Sky Rainforest Rescue, launched by Sky and WWF three years ago, aims to help protect this amazing habitat and the people who depend on it.

How to enter the competition

Written entries should be no more than 200 words and video entries should be no longer than two minutes long based on a topic linked to the Amazon. This might be based on some of the I Love Amazon Week activities or inspired by pupils’ own research. The closing date for entries is Friday 28 June 2013. For more information please visit: www.sky.com/amazonweek

More information about I Love Amazon Week

I Love Amazon Week is a free initiative that gives pupils aged seven to eleven the opportunity to explore the Amazon rainforest through a fantastic range of flexible curriculum based resources. It can be run at any time throughout the year in order to be flexible and fit with individual school year schedules. Teachers can simply pick and choose from the extensive range of downloadable educational tools and plan the week according to term timetables. Schools can register online to receive a free resource pack and poster. Pupils will also receive a certificate and individual stickers once the week has been completed.

For further information about I Love Amazon Week schools can register at sky.com/amazonweek and download assembly content, lesson plans, work sheets and fun activity ideas to involve the whole school.

- ends -

Editor's notes

About Sky Rainforest Rescue:

Through Sky Rainforest Rescue, WWF and Sky are helping to save one billion trees in the Amazonian state of Acre, Brazil. By combining WWF’s 50 years of conservation experience with Sky’s expertise in public engagement, we have:

• Raised over £4m to carry out our work by encouraging over 34,000 people to donate to the campaign
• Begun implementing a robust programme of green economic development in Acre
• Improved awareness of deforestation and its impacts on the global climate among a significant UK audience, including Sky’s 10.5m customers

Since October 2009, WWF and Sky have been supporting the Acre state government to roll out a progressive development plan, which aims to tackle deforestation at the same time as improving opportunities for people living in the forest.

By supporting the people who live in the project area to make a good living without deforesting, we aim to create a buffer against encroachment into the pristine and largely uninhabited forest and provide an alternative development pathway to forest loss and conversion. Through Sky Rainforest Rescue, WWF and Sky are supporting two key incentive systems designed to achieve this – sustainable property management and sustainable product development. For more information visit sky.com/rainforestrescue

About Sky:

Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and communications company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services. Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sports and increasing access to, and participation in, the arts. Sky employs 23,000 people, has annual revenues of £6.8 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY). www.sky.com/corporate

About WWF:

WWF is one of the world's largest independent conservation organisations, with more than five million supporters and a global network active in more than one hundred countries. We're working to create solutions to the most serious environmental issues facing our planet, so that people and nature can thrive. Through our engagement with the public, businesses and government, we focus on safeguarding the natural world, tacking climate change and changing the way we live. Find out more about our work, past and present at www.wwf.org.uk

For further information, please contact:

Kellie Rollings, tel: 01483 412340, email: krollings@wwf.org.uk

European Parliament votes against the climate and for more pollution

2013-04-16

Today the European Parliament voted to reject a proposal to temporarily revive the EU’s flagging carbon market, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). With carbon prices already at all-time lows, the vote will further undermine the security of investments into low-carbon technologies.

“After broad agreement that backloading alone would not solve the fundamental problems faced by the ETS, EU lawmakers need to get rid of the surplus toxic tonnes hanging like a dark shadow over the carbon market,” said Sam Van den plas of WWF-Brussels. “In addition, the EU should stop handing out free allowances to a large majority of EU manufacturing industries since current carbon prices do not justify such gifts.”

Nick Molho, head of climate and energy policy at WWF-UK, said: "It's extremely disappointing to see Conservative MEPs voting against a policy that their own Government supports in the UK. Their opposition also makes a mockery of complaints that the carbon floor price will make UK business uncompetitive with the rest of Europe, as this proposal to fix the ETS was the best way to start levelling the playing field."

NGOs were dismayed that elected lawmakers caved into a small but intense business lobby and became unwilling to support a short-term measure designed to help put the right price on pollution. Without EU-wide measures, Europe faces a lost decade of climate inaction. Member states must therefore swiftly implement national policies to support the ailing carbon market and EU climate ambition.

“It’s outrageous that Parliament seems to value polluting industry more than Europe’s green future,” said Julia Michalak of CAN Europe. “Since Parliament has made it clear that they don't support backloading, we now urge all branches of EU government to propose alternative solutions to support Europe's transformation into a low-carbon economy.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Ahead of the plenary vote, last week NGOs staged a live carbon “auction” in front of the European Parliament in Brussels with outlandish bidders and a giant black balloon representing one tonne of CO2 emissions.

High resolution images of the event are available here. Please credit Lode Saidane/CAN Europe/WWF if reproducing the photographs.  A video of the “auction” is available here.

For more information on the ETS and our position on reforming the system to make it work, see our briefing ‘EU ETS at a crossroads - NGO Briefing - January 2013’.

For more information:

GEORGE SMEETON, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk

SAM VAN DEN PLAS, Climate Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office
svandenplas@wwf.eu, +32 485 95 22 01

JULIA MICHALAK, EU Climate Policy Officer, CAN Europe, Julia@caneurope.org,
+ 32 495 77 45 68

VANESSA BULKACZ, Communications Manager, CAN Europe, Vanessa@caneurope.org, +32 494 525 738

‘Epidemic’ of illegal logging imperiling Russian forests and tigers

2013-04-16

The manufacture of furniture , some of which could be imported into the UK, is pushing forests and species from the Russian Far East to the brink of destruction, a new report by WWF has found.

Large-scale illegal logging, mainly to supply Chinese furniture and flooring manufacturers, is endangering the long-term survival of species such as the endangered Amur tiger and Himalayan bear and effecting indigenous communities in the Ussuri Taiga region.

Russia’s forest sector has become deeply criminalized with poor law enforcement allowing illegal loggers to plunder valuable timber stocks of oak, ash, elm and linden. Analysis of export data show that from 2004–2011 between two and four times more oak timber was logged for export to China than was legally permitted.

The illegal timber then finds its way into the United States, European and Japanese markets. The UK is the largest European trader in timber and wood products from China.

“The scope and scale of illegal logging in the Ussuri Taiga is imperiling the long-term survival of the Amur tiger and the livelihoods of thousands of forest villagers and indigenous peoples,” said WWF-Russia forest policy projects coordinator Nikolay Shmatkov. “With minimal resources in place to detect and prosecute illegal logging throughout the region, the sheer scale of violations has reached epidemic proportions.”

The report, Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global Demand and Taiga Destruction, found that in 2010, the volume of Mongolian oak logged for export was twice the amount legally authorized for harvest from the region--meaning that at least half of the oak shipped across the border to China was stolen. But in 2007 and 2008 the oak harvest was four times as large.

Cases of illegal logging leading to a conviction remain low. In 2011, only 16 percent of the 691 registered cases in Primorsky Province were brought to trial – the lowest figure in the past 10 years.

New EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), introduced last month, is intended to make companies accountable for the timber and wood products they buy and use. But WWF’s own research shows that just 47 of the 150 subheadings of timber-based products are within the scope of the EUTR. Therefore, EU companies must be sure of the forest origin, legality and traceability of their wood products.

“There is a significant risk that UK companies and consumers could be purchasing furniture and flooring made with wood from illegal sources that is unwittingly contributing to the trade,” said Beatrix Richards, forest campaigner at WWF-UK. “It’s critical for companies to ensure that they are sourcing wood products from legal and responsible sources, or they risk losing their customers’ trust while contributing to the destruction of natural habitats.”

While WWF is working in Russia to suggest measures the government can take to end illegal logging from the supply side, importing nations must take action as well. The European Union and other countries with timber legality legislation such as EUTR must ensure that those laws are adequately enforced.

Illegal logging destroys vital habitat for Amur tigers and their prey. Scientists estimate around 450 Amur tigers remain in the wild. Over harvesting limits the supply of pine nuts and acorns—a main food source for their prey. As timber supplies dwindle, ecologically sensitive forests like wildlife reserves are increasingly threatened.

The report urges importers of Chinese or Russian hardwood furniture and flooring to confirm the species and country of wood origin, as Russian species can be mislabeled as originating from other countries. For products made with Russian oak, ash, elm, or linden, companies should exclusively purchase Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified products. If FSC-certified products are not available, companies should establish rigorous legality and traceability confirmation systems. If neither approach is possible, buyers should avoid any products made from Russian Far East hardwoods due to the high risks of illegality.

-ends-

Notes to editors

For a copy of the report please visit: http://www.wwf.ru/resources/publ/book/eng/776

About WWF

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

For further information, please contact:
Robin Clegg, WWF-UK. Tel: 07771 818 707

European Court finds against UK on access to environmental justice

2013-04-11

The Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment (CAJE) has today welcomed the judgment of the European Court [1] in the meaning of ‘prohibitive expense’ in environmental legal proceedings. The Court was asked to rule on the concept by the UK Supreme Court in the case of Edwards [2] and the judgment has significant implications for people attempting to use the law to protect the environment across the European Union.

Both EU law and the Aarhus Convention oblige Member States and contracting Parties to ensure that environmental legal proceedings are ‘not prohibitively expensive’ [3]. This means that ordinary citizens and civil society groups should be able to afford to go to court and challenge the decisions of public and private bodies that threaten the environment.

The European Court held that domestic courts cannot look exclusively at the financial means of individual claimants but must also carry out an objective analysis of the amount of the costs. In deciding whether a figure would be “objectively unreasonable”, the court must take a number of other factors into account, including whether the claimant has reasonable prospects of success, the importance of what is at stake for the claimant and for the protection of the environment, the complexity of the relevant law and whether public funding or other costs protection schemes are available.

Carol Day, solicitor at WWF and CAJE Coordinator said: "For far too long, legal action to protect the environment has been confined to either the very rich or the very poor, with the vast majority of concerned citizens powerless to challenge the decisions of public bodies. The judgment confirms that the Government must ensure the public at large can exercise their democratic right to go to court”.

Ralph Smyth, barrister at the Campaign to Protect Rural England said: "The Government says it wants local people to have a say in planning decisions. Yet, increasingly, due to weaknesses in national planning policy, these decisions are likely to be subject to legal challenge. The debacle over the new housing blocks that tower over ancient Port Meadow shows that without an effective remedy when things go wrong, having a say isn’t worth much. Today’s judgment should mean people can without huge financial risk challenge planning decisions that go wrong."

Jake White, legal adviser at Friends of the Earth said: “The judgment marks a significant step forward in the campaign to ensure that people are not prevented from obtaining justice in environmental cases purely on the grounds of cost. Whilst that campaign is not yet won, this judgment nonetheless sends a message to governments across the EU that costs may not prevent people gaining access to the courts in these cases.”

Environmental groups in the UK have long argued that current court rules make access to justice unaffordable for people and groups who want to use the law to protect the environment [4]. Until now, individuals and groups who take their case to the Courts have not been able to rule out the possibility that they will be ordered to pay tens of thousands of pounds to the other side - usually the Government - if they lose.

Research by the European Commission has also shown that the UK has one of the worst cost regimes for access to justice in environmental matters, and that the current costs rules represent a significant obstacle to access to justice in the United Kingdom [5].

Recent improvements to the costs rules for environmental cases in England and Wales which came into force on 1 April this year [6] do not go far enough. Proposals to cap the costs that individuals and environmental groups would have to pay to public bodies if they lose judicial reviews are too high and a cross-cap (which limits the amount that successful claimants are able to recover) will make it very difficult for individuals and civil society groups to find lawyers to represent them in environmental cases [7].

In today’s judgment, the European Court has taken further steps towards ensuring that the risk of paying your opponent’s costs no longer poses a substantial obstacle to environmental justice. The decision may mean yet further changes are required to the new rules the government has just introduced.

The judgment also suggests that the European Court will take a robust line against the UK in the forthcoming infraction proceedings arising from a complaint lodged by the Coalition for Access to Justice for the Environment (CAJE) [8] in 2005 [9].

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The judgment can be found at: http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=136149&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=179559.

2. The UK Supreme Court referred questions on the meaning of ‘prohibitive expense’ to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the case of ‘Edwards’ (The Queen on the application of David Edwards and Lilian Pallikaropoulos) v (1) the Environment Agency (2) the First Secretary of State (3) the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Case C-260/11).

For more information about the Edwards case, please contact the claimant Mrs Lilian Pallikaropoulis (telephone 01788 550257 and 07932 662377 or by email lp@rugbyinplume.org) or her Solicitor Richard Buxton (Tel: 01223 328933 and email rbuxton@richardbuxton.co.uk). Richard Buxton, Solicitor, notes: "This is a tough steer from the European Court that people must be able to take environmental claims without fear of having to being deterred by costs claims from wealthy opponents. The judgment emphasises the basic right for citizens to effective remedies and wide access to justice" and Mrs Pallikaropoulis says: "I hope this means I won't have to pay the exorbitant costs claimed by the government simply for standing up for the environment in Rugby."

3. The UK was obliged to implement EC Directive 2003/35/EC (the "Public Participation Directive" or "PPD") by 25th June 2005. Article 3 of the PPD requires that judicial or administrative procedures in respect of Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control (IPPC) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be ‘fair, equitable, timely and not prohibitively expensive’. In 2005, CAJE submitted a complaint to the European Commission on the basis that the UK's judicial system in respect of these procedures is prohibitively expensive.

The UNECE Aarhus Convention seeks to ensure a minimum standard with regard to access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters across the UNECE region. The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee has examined two complaints against the UK and, in 2011, found the UK to be in breach of the Convention because it had failed to ensure that environmental litigation in the UK is not "prohibitively expensive".

4. See, for example: “Using the Law: Barriers and Opportunities for Environmental Justice” (Capacity Global) (2003); “Environmental Justice” Environmental Law Foundation, Leigh, Day & Co Solicitors and WWF-UK (2004); “Civil Law Aspects of Environmental Justice” Stookes, P. on behalf of ELF (2003), “Modernising Environmental Justice” Macrory, R. and Woods, M (2003); “Ensuring access to Environmental Justice in England and Wales” (Sullivan I) (2008) Working Group on Access to Environmental Justice, chaired by the (then) Hon Mr Justice Sullivan; “Costs Barriers to Environmental Justice” (ELF) (2009).

5. In 2012, the European Commission commissioned research on access to environmental justice in 17 Member States. The UK was ranked amongst the bottom four Member States on costs. The UK Report and a synthesis report can be found at the link below. The studies were commissioned in preparation for an EC Directive on Access to Environmental Justice: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/aarhus/access_studies.htm

6. These amendments were enacted in preparation for this case and separate infraction proceedings brought against the UK Government by the European Commission over the high costs of legal action in environmental cases.

7. CAJE’s detailed view on recent improvements to the costs rules in England and Wales – and CAJE’s response to recent proposals to narrow the scope of Judicial Review in England and Wales – are available upon request.

8. CAJE includes WWF-UK, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, RSPB, the Environmental Law Foundation, Capacity Global and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

9. The European Commission’s infraction proceedings involve three stages: (1) a letter of formal notice, in which the Commission sets out how a Member State has failed to comply with the requirements of EC law; (2) a Reasoned Opinion – a more detailed examination of the issues; and (3) referral the case to the European Court of Justice. In this case, CAJE submitted a complaint to the European Commission in 2005. The Commission sent the UK a letter of formal notice in December 2007 and issued the UK with a Reasoned Opinion in March 2010. The case was referred to the European Court in April 2011 and a Hearing is expected later in 2013.

For more information:

George Smeeton, Media Relations Manager WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk