IUCN - Activities

Towards the “Blue Society”

2013-05-17

Since the start of the industrial revolution, human activities have significantly altered the very balance of our planet and the lives we all live. These activities have heavily affected marine ecosystems and the way we use our seas and oceans. European marine biodiversity is under severe threat from a range of pressures including pollution, climate change and ocean acidification, overexploitation of marine resources and invasive alien species (EEA, 2010).

Bridging science and policy with the BiodivERsA network

2013-04-15

Successful conservation requires sound priority setting and decision-making based on the best available science. Science-policy interfaces are social processes, which encompass relations between scientists and other actors in the policy process, and which allow for exchanges, co-evolution, and joint construction of knowledge with the aim of enriching decision-making at different scales.

Powered by Nature awards

2013-03-04

The Earth is blessed with energy in abundance. In thousands of years, humans have discovered many different ways to harvest the energy provided by nature. We learned to use the power of the wind, the heat of the sun, the waves of the ocean. We learned to burn ancient plant matter, and we learned about the consequences of doing so. It’s time to explore new ways to address energy challenges, get people involved across borders and work together to build awareness and effect change.

IUCN-UPM: realizing the green economy

2012-12-13

Nature provides the resources which are essential to our survival and our economy. Natural resources are the heart of companies’ productivity. Preserving these resources and using them sustainably is crucial for businesses’ long-term sustainability. IUCN has partnered with UPM, a large pulp and paper manufacturing and timber company based in Finland, to establish indicators and standards for incorporating biodiversity conservation into the company’s business model.

BIOPAMA: connecting ACP countries and Europe

2012-11-26

The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries host a very large share of our planet’s biodiversity. The BIOPAMA (Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management) Programme by IUCN and partners assists these countries in managing their natural heritage. IUCN European Union Representative Office acts as liaison between the Programme and the European Union institutions and the ACP Secretariat, based in Brussels.

URBES for cities and biodiversity

2012-02-13

In Europe around 75% of the population lives in urban areas. In some countries this figure is estimated to grow to 80% by 2020 (European Environment Agency, 2009). With increasing population densities and mounting development pressures, large tracks of land in the immediate surroundings of urban areas are undergoing a process of urbanisation. IUCN believes that investing in ecosystem management and natural infrastructure can play an important role in making our economies and societies more resilient.

Strengthening NGOs: partnerships for energy, forestry and recycling

2012-01-30

Concerns on the pressures affecting ecosystem and rural communities’ resilience are increasing across the European continent. The excessive use of wood biomass combined with low energy efficiency are some of the factors responsible for this trend. Export of illegally harvested raw timber, the unsustainable use of natural resources and limited recycling options exacerbate an already tenuous situation.

Building capacities for conservation action

2012-01-05

The long term objective of the project is to improve capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and government agencies in Serbia and Montenegro responsible for the implementation of conservation policies and actions. The importance of institutions and CSOs working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable development is increasingly recognized. To ensure effective participation in this process, their resources including knowledge, skills and experience in implementing actions for achieving policy objectives should be correspondingly improved.

Institutional Support to the management of Protected Areas in Albania

2011-11-11

The main project objective is to strengthen both central and local offices of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Water Administration of Albania in developing their capacities to systemically plan and manage protected areas. By promoting innovative approaches to protected area management, that also imply the translation of principles of ecosystems and biodiversity economics into practice, this project will demonstrate a broad range of benefits that local and wider communities could enjoy from preserved and well-functioning ecosystems.

The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign

2011-10-12

The European Business and Biodiversity Campaign (EBBC) is dedicated to helping businesses recognise the many ways in which they are connected to biodiversity and the innovative opportunities they have to conserve it.

Red List training in European countries

2011-09-02

IUCN provides formal training to European countries to assist them in stepping up efforts to assess their biodiversity and use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ as a basis for policy and conservation action.

European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development

2011-08-26

Established in 1994 the cross-party and cross-committee Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development of the European Parliament has provided a forum for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to learn, debate and create policy geared towards sustainable development.

ENPI FLEG (European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument – Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Programme)

2011-08-26

Forests cover a large part of Europe and North and Central Asia and fulfill multiple functions for society, providing economic, social and environmental benefits, including serving as a key reservoir of biodiversity. They protect our watersheds and conserve our soil. They also help combat climate change by absorbing and storing vast amounts of carbon, provide food, building materials and medicine, and are home to 80% of the world’s biodiversity.

European Habitats Forum

2011-08-26

The European Habitats Forum (EHF) assembles leading European nature conservation organisations to provide advice on the implementation and future development of EU biodiversity policy, including improving integration into sectoral policies.

European Red List

2011-08-26

Biodiversity is being lost and ecosystem services are being degraded at an alarming rate. There is growing global concern about the status of the natural resources upon which so much of human life depends. Without reliable and timely information on the status and trends of biodiversity, there is little hope of stemming the extinction crisis.

Europe overseas: Valuable, Vulnerable, Vital

2011-04-22

IUCN builds partnerships for Europe Overseas to meet biodiversity and climate change challenges. The European Union (EU) has hundreds of small islands and large stretches of land spread across the four corners of the Earth from polar to tropical latitudes.

ENPI FLEG Program in Georgia

2009-09-25

ENPI FLEG program funded by a €6 million European Commission grant, is a response to the growing problem of illegal forest activities (illegal logging, timber theft and smuggling, trade of illegal wood, unauthorised forest conversion, unclear legislation, unclear tenure arrangements, lack of enforcement of forest regulations due to corruption). The overall objective of this three year (2008-2011) program is to contribute to establishing legal and sustainable forest management and utilisation practices, strengthening the rule of law, and enhancing local livelihoods in 7 participating countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine).

IUCN and the European Parliament

2008-03-20

In order to increase the attention of the European Parliament on the 2010 biodiversity target, the IUCN Regional Office for Europe closely collaborates with the Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development , hosted by the European Bureau for Conservation and Development.

Translating the St Petersburg Declaration into Action

2008-02-27

Russia accounts for 22% of the world’s forest cover. Despite the relatively low contribution to the national GDP, Russia’s forests are of major local, national and global significance. Their direct contribution to rural (and generally more impoverished) areas has a significant potential for increase in terms of jobs and tax revenue and they are particularly important with respect to supporting subsistence rural livelihoods.

Sustainable Livelihoods for Communities in Protected Areas

2008-02-27

The IUCN project “Sustainable Development Models for Local Communities of Protected Areas in the North-West of Russia” is intended to improve cooperation of protected areas in the Russian North West with communities and other stakeholders to promote sustainable rural development in this part of Russia.