Working with private sector to make a difference

Working with the private sector can bring about environmental and social benefits. Discover some of the experiences and views of our members in South America: from initiatives with biodiversity-dependent industries such as fisheries, agriculture and livestock, and tourism sector, to oil construction sectors, to development agencies for investment.

Travelers’ Philanthropy: Supporting Conservation and Local Communities

The International Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference, held in July, brought together 150 organizations from the tourism, conservation and development sectors. Travelers’ philanthropy, promotes tourism businesses and travelers donating ‘time, talent or treasure’ to support conservation and social service projects.

Participating in the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress

The next World Conservation Congress to be held in Jeju, Republic of South Korea from 6th to 15th September 2012, offers a unique opportunity to influence the global conservation agenda. With the deadline for submissions on the 15th October 2011 and a limited number of event slots available, now is the time to get involved.

More World Heritage Sites, more challenges for conservation

Four outstanding natural sites in Kenya, Jordan, Australia and Japan were awarded World Heritage status following the advice of IUCN to the World Heritage Committee. An extension to an existing World Heritage Site in Ukraine and Slovakia was also granted to the Ancient Beech Forests in Germany.

South African spekboom restoration grows

Ecological Restoration Capital (ERC), a privately funded restoration venture, has begun large-scale indigenous reforestation throughout South Africa’s Eastern and Western Cape Provinces.

Making ecotourism market-viable in East Africa

IUCN, in partnership with Kuoni, the Swiss travel company, organized a training workshop for the conservation community in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, to build business skills and share experiences for successful ecotourism development.

The Livelihood Fund crediting biodiversity and communities

The Livelihoods Fund, a carbon investment fund providing investors access to biodiversity friendly carbon credits that aid the rural poor through large scale and social impact projects, was launched in July.

On Board for Sustainable Business - Next Stop Rio

IUCN has been invited to serve on the board of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative encouraging businesses to adopt sustainable and socially-responsible policies. IUCN’s Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre reports from her first board meeting.

Towards a sustainable biofuels industry

IUCN, in collaboration with more than 100 organizations, contributed to the development of a recently launched sustainable biofuels standard that promotes sustainable land use choices and natural resource management for positive economic and social development.

Enrique J. Lahmann

We pose three questions to Dr. Enrique J. Lahmann, Global Director of the IUCN Constituency Support Group as well as Director of the World Conservation Congress about the 2012 IUCN World Congress and how the private sector can get involved.
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Rio Tinto

In 2010, IUCN and Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining and mineral exploration companies, signed a three year collaborative agreement which aims to support Rio Tinto in making transformative progress towards sustainable development and environmental management.
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Scaling up: BBP’s 2010 Annual Report

Summarises the progress made by the Business & Biodiversity Programme in 2010.
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Community Environment Action Planning : A Guide for Practitioners

Community Environmental Action Planning (CEAP) is a simple participatory approach that has been used successfully to introduce a greater degree of participation into environmental planning.
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10 - 21 October

10th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 10)
Changwon, Republic of Korea

12 - 13 October

International Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management
Dresden, Germany

28 November - 9 December

17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 17)
Durban, South Africa

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) © 2011

IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.

Photo credits: Header © Revensis, Dreamstime;Working with private sector © Andrés Rozo Fundación MarViva;Travelers’ Philanthropy © Catherine Ardagh; World Conservation Congress © IUCN; South African spekboom © Nollen Group;ecotourism © Maria Ana Borges; World Heritage Sites © Naomi Doak; Livelihood fund © Frank Vorhies; DG report © UN Global Compact; Sustainable biofuels © RSB; Enrique J Lahmann © IUCN; Rio Tinto © Keith Wheeler.