IUCN is calling on governments at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, to make strong commitments to reduce carbon emissions in the short-term, not just the long-term.

No less than 115 posters joined together with the over 800 events that took place during the four days of the Forum, to powerfully communicate conservation messages through visual means. 

The release of the first ever IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ assessment of northeast Atlantic sharks, rays and chimaeras reveals that 26 percent are threatened with extinction and another 20 percent are in the Near Threatened category.

IUCN was officially recognised as an international organization in Fiji on Thursday, November 6.

How should countries that share rivers manage water resources? That’s the topic of the latest title in the IUCN Water and Nature Toolkit Series.

The Hawaiian longline tuna fishery has managed to reduce seabird bycatch by 67% since 2001 by making alterations to their fishing gear and methods, a new scientific study shows.  A combination of new bait technologies and fishing techniques have dramatically reduced seabird bycatch.  More birdlife could be saved, however, if the rules were applied in a larger area and fishing effort reduced in certain seasons.  

IUCN, the Ramsar Convention and the Danone Group have teamed up to fight climate change by protecting and restoring wetlands.

Was the Iron curtain a good thing? Certainly not in economic, political, social and cultural terms. But for the environment it meant a 40 year break  from the destruction of nature along its borders. Launched by IUCN five years ago, the Green Belt Initiative aims at  transboundary cooperation in nature conservation and regional development along the former Iron Curtain.

By the end of this year a first-time record of 3.3 billion people, more than half of the world’s population, are expected to live in urban areas according to the UN.   

IUCN members at the World Conservation Congress have called for strong action to protect high seas biodiversity and to regulate the human activities impacting it. This signals a growing awareness of the vital role oceans play in sustaining life on our planet and alarm at the multiplying threats to marine biodiversity from human activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the high seas).

Lack of women’s participation in efforts to solve climate crisis was the main focus of the Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance held from 19 to 22 October in Manila, Philippines. The global gender alliance established by IUCN, UNDP and UNEP, encouraged women to speak with one voice at climate change negotiations.

The World Conservation Congress held from 5 to 14 October in Barcelona, marked an important landmark for the Caribbean, with the launch by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of a new Initiative for the region.

The Government of Georgia has officially announced its decision to adhere to IUCN Statutes. The Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources has been designated by the Government of Georgia as its liaison with the IUCN Secretariat.

While the world struggles with the turmoil of a market crisis, IUCN’s World Conservation Congress defined the way forward in solving the environmental crisis. Participants in the Congress underlined that the cost of biodiversity losses are not only greater than those of the current financial problems, but in many cases, they are irreparable.

The Government of Georgia officially joined IUCN on October 2, 2008. The Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources is designated by Government of Georgia as its liaison with the IUCN Secretariat.

Members of IUCN are celebrating the announcement of their new president, Ashok Khosla from India. He was running against Purificació Canals and Carlos Manuel Rodríguez in the presidential run-off at the world’s oldest and largest environmental network, held at its World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.

It’s time to wake up and take action to protect the planet’s natural wealth, that’s the message of the first part of IUCN’s World Conservation Congress.

New Sacred Natural Sites guidelines for Protected Area Managers were launched today by IUCN  and UNESCO during the biggest environmental meeting of the year, the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.

Barcelona, Spain, 6 October, 2008 (IUCN) – The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, revealed at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress kicks off today in Barcelona, Spain, with its mission of boosting action to conserve nature. Leading questions are how to meet the growing needs of populations and expanding markets without sacrificing nature, and how to get conservation messages to new audiences.