Press releases

Inger Andersen named IUCN Director General
14.10.2014

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, announced today the appointment of Inger Andersen as the new Director General of the Union starting in January 2015.

More nations commit to fight climate change by restoring forests
23.09.2014

New York, 23 September 2014 – World leaders announced new pledges to restore over 30 million hectares of degraded forest lands today at the UN Climate Summit in New York. The commitments come from Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, and...

Iconic Okavango Delta becomes 1,000th World Heritage site
22.06.2014

Doha, Qatar, 22 June 2014 (IUCN) – Botswana’s Okavango Delta, one of the most iconic natural areas on the planet, has been listed as 1,000th World Heritage site today. The decision follows the recommendation of IUCN, UNESCO’s advisory body on nature.

Illegal trade puts more World Heritage sites in danger
18.06.2014

Doha, Qatar, 18 June 2014 (IUCN) – Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve has been listed as World Heritage in Danger due to unprecedented levels of illegal wildlife trade, as announced today at the 38th annual World Heritage Committee meeting in Doha, Qatar.

IUCN Red List raises more red flags for threatened species
12.06.2014

Almost 80% of temperate slipper orchids and over 90% of lemurs are threatened with extinction, according to the latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. The newly assessed Japanese Eel has been listed as Endangered, while the Brazilian Three...

Hawaii to host the next IUCN World Conservation Congress
21.05.2014

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Council has selected Hawaii, United States of America, as the host of the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress – the world’s largest conservation event.

Bad news for Europe’s bumblebees
02.04.2014

Twenty four percent of European bumblebee species are threatened with extinction according to a recent study assessing the species group at the European level.

Governments unite to conserve iconic Sargasso Sea
12.03.2014

Governments of Bermuda, the Azores, Monaco, United Kingdom and the United States have signed a declaration committing to the conservation of the Sargasso Sea – a vast patch of mid-Atlantic Ocean known for its unique floating seaweeds that harbour rich...

IUCN welcomes Total’s ‘no-go’ commitment in World Heritage sites
03.02.2014

Oil and gas company Total has confirmed that it will not carry out extractive operations within natural World Heritage sites, including Virunga National Park. IUCN welcomes this decision and calls on all oil and gas companies to follow suit.

Keeping whales safe in sound
20.01.2014

A unique collaboration between the oil and gas industry, scientists and conservationists proves a way to minimize seismic survey impacts on rare whales and other species.

First-ever Environment and Gender Index ranks 72 countries
19.11.2013

Warsaw, Poland 19 November 2013 — Today at the UN climate change conference in Warsaw, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will release the first-ever Environment and Gender Index which monitors gender equality and women’s empowerment...

World nearing 3% of ocean protection
24.10.2013

Marseille, France, 24 October 2013 – Marine protected areas now cover 2.8% of the global ocean – an area larger than Europe – according to the official map released today based on data provided by the World Database on Protected Areas, run by IUCN and the...

The Duke of Cambridge and IUCN unite for wildlife
12.09.2013

As part of his latest conservation initiative, The Duke of Cambridge brings together an unprecedented collaboration between the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and seven of the world’s most influential conservation...

Rights, resources and rewards - Benet landscape, Uganda
20.07.2013

The Mount Elgon region straddles Kenya and the east of Uganda, extending over an area of approximately 772,000 ha, of which 221,000 ha have been set aside as reserves and national parks. The remaining 550,000ha consist of farmlands and settlements. Mount...

World’s oldest and largest species in decline – IUCN Red List
02.07.2013

The latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ shows worrying declines for conifers – the world’s oldest and largest organisms – freshwater shrimps, cone snails and the Yangtze Finless Porpoise. The Santa Cruz Pupfish, a lizard known as the...