World Wildlife Fund Press Releases

WWF Statement on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers IPOP Project Permit

2024-03-22T00:00:00-04:00

This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reversed an earlier decision and approved a permit to dredge and dispose of mining material in U.S. waters near Sitnasuak, or Nome, Alaska. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Steve MacLean, WWF managing director of U.S. Arctic:

"The estuaries around Nome, Alaska are considered essential fish habitat for king crab and salmon that Alaska Native communities depend on. Reversing the 2022 permit denial and opening the Bonanza Channel to extractive gold mining not only endangers the local ecosystems but also threatens the way of life and cultural heritage of Alaska Native peoples in the Bering Strait Region.

Communities and wildlife are inextricably connected in the U.S. Arctic. Many Alaska Native peoples maintain traditional subsistence practices to feed their families and these communities have stewarded their ocean resources for generations. A rapidly warming Arctic is already bringing novel and dire threats for Alaska's nature and people. Forgoing tribal consortium comments, ignoring traditional knowledge and values, and moving forward with mining only adds additional stress to this region."

La Hora del Planeta 2024 de WWF

2024-03-20T00:00:00-04:00

La Hora del Planeta, el movimiento colectivo más grande del mundo a favor del medio ambiente, regresa en 2024 como una luz de esperanza e inspiración para el futuro de nuestro planeta.
Los lugares más emblemáticos de Estados Unidos, incluidos el Empire State Building, la Space Needle, las Cataratas del Niágara y la Torre Willis, apagarán sus luces durante una hora.
Se invita a todas las personas a que dediquen 60 minutos a hacer algo positivo por el planeta: en el Banco de Horas del sitio web de WWF podrán encontrar ideas personalizadas.

El 23 de marzo a las 8:30 p.m. hora local, la Hora del Planeta de WWF regresará para unir a millones de personas en todo el mundo en apoyo y celebración de nuestro planeta. En un mundo cada vez más dividido que lucha contra los impactos del cambio climático y la pérdida de la biodiversidad, la Hora del Planeta trae la positividad, inspiración y esperanza que se necesitan actualmente.

Desde 2007, la Hora del Planeta ha sido conocida por su icónico momento de “apagar la luz”, cuando los lugares emblemáticos y hogares de todo el mundo apagan sus luces. Este año, mientras los principales monumentos apaguen sus luces para celebrar la Hora del Planeta, WWF invita a todos a "darle una hora al planeta" dedicando 60 minutos a cualquier actividad ecopositiva, desde hoy hasta el Día de la Tierra, a celebrarse el 22 de abril. Una herramienta interactiva disponible en línea mostrará actividades sugeridas para diversos estilos de vida e intereses, mismas que los participantes podrán registrar como contribución a un "Banco de Horas".

Katy Fenn, directora de Educación y Compromiso con la Marca de World Wildlife Fund, dijo: “En el Banco de Horas hay actividades para todos: desde aquellas relacionadas con la comida y el fitness hasta el arte y el entretenimiento. Nuestro objetivo es contabilizar 100,000 horas aquí en Estados Unidos. Este nuevo enfoque de campaña demuestra que las acciones ambientales pueden ser fáciles, divertidas e impactantes. Al ampliar la participación a aquellos que aún no están comprometidos con el medio ambiente, esperamos crear conciencia e impulsar acciones colectivas para proteger nuestro planeta”.

Para obtener más información, visita: https://lahoradelplaneta.us/

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Materiales disponibles

Materiales para redes sociales aquí.

Fotografías de ediciones anteriores de la Hora del Planeta aquí.

Acerca de la Hora del Planeta

La Hora del Planeta es el movimiento ambientalista global más emblemático de WWF. En los últimos 17 años, ha crecido hasta convertirse en el movimiento colectivo más grande del mundo a favor del medio ambiente, inspirando a personas, comunidades, empresas y organizaciones en más de 190 países y territorios a tomar medidas para nuestro futuro colectivo.

Históricamente, la Hora del Planeta se ha centrado en la crisis climática, pero más recientemente, la Hora del Planeta se ha esforzado por abordar una variedad de preocupaciones que enfrentan las personas y el planeta. El movimiento reconoce el papel que desempeñan las personas en la creación de soluciones ante los mayores desafíos ambientales del planeta y demuestra el poder de millones de personas que trabajan juntas para lograr un objetivo común.

Acerca de World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF es una de las organizaciones de conservación líderes en el mundo, que trabaja en casi 100 países durante más de medio siglo para ayudar a las personas y la naturaleza a prosperar. Con el apoyo de más de 5 millones de miembros en todo el mundo, WWF se dedica a brindar soluciones basadas en la ciencia para preservar la diversidad y abundancia de vida en la Tierra, detener la degradación del medio ambiente y combatir la crisis climática. Visita Descubre WWF para conocer las últimas noticias y recursos mediáticos de WWF, y síguenos en X y Youtube.

WWF es una de las principales organizaciones conservacionistas del mundo y trabaja desde hace 60 años en casi 100 países para ayudar a las personas y la naturaleza a prosperar. Con el apoyo de 1.3 millones de miembros en los Estados Unidos y más de 5 millones de miembros en todo el mundo, WWF se dedica a ofrecer soluciones basadas en la ciencia para preservar la diversidad y abundancia de la vida en la Tierra, detener la degradación del medio ambiente y combatir la crisis climática. Visita Descubre WWF para conocer más y síguenos en Instagram, Threads, X y YouTube para que te mantengas al día con las últimas noticias sobre conservación.

WWF Statement on the New EPA Emission Standards for Cars and Trucks

2024-03-20T00:00:00-04:00

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency released new pollution standards for cars and trucks. These new standards are expected to reduce emissions by approximately 30% compared to 2021 levels, or about 7.3 billion metric tons of climate pollution, which is crucial to mitigating climate change and align with our national goal of cutting emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change:

"This new rule is the strongest-ever emissions standard of its kind, surpassing previous regulations and significantly reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Tackling tailpipe emissions, which pose the biggest source of climate pollution in the US, is critical to combating global warming. The auto industry has the technology to make cleaner vehicles, and like all of us, they must do their part to help us reach our climate goals.

These standards will lead to improved public health with cleaner air that supports healthier communities and a better quality of life for all. WWF looks forward to continuing to work with the EPA and other partners to further advance policies to promote a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations.”

Earth Hour 2024: Give an Hour for Earth

2024-03-20T00:00:00-04:00

On March 23rd at 8:30 pm local time, WWF’s Earth Hour will return to unite millions worldwide in support and celebration of our planet. In an increasingly divided world struggling with the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, Earth Hour provides much-needed positivity, inspiration, and hope.

Since 2007, Earth Hour has been known for its iconic “lights out” moment, with landmarks and homes worldwide switching off their lights. This year, while major landmarks go dark to celebrate Earth Hour, WWF encourages individuals to 'Give an Hour for Earth' by spending 60 minutes participating in any eco-positive activity from now until Earth Day on April 22nd. An interactive online tool will suggest activities for various lifestyles and interests, and participants can log their contribution to the national and global ‘Hour Bank’.

Katy Fenn, Director of Brand Engagement and Education, said: “From food and fitness to art and entertainment, there’s an activity for everyone in the Hour Bank, and we are aiming to bank 100,000 hours here in the United States. This new campaign approach proves that environmental action can be easy, fun and impactful. By expanding participation to those who are not yet environmentally engaged, we hope to raise awareness and spur collective action in protecting our planet.”

For more information, visit https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour.

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For more information, please contact:

tara.doyle@wwfus.org

Assets

Link to social media assets here.

Link to previous Earth Hour photos here.

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is WWF's flagship global environmental movement. Over the past 17 years, it has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 190 countries and territories to take action for our collective future.

Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to address a range of concerns facing people and the planet. The movement recognizes the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and demonstrates the power of millions of people working together towards a common goal.

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working for 60 years in nearly 100 countries to help people and nature thrive. With the support of 1.3 million members in the United States and more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment, and combat the climate crisis. Visit worldwildlife.org to learn more; follow @WWFNews on Twitter to keep up with the latest conservation news; and sign up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Declaración de WWF en torno a la aprobación bipartidista por parte del Senado de una legislación sobre reciclaje

2024-03-14T00:00:00-04:00

Esta semana, el Senado aprobó dos proyectos de ley bipartidistas propuestas por Tom Carper, presidente del Comité Senatorial de Medio Ambiente y Obras Públicas y los senadores Shelley Moore Capito y John Boozman, que ayudarán a reducir la contaminación por plásticos mediante la inversión en los sistemas de reciclaje y compostaje de Estados Unidos. La Ley de Responsabilidad de Reciclaje y Compostaje solicitaría a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) recopilar datos adicionales sobre el reciclaje y una estrategia nacional de compostaje, mientras que la Ley de Accesibilidad e Infraestructura de Reciclaje crearía un programa piloto de la EPA para construir proyectos de infraestructura de reciclaje en áreas rurales y comunidades de escasos recursos. En respuesta a ello, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) emitió la siguiente declaración de Alejandro Pérez, vicepresidente senior de políticas y asuntos gubernamentales:

“La semana pasada, 61 activistas y personal de WWF se reunieron con miembros del Congreso para solicitar medidas para hacer que los sistemas de reciclaje y compostaje sean más accesibles para todos los estadounidenses. Hoy felicitamos al Senado por aprobar, con un fuerte apoyo bipartidista, dos medidas importantes que facilitarán que más personas reduzcan los desechos plásticos. La adopción de estas prácticas propuestas es un paso positivo para evitar que los plásticos lleguen hasta nuestros océanos, ríos, vertederos e incluso nuestros cuerpos. Ahora instamos a la Cámara de Representantes para que apruebe estos proyectos de ley que contribuirán a mejorar los sistemas de gestión de residuos de Estados Unidos, con la confianza de que cuentan con un fuerte apoyo tanto de los consumidores como de las empresas para actuar. Las futuras generaciones están contando con nosotros para mantener el plástico alejado de la naturaleza”.

WWF Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan Recycling Legislation

2024-03-13T00:00:00-04:00

The Senate this week passed two bipartisan bills from Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper, Ranking Member Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, and Sen. John Boozman that would help reduce plastic pollution by investing in America’s recycling and composting systems. The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect additional data on recycling and a national composting strategy, while the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act would create an EPA pilot program to build recycling infrastructure projects in rural and underserved communities. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:

“Last week, 61 WWF activists and staff met with members of Congress asking for action to make recycling and composting systems more accessible for all Americans. Today, we commend the Senate for passing two important measures with strong bipartisan support that will make it easier for more people to reduce plastic waste. The adoption of these practical proposals is a positive step forward to keeping plastics out of our oceans, rivers, landfills and even our bodies. We now urge the House to pass these bills to improve America’s waste management systems with the confidence that they have strong support from consumers and businesses alike to act. Future generations are counting on us to keep plastic out of nature.”

Invasive Carp Consortium Harnesses Industry Power to Combat Fish Species Devastating US Waterways

2024-03-10T00:00:00-05:00

Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Freshwater Select, in collaboration with industry partners, launched the Invasive Carp Consortium (ICC) which will propel market forces to halt the damage caused by invasive carp to U.S. lakes and rivers. By increasing demand for carp products as a source of protein for both humans and animals, the ICC unifies and amplifies the private sector’s commitment to reduce the population of this harmful species and counteract its environmental damage while contributing to a circular economy.

Invasive carp, originally introduced into the U.S. decades ago as a novel tool for pond cleaning, have infested and overwhelmed river systems in the American Midwest. The fish weigh around 30 pounds and jump high out of water, colliding with anything in their path. Their proliferation has devastated sport fishing, eliminated recreational water sports, killed off native species, and wreaked havoc on aquatic ecosystems.

“Over the years there have been several invasive carp eradication programs, but these fish continue to spread like a plague throughout our waterways,” said Ellen Dierenfeld, who leads sustainable feed innovation at WWF. “We’re coming at this problem in a totally new way that hits two targets at once. By developing market demand for enhanced carp products for human and animal feed, we create viable options for harvesting these fish on a large scale, adding to the blue economy as well as food system circularity. And we also alleviate some of the adverse environmental effects of traditional livestock, aquaculture, and animal feed production.”

“Developing markets for invasive carp is the ultimate long-term solution to what was once considered an unsolvable problem,” said Matthew Sulkowski, CEO of Freshwater Select. “Everyone benefits here. With this level of industry collaboration and support, fishers will be able to harvest carp more safely and responsibly, processors will have access to a longer-term supply of high-quality carp, and companies can support a critical environmental initiative by purchasing it.”

The ICC is an industry trade association whose members represent the broader private sector actors in the carp supply chain. Key tenants of the organization include providing education and outreach to support market growth while adhering to sustainable business practices, and creating a more robust, responsible, and transparent food supply chain market through data and transparency into the freshwater fish industry.

For more information, visit https://invasivecarpconsortium.com/

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Media Contacts:

Lorin Hancock, World Wildlife Fund, Lorin.Hancock@wwfus.org

Matthew Sulkowski, Matt@FreshwaterSelect.com

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Global Salmon Initiative and World Wildlife Fund Launch ESG Risk Assessment Tool for Feed Ingredients

2024-03-06T00:00:00-05:00

London, United Kingdom – March 6, 10am BST: Today, Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched a first of its kind environmental, social, governance (ESG) risk assessment tool for feed ingredients. The tool will improve visibility into supply chains, allowing stakeholders to better identify and address possible ESG risks. GSI and WWF designed the tool to support the salmon farming sector, but the wider animal protein production sectors, including livestock, may also benefit from its use.

The tool provides a consistent and aligned framework for farming companies to engage with their respective feed suppliers in order to get a holistic overview of possible risks in the feed supply chain. These risks could include biodiversity loss, climate change, resource use, environmental footprint, health and welfare, nutrition, human rights, and governance, among others. It can also help companies assess the scalability of future novel ingredients. With this knowledge, companies can make more informed sourcing decisions aligned with their strategic priorities and values. The tool, developed over a three-year period in consultation with the GSI members, WWF, and industry feed companies, is the first time a common methodology is available to support greater alignment in feed data collection.

“Feed ingredient sourcing remains one of the main sustainability challenges in salmon farming, and food production more broadly,” said Daniel Miller, aquaculture lead specialist at WWF. “The surprising amount of unknown information in feed-ingredient supply chains leaves the sector open to unintentional risks and vulnerabilities—even for companies prioritizing sustainable, ethical production. With this tool, GSI members are taking a proactive approach to address these risks and identify opportunities to improve the supply chain. Looking at supply chains broadly and holistically doesn’t just mitigate risk; it also facilitates more informed and strategic decisions.”

“We know we need to improve the level of transparency and traceability in our supply chains. Not only for our own knowledge, but also to provide feedback and assurances to our stakeholders whether customers, regulators, communities or long-term investors that we are sourcing from responsible and sustainable sources. By developing a common tool so producers can all ask the same questions of the supply chain which will streamline requests and improve the level of traceability, ultimately supporting accelerated improvements in the sustainability of the ingredients being used for feed,” said Tor Eirik Homme, Director of Feed and Nutrition, Grieg Seafood.

“This tool isn’t designed only for farmed salmon, or even just aquaculture, we see it having critical impact across the animal protein production sectors, and even pet feed, that all share many of the same supply chains and risks. While GSI has taken the first step to develop and trial the tool, we will now be working with other WWF partners to expand its use,” added Miller.

Sourcing feed ingredients from diverse supply chains makes it challenging to identify and mitigate all the current and potential ESG risks of our global operations. We’ve made significant progress over the past few years in addressing many of these risks, but we have more work to do and our pace needs to accelerate. We support the implementation of the ESG tool because it will help us better identify what we know and what we don’t know about the impacts of certain ingredients, and in addressing these concerns, we will increase the transparency in our sourcing and ultimately improve our performance,” added Jorge Diaz Salinas, Sustainability Manager, Skretting.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has also reviewed the tool and intends to incorporate it as one of its due diligence mechanisms to be part of the ASC Feed Standard certification process.

In addition to the tool, WWF in collaboration with GSI and Grieg Seafood, released a business case, Feed of the Future: Transparent and Traceable. The paper outlines the challenges inherent in feed production, the development of the tool, and Grieg Seafood’s experience applying it to their supply chain.

The tool is in its first iteration and will be updated as companies begin to use it and collect insights into their supply chains. Additionally, annual amendments will ensure the tool continues to support and deliver on its intended purpose.

All data collected as part of the tool is confidential and only shared between feed supplier and farming company. By using the tool and identifying possible risks, the aim is to utilize this knowledge to encourage innovation, spur continued developments in the sourcing of feed ingredients to minimize ESG risk, and ensure farmed salmon continues to offer a healthy and sustainable food choice.

For more information on the tool, on what it covers and strives to achieve, please view these two supporting documents:

ABOUT GSI

Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) is a leadership initiative established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers focused on making significant progress on industry sustainability. Today, GSI comprises 22 companies that are fully committed to realizing a shared goal of providing a highly sustainable source of healthy food to feed a growing global population, whilst minimizing our environmental footprint, and continuing to improve our social contributions.

GSI member companies are Australis Seafoods S.A.; Bakkafrost; Blumar; Cermaq; Salmones Camanchaca SA; Empresas AquaChile; Grieg Seafood ASA; Huon Aquaculture, Multiexport Foods S.A.; Nova Sea AS; Salmones Austral; Salmones Aysen; Tassal; and Ventisqueros. GSI companies have a presence in Australia, Canada, Chile, Faroe Islands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

GSI also has a number of supply chain Associate Members in both the feed and pharmaceutical industries, including Benchmark Holdings plc; BioMar; Cargill; Elanco; Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD) Animal Health; PHARMAQ; Salmofood; and Skretting.

For further information on GSI, please visit or contact us at:

Website – www.globalsalmoninitiative.org
Twitter – @GSI_Salmon
LinkedIn – Global Salmon Initiative
Instagram – @GSI_Salmon

Media contact:

Sophie Ryan
GSI CEO
sryan@globalsalmoninitiative.org

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Media contact:

Lorin Hancock

World Wildlife Fund Media Relations

Lorin.Hancock@wwfus.org

Respuesta de WWF al llamado corporativo para que se tomen medidas presidenciales ante la contaminación por plásticos

2024-03-05T00:00:00-05:00

Esta semana, la Coalición Empresarial para un Tratado Global de Plásticos emitió una carta al presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, expresando su apoyo a soluciones políticas integrales para abordar la crisis de contaminación por plásticos. Las empresas instaron a un fuerte liderazgo federal que promulgue políticas como la Responsabilidad Amplia del Productor (RAP), para incentivar a las empresas a reducir su huella ecológica causada por los plásticos, diseñar materiales fáciles de reciclar y mantener el plástico fuera de la naturaleza. Esta carta llega después de que WWF y varias otras organizaciones líderes pidieran un enfoque gubernamental integral a nivel federal para promover soluciones ambiciosas ante la contaminación critica ocasionada por plásticos.

En respuesta, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) emitió las siguientes declaraciones:

-- Alejandro Pérez, vicepresidente senior de políticas y asuntos gubernamentales, dijo:

“La Administración Biden tiene una clara oportunidad de impulsar una acción histórica para resolver la crisis ante la contaminación por plásticos. Este nivel de apoyo intersectorial y unificado de las empresas lideres, fundaciones y organizaciones sin fines de lucro de Estados Unidos para lograr soluciones ambiciosas indican que hay un gran apoyo a medidas significativas del gobierno federal para reducir los desechos plásticos”.

“Este es el momento para que la Administración acelere su ya significativo liderazgo en este tema. Avanzar con un plan federal integral y coordinado ayudará a abordar la contaminación por plásticos en los Estados Unidos y es el complemento perfecto para los esfuerzos que la Administración esta impulsando a nivel internacional".

-- Erin Simon, vicepresidenta de residuos de plásticos y negocios, añadió:

“El conjunto de voces que abogan por una acción política significativa e integral para afrontar nuestra crisis de contaminación por plásticos es demasiado fuerte para ignorarlo. Este es un tema por el que abogan apasionadamente los votantes, las organizaciones sin fines de lucro y las fundaciones; hoy el apoyo corporativo está elevando aún más este llamado”.

“Las empresas líderes han avanzado tomando algunas medidas para eliminar sus huellas de contaminación por plásticos. Para tener un impacto que esté a la misma altura de esta crisis debemos abordar políticas y sistemas de reciclaje inadecuados. Una política nacional de responsabilidad ampliada del productor, que requeriría que las empresas asuman la responsabilidad de sus productos de plástico desde la cuna hasta la tumba, proporcionaría la consistencia y los incentivos necesarios para impulsar a nuestro país hacia una nueva era en la lucha contra la contaminación por plásticos”.

"A medida que nos acercamos a la próxima ronda de discusiones internacionales hacia un tratado global sobre plásticos, esperamos que nuestros líderes escuchen este llamado a la acción y respondan. Demostremos al mundo que somos congruentes con lo que decimos y lideremos el camino hacia una economía circular”.

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WWF Response to Corporate Call for Presidential Action on Plastic

2024-03-05T00:00:00-05:00

This week, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty issued a letter to President Biden, expressing their support for comprehensive policy solutions to address the plastic pollution crisis. The Coalition urged strong federal leadership to enact policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), to incentivize companies to reduce their plastic footprints, design easy-to-recycle materials, and keep plastic out of nature. This letter comes after WWF and several other leading organizations called for a whole-of-government approach at the federal level to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution.

In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statements from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs; and Erin Simon, vice president and head of plastic waste + business:

“The Biden Administration has a clear opportunity to drive historic action toward solving the plastic pollution crisis. This level of cross-sector, unified support from leading American businesses, foundations and nonprofits for ambitious solutions signals strong support for meaningful and bold steps by the federal government to reduce plastic waste.

“This is the moment for the Administration to accelerate its already-significant leadership on this issue. Advancing a comprehensive and coordinated federal plan will help tackle plastic pollution in the US and is the perfect complement to the Administration’s ongoing efforts at the international level.”

-- Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs

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“This surround-sound of voices advocating meaningful, comprehensive policy action on our plastic pollution crisis is too loud to ignore. This is an issue passionately advocated for by voters, nonprofits and foundations -- and corporate support is making this call even stronger.

“Leading companies have made some progress in addressing their plastic footprints. To make an impact at the scale of this crisis, we need to tackle the jumble of disparate policies and inadequate recycling systems. Nationwide EPR policy, which would require companies to take responsibility for their plastic products from cradle to grave, would provide the consistency and incentives needed to jumpstart our country toward a new era in tackling plastic pollution.

“As we head into the next round of international discussions toward a global plastics treaty, we hope our leaders hear this call for action and respond. Let’s show the world that we will put our money where our mouth is and lead the way toward a circular economy. “

-- Erin Simon, vice president and head of plastic waste + business

Lanzan en Belice nuevo e innovador servicio de crédito para pescadores artesanales

2024-02-12T00:00:00-05:00

En un esfuerzo por promover la pesca sostenible y una mejor administración del rico entorno marino de Belice, el Gobierno de Belice y World Wildlife Fund (WWF) anunciaron hoy que unirán fuerzas con Development Finance Corporation de Belice y Wildlife Conservation Society para establecer un programa piloto que ayude a los pescadores artesanales autorizados a través de préstamos adaptados a sus necesidades. En respuesta a lo anterior, Chris Holtz, vicepresidente de Earth for Life de WWF-US, dijo:

“La conservación exitosa de los océanos en Belice depende tanto de los medios de subsistencia sostenibles de los pescadores como de la protección de las pesquerías a largo plazo. Al asociarnos con Development Finance Corporation de Belice, apoyaremos a los pescadores autorizados para que inviertan en artes y prácticas para pescar de manera más sostenible. El programa piloto de préstamos para pesquerías artesanales es más que un simple producto de préstamo diseñado conjuntamente con los pescadores. Es un paquete de apoyo que incluye capacitación en materia de educación financiera, gestión pesquera y métodos de recopilación de datos. Como caso de prueba y para incluir este tipo de financiamiento para el desarrollo como una iniciativa de los Proyectos de Financiamiento para la Permanencia, WWF está entusiasmado ante la posible apertura de nuevas opciones de financiamiento tanto para los medios de subsistencia comunitarios como para la conservación”.

New Innovative Credit Facility for Artisanal Fishers Launched in Belize

2024-02-12T00:00:00-05:00

In an effort to promote sustainable fishing and stronger stewardship of Belize’s rich marine environment, the Government of Belize and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced they are joining forces with the Development Finance Corporation of Belize and Wildlife Conservation Society to establish a pilot program to support licensed artisanal fishers through loans tailored to their needs. In response, Chris Holtz, WWF-US vice president for Earth for Life said:

“Successful ocean conservation in Belize depends on sustainable livelihoods for fishers as much as long-term fisheries protection. By partnering with Belize’s Development Finance Corporation, we will support licensed fishers to invest in the gear and practices to fish more sustainably. The Artisanal Fishing Loan pilot is more than just a loan product co-designed with fisherman. It is a package of support that includes training in financial literacy, fisheries management, and data collection methods. As the test case for including this type of development finance in a Project Finance for Permanence initiative, WWF is excited for the potential opening up of new financing options for both community livelihoods and conservation.”

LLamado al presidente Biden para que instituya un enfoque gubernamental integral frente a la contaminación por plásticos

2024-02-09T00:00:00-05:00

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) se une a varias ONG y fundaciones para enviar una carta al presidente Biden pidiéndole que instituya un enfoque gubernamental integral a nivel federal para promover soluciones ambiciosas ante la contaminación por plásticos, tanto en Estados Unidos como a nivel internacional. WWF emitió el siguiente comunicado de Alejandro Pérez, vicepresidente senior de políticas y asuntos gubernamentales:

“La contaminación por plásticos devasta nuestro medio ambiente y amenaza la salud económica y humana de nuestras comunidades, por lo que necesitamos acciones significativas en todos los niveles de la sociedad, junto con el liderazgo del gobierno de Estados Unidos. Hacemos un llamado al Presidente para que plantee este tema en toda su administración, activando todas las capacidades del gobierno federal y señalando el liderazgo estadounidense en un tema de importancia global”.

“La Administración ya ha demostrado un liderazgo significativo, incluso trabajando con otros países para asegurar un acuerdo internacional para poner fin a la contaminación por plásticos. Debemos aprovechar esta oportunidad única para encaminarnos hacia un futuro en el que el plástico ya no termine en la naturaleza”.

Extracto de la carta al presidente Biden:

"Al instituir un enfoque de todo el gobierno a nivel federal, se pueden potenciar estos crecientes esfuerzos, ayudarlos a florecer y agregar un gran impulso a los esfuerzos para promover soluciones ambiciosas a la contaminación por plásticos en EE. UU. y a nivel internacional...."

“También necesitamos acciones concertadas en Estados Unidos para implementar soluciones hoy mismo. Las acciones presidenciales para abordar la contaminación por plásticos aquí en nuestro país estimularán la certeza regulatoria que las empresas líderes están pidiendo para permitirles innovar y avanzar más rápido. También ayudará a impulsar la ambición global durante un momento crucial”.

“El presidente Biden tiene la oportunidad de poner todo el peso del gobierno federal respaldando soluciones que catalicen una economía circular y ayuden a sentar las bases para lograr una acción global concertada. Estamos siendo testigos de una oleada de apoyo por parte de las empresas y del público estadounidense. Es hora de potenciarlo con un enfoque gubernamental para reducir la contaminación por plásticos”.

Call for President Biden to Institute a Whole-of-Government Approach to Plastic Pollution

2024-02-09T00:00:00-05:00

Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined several NGOs and foundations to issue a letter to President Biden calling for him to institute a whole-of-government approach at the federal level to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution, both in the U.S. and internationally. WWF issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:

“With plastic pollution devastating our environment and threatening the economic and human health of our communities, we need bold action at all levels of society with the U.S. government leading the way. We are calling on the President to elevate this issue across his Administration, activating the full power of the federal government and signaling American leadership on an issue of global significance.

“The Administration has already demonstrated significant leadership, including by working with other countries toward securing an international agreement to end plastic pollution. We must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to set ourselves on a course to a future where plastic no longer ends up in nature.

"By instituting a whole-of-government approach at the federal level, you can empower these growing efforts, help them flourish, and add significant momentum to efforts to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution in the U.S. and internationally. We respectfully encourage you to take such presidential action…" - Excerpt from Letter to President Biden

“We also need concerted action in the U.S. to put solutions in place now. Presidential action to address plastic pollution here at home will spur the regulatory certainty that leading companies are calling for to enable them to innovate and move further faster. It will also help to drive global ambition at a pivotal moment.

“President Biden has an opportunity to put the full weight of the federal government behind solutions to catalyze a circular economy and set the stage for concerted global action. We are witnessing a groundswell of support from business and the American public. It’s time to supercharge it with a government-wide approach to reducing plastic pollution.”

Read the letter here.

WWF statement on global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C over 12-month period

2024-02-08T00:00:00-05:00

Today, the Copernicus Climate Change Service released data detailing the record-breaking temperatures recorded in January 2024, making it the warmest January on record. The data shows that Earth endured 12 consecutive months with global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, WWF senior vice president of climate change:

“This is yet another reminder that while much has been accomplished, our work to-date to address climate change isn’t enough. This warmest January on record marked the eighth month in a row of record-setting temperatures. It’s time to stop ignoring the bell that tolls for a climate tragedy, and use this data to inform our next steps, both in the U.S. and globally.

“We must act in the next six years to bend the curve on emissions, so what we decide to do now is more important than ever before -- and the solutions are within our reach. Action now must consist of activities like tripling renewable energy deployment, phasing out fossil fuels, taking gas cars off the road, electrifying our homes and buildings, and investing in green technologies to transform industry and food systems.

“It's going to require active intervention, but committing to these steps can significantly shift the fight against climate change in our favor. We must pick up the pace to ensure a healthier, more just, and sustainable future.”

WWF Statement on Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Reauthorization (WILD) Act

2024-02-05T00:00:00-05:00

The House of Representatives on Monday passed the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Reauthorization (WILD) Act, which would reauthorize critical U.S. Fish and Wildlife conservation programs for five years, including the Multinational Species Conservation Funds to conserve some of the world's most iconic species. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:

"Renewal of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds will ensure the U.S. continues to lead global efforts to protect endangered elephants, rhinos, tigers, great apes, and sea turtles in the wild. The strong bipartisan support for the WILD Act in today's House vote is a testament to the effectiveness of these programs and the unifying power of efforts to conserve wildlife around the world. WWF thanks Reps. Dave Joyce and Debbie Dingell for their leadership to advance the WILD Act and urges the Senate to pass this important legislation without delay."

WWF statement on White House announcing pause of liquid natural gas export approvals

2024-01-26T00:00:00-05:00

The Biden administration announced Friday a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of liquid natural gas until the Department of Energy updates how it makes such authorizations. The revised approval process is expected to better account for the climate impacts of natural gas. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate:

“The administration’s decision to pause approving additional liquid natural gas export facilities is the right one, and an important step in the transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels. We would encourage the administration to work with private sector partners to further decrease liquid natural gas exports in order to support the global transition toward clean energy sources.”

WWF Statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act

2023-12-28T00:00:00-05:00

Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. To celebrate, WWF has released the following statement:

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, one of the nation's bedrock environmental laws. Since 1973, the Endangered Species Act has prevented 99% of its listed species from extinction and has served as a global model for responsible wildlife protection. The Act represents one of the most significant innovations in conservation due to its comprehensive protection for species and their habitats, its science-based approach, its citizen engagement, interagency cooperation and the development of recovery plans and programs.

The Endangered Species Act plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity which is crucial for ecosystem resilience and human health and wellbeing. It is increasingly important in the context of climate change, as shifting climates add additional stress on already struggling threatened and endangered wildlife.

World Wildlife Fund is deeply committed to amplifying the impact of the Endangered Species Act, and of the people whose lives and livelihoods depend upon its success. We work with local communities to implement conservation solutions that advance recovery of listed species like the black-footed ferret, one of North America’s most endangered mammals. The Endangered Species Act enabled the establishment of captive breeding programs and reintroductions to facilitate black-footed ferret recovery. Black-footed ferrets are on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and sylvatic plague, a non-native disease lethal to both ferrets and prairie dogs, their main prey. Currently, there are about 390 ferrets in the wild, which is far below the 3,000 needed to achieve recovery.

Novel techniques and tools, including thermal cameras to detect ferrets at night and plague-protecting baits and vaccines, are vital to safeguarding this species. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act and collective efforts of many partners and innovative interventions, this masked bandit of the prairie now has a second chance to survive and thrive. On this day, WWF thanks and celebrates our partnerships with Native Nations, federal, state, and private entities, who are guiding the work to restore black-footed ferrets.

This anniversary of the Endangered Species Act underscores the importance of continued commitment, innovative conservation strategies, and ambitious cooperation to ensure that endangered species are protected for future generations. The 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act is a chance to reflect on the progress made and strengthen our resolve to address the complex ecological issues of our time.

WWF-US statement on COP28: Long-awaited acknowledgement, but fails to meet the moment for decisive action

2023-12-18T00:00:00-05:00

Last week, the UNFCCC released the cover decision from COP28 in Dubai. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change:

For the first time, the final decision of the UNFCCC COP28 contains a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. While this provides a long-awaited acknowledgment that the burning of coal, oil and gas is the main cause of global warming, the language falls short of a clear call for the phase out of all fossil fuels. The agreed upon language remains insufficient to meet the moment and requires further global action to keep 1.5°C alive in this decisive decade. We must persist with necessary urgency and not fall back on unrealistic promises that carbon capture technologies or “transition fuels” will solve the climate crisis.

We know from our lived experiences that floods, heat waves, storms and wildfires are threatening our way of living. Across the globe, 2 billion people are living through drought that threatens food and water security that can quickly become the source of political conflict and regional instability. We must put aside excuses and act on the need to leave our fossil fuel powered past behind.

The early decision at COP to operationalize the Loss and Damage fund for climate vulnerable nations was an important step in the right direction. So was the pledge by 130 countries to triple the amount of renewable energy deployed and double the rate of energy efficiency. This must be followed up by more ambition and funding to help countries adapt to rising temperatures and preserve nature as our main ally in the fight against climate change. As we leave Dubai and prepare for COP29 in Baku, we must move the needle on carbon pollution. The tide has turned on the era of fossil fuels and now is the time to secure a livable future for ourselves, our children and our planet.

WWF Releases its 4th Annual Transparent Report, Unveiling Progress on Plastic Footprints for Several of the World’s Biggest Brands

2023-12-14T00:00:00-05:00

Today, World Wildlife Fund’s ReSource: Plastic program released its fourth annual public report, Transparent 2023, revealing how some of the world’s largest brands are tracking, measuring, and reporting on their respective plastic footprints. The data compiled in the report reveals insights and in-depth recommendations on tackling plastic waste within internal, corporate supply chains, and across wider multi-stakeholder efforts. The elimination of unnecessary, single-use plastic continues to be the most important action that companies can take to directly address the plastic pollution crisis through their own portfolios.

Transparent 2023 examines the plastic footprints of ReSource Members Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive, CVS Health, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company. The report captures each company’s plastic by polymer type and form, their use of recycled content and sustainably sourced biobased content, and the likely waste management pathways for the aggregate portfolio. The comprehensive report includes progress made by each ReSource Member from 2021 to 2022 and compares year-over-year results for legacy Members.

“All companies should be reporting on their plastic footprint—something we are advocating for in the UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution,” said Erin Simon, vice president of plastic waste + business at World Wildlife Fund. “ReSource Member companies are ahead of the curve, demonstrating that plastic reporting is not an onerous or impossible task. Their transparency enables lessons to be learned and actions to be taken that will reverberate across supply chains and industries worldwide.”

For the first time, ReSource is collecting comprehensive data from its Members on reuse efforts with the hope of sharing learnings on the best ways to eliminate plastic waste. WWF sees reuse systems emerging as a key strategy, with all nine Members exploring reuse in some capacity. This year’s Transparent report also measured progress and captured invaluable insights across four areas, including: eliminating unnecessary plastic, doubling global recycling and composting, shifting to sustainable inputs for remaining plastic, and improving data harmonization.

As for the 2023 key findings, please see the below top-level highlights:

Five ReSource Members saw an overall reduction in their virgin fossil-based plastic tonnage from 2021 to 2022.
Of the nine Members, four have reduced and five have increased their absolute tonnage of plastic since their baseline.
Despite progress in some areas, the total weight of plastic in the aggregate portfolio increased by 0.8% to 7.26 million metric tons in 2022 from 7.20 million metric tons in 2021.
Overall, ReSource Members have made progress to reduce problematic plastics. In 2022, these products made up 1.2% of Member portfolios, which is less than half of the 3.2% in the 2018 baseline year.
Among ReSource Members, the use of recycled content has increased to 12% in 2022 from 10.2% in 2021.
The share of packaging that is recyclable has increased to 72.5% in 2022 from 70.4% in 2021.

Learn more about how ReSource measures and analyzes data through the ReSource Footprint Tracker here.

WWF recently joined the Steering Committee of the Scaling Plastics Disclosure initiative to inform and support the expansion of the CDP’s plastic questionnaire. As the CDP questionnaire becomes increasingly robust and comprehensive, our intent is for it to replace the mandatory annual reporting for ReSource Members that currently occurs through the ReSource Footprint Tracker. As part of the Scaling Plastics Disclosure initiative and ReSource: Plastic, the ReSource Footprint Tracker serves as a tool for companies wishing to understand not only the amount and the kinds of plastics they are releasing into the market, but also the waste and leakage being generated as a result. It also provides a common framework for companies to report on their plastic impact.

Understanding the scope of the problem through plastic reporting is the first step to addressing plastic pollution. ReSource Members are demonstrating that plastic reporting is possible. However, voluntary corporate action is not sufficient to address the scale and urgency of the plastic waste crisis. National and international policy action, through a legally binding Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution and Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, is critical to ensuring a future free of plastic waste. Six out of nine Members are actively engaged in the Global Treaty process.

To view the full report, click here. To view the executive summary, click here.

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

ReSource: Plastic Member Quotes

Amcor

“In addition to doing our job of helping to deliver products safely, we also make our packaging more circular by designing for recyclability, lowering the demand for virgin resources and using more recycled content. We have increased our target on recycled content use across the Amcor portfolio to 30% by 2030 and were the first global packaging company to pledge to design all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.” He added, “However, all of us in the packaging value chain need to work together to ensure that recycling infrastructure is in place, feasible reuse systems are introduced, and that consumers are engaged to use those systems to return used packages to be recycled or used over and over again.” -- David Clark, Amcor's Vice President of Sustainability.

Colgate

“At Colgate-Palmolive we are excited to continue our partnership with WWF's ReSource program. WWF and our peer companies have worked hard to facilitate a key collaborative network that moves forward our sustainability ambition to Eliminate Plastic Waste. The WWF ReSource program is also supporting our collective work toward an ambitious UN Plastic Pollution Treaty." -Ann Tracy, CSO

Keurig Dr Pepper

“Keurig Dr Pepper’s packaging strategy is centered on advancing the use of more sustainable packaging materials and designs that use less virgin plastic. We continue to make progress against our ambitious 2025 sustainable packaging goals, including the increase of post-consumer recycled content across our plastic packaging from 11% in 2021 to 18% in 2022. We appreciate the WWF’s ReSource: Plastic program with data-driven recommendations to help drive industry focus on high impact actions.” – Charlie Schwarze, Senior Director of Sustainability, Keurig Dr Pepper

The Coca Cola Company

“In partnership with others, we are addressing the critical issue of packaging waste. Our goal is to help create a circular economy by 2030 where we get every bottle back so that none of it ends up as litter or in the oceans. We’ve set ambitious packaging goals for our business to help eliminate waste and increase reuse across the Coca-Cola system. We have made progress and recognize we have much more to do. We know by partnering with other organizations and across sectors, we can achieve more. That’s why we support a global treaty on marine plastic pollution and well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility legislation. We believe these efforts will help drive a more consistent approach to recycling infrastructure planning, investment and implementation across the world.” -- Michael Goltzman, Global Vice President, Public Policy, Environmental Sustainability and Social Impact

Starbucks

“At Starbucks, our environmental promise to give back more than we take from the planet underpins our efforts to cut our waste, water, and carbon footprints in half by 2030. To further our waste reduction, we’ve continued our shift toward reusables, with 20 reusable cup tests in markets around the world, as well as industry-leading single-use packaging solutions, like the recent roll out of our FSC-certified single-use cup made with 30% recycled material and 25% less plastic in the liner and our transition to 100% rPET Ethos water bottles in US and Canada. As we look to the future to meet our ambitious goals, programs like ReSource are key for collaboration across sectors to drive meaningful progress,” – Starbucks chief sustainability officer, Michael Kobori.