The previous World Scout Environment Programme offered tools, resources and initiatives to help Scouts all around the world work together for the good of the local and global environment. Under the WSEP, Scouts could identify threats to clean water and air in the environment and suggest solutions, understand global conservation issues affecting biodiversity, demonstrate what personal action could be taken to reduce harmful substances in the broader environment, identify better environmental practices for their local area, and demonstrate how to prepare other people for environmental hazards and natural disasters.

The new Champions for Nature Challenge badge

The WSEP has been relaunched and aligned with the SDGs through Earth Tribe - a global community taking the lead to preserve, protect and heal nature.

Within Earth Tribe the new Champions for Nature Challenge, formerly known as the World Conservation Badge aligns with the Scouts mission - 50 million Scouts making the world’s largest coordinated youth contribution to the SGDs. The Champions for Nature challenge focuses on two key themes:

• Better Choices - Developing Sustainable Habits towards a Healthy Lifestyle
• Biodiversity and Nature - Reconnecting with Nature and protecting it towards sustainability

These support six of the SGDs:

WWF and the World Organisation for the Scouting Movement (WOSM) recognize the enormous challenges facing our planet and the important role of young people in creating a more sustainable world. WWF and WOSM have a long history of working together which dates back to a collaboration on environmental education in 1973. By partnering, both organizations are mobilizing their networks to drive global awareness and action on nature and the environment.

WWF and WOSM have continued to work closely together to fulfil the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals through different initiatives and programmes, including the Earth Tribe and Champions for Nature Challenge, Earth Hour, Scouts for SDGs, and the establishment of Scout Centres for Excellence for Nature and the Environment (SCENES).

The collaboration aims to help achieve the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity Target 1, so that hundreds of millions of people understand the values of biodiversity and the current critical condition of our planet. Better informed and aware, people can take actions to protect biodiversity and nature, live more sustainably and expect the same of businesses and their governments.

This commitment has recently been strengthened with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding, deepening our collaboration to drive global awareness and action on nature and the environment, in recognition of the enormous challenges facing our planet and the important role of young people in creating a more sustainable world.