WWF - WWF Denmark office

Wildlife trade experts say climate, not commercial trade, is primary threat to polar bears

2012-10-29

A new report from the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC concludes that the major threat to polar bears is not international commercial trade, but habitat loss due the rapid melting of their preferred sea ice habitat.

"Icon on Ice: International Trade and Management of Polar Bears" gathers the best available information on the legal market for polar bear skins and other parts, and has been peer reviewed by international experts.

Download the report

"The retreat of sea-ice habitat, driven by runaway global climate change, is by far the leading threat to polar bears", says WWF polar bear specialist Geoff York. "The most urgent need for polar bear conservation at this time is an effective and strong climate change deal that keeps global average temperature increases under 2 degrees C and sets a clear path towards an equitable and sustainable low carbon economy."

Countries with polar bear populations are committed by international treaty to conserve polar bears and protect their habitat, and have identified climate change as the primary threat to address.

The TRAFFIC report makes recommendations to ensure trade remains sustainable, including better monitoring of polar bear populations, and improvements in trade data reporting and tracking, education, and enforcement to prevent illegal trade and poaching.

APP's double default on creditors

2012-03-27

European, Japanese taxpayers unwittingly underwrite continued
forest and tiger habitat destruction.

Pekanbaru, Sumatra; Gland, Switzerland: Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has been accused of a "double default" on international creditors, after an investigation revealed that the company has decimated tropical forests it promised to conserve under "legally binding" debt restructuring agreements.

"APP Default on Environmental Covenant," a new report from Sumatra NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest, shows that the company in 2004 agreed to protect high conservation value forest under debt restructuring agreements it made with taxpayer-backed financial institutions in nine countries. The debt restructuring agreements were negotiated after APP in 2001 defaulted on a massive $US13.9 billion of debt and was delisted by the New York and Singapore stock exchanges.

The 2004 agreements covered the restructuring of $6 billion in debt to the taxpayer-backed export credit agencies of Germany, Japan, France, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain and Denmark. Under the agreement, APP – part of the giant Sinar Mas conglomerate - also promised to be fully sustainable by 2007, something it defined as producing all pulp exclusively from plantation wood. The company described the agreements as a "legally binding contractual obligation".

Click to enlarge (© Eyes of the Forest)

The Eyes on the Forest investigation shows that 2007 was the year APP's wood suppliers began clearing the very areas of high conservation value forest in central Sumatra's Pulau Muda that had been highlighted by APP as an example of a new "scientific basis for the sustainable development of our plantations and the management of our conservation areas".

"Despite APP's praise for the independent mapping of the high conservation value forest in the Pulau Muda rainforest, our analysis of recent satellite imagery shows a third of the identified 34,000 hectares has now been drained and cleared," said Muslim Rasyid, co-ordinator of Jikalahari (Forest Rescue Network Raiu), a member of Eyes on the Forest.

Much of this clearing was legally questionable on other grounds, being on peat of more than four metres deep which when drained gives off colossal carbon emissions.

Promises cannot be trusted

"Even in legally binding agreements with government-backed credit institutions around the world, APP has demonstrated that its promises cannot be trusted," said Rod Taylor, Director of WWF International's Forest Programme.

"In just the last couple of months, it's been revealed that APP and affiliates have cleared inside a self-declared tiger sanctuary, that the company has made claims about sustainability certifications that its certifiers reject, and that protected timber species are present in supplies to its pulp mills."

APP has missed self-imposed deadlines of 2004, 2007, and 2009 of supplying its pulp mills exclusively from renewable plantation wood. An announcement it would finally fulfil this promise by 2015 was recently amended to a new deadline of 2020 – when there is a risk there will be little forest left in Sumatra. Eyes on the Forest calls on the ECAs and other investors to not finance APP's plans to expand existing or open new pulp and paper mills in Indonesia, in China and around the world.

"WWF urges taxpayers to tell their export credit agencies to stop supporting the destruction of Sumatran and other tropical forests and driving elephants, tigers and orang-utans to local extinction," said Nazir Foead, Conservation Director WWF-Indonesia.

"This is a company that defaulted on its debts and defaulted on the environmental covenants it agreed to as a condition of restructuring its debts. Any support to its plans to expand risks history repeating itself, with any new pulp mills adding to the over-capacity driving the assault on Sumatra's natural forests and wildlife.

"This is not a business model that should be financed by any prudent financial institution or investor for replication in Borneo, Papua or anywhere else."

For further information:
"APP Default on Environmental Covenant," a report by Eyes on the Forest (www.eyesontheforest.or.id), a coalition of Sumatra NGOs including WWF Riau, can be found here

The truth behind APP's greenwash, by Eyes on the Forest, compares APP claims of sustainability and responsibility to its actual practices. See http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?202809/Massive-APP-greenwash-campaign-is-mostly-hogwash-finds-new-report

APP certifiers distance themselves from sustainability claims http://wwf.panda.org/?203540/APP-certifiers-distance-themselves-from-sustainability-claims#disqus_thread

WWF-US last month detailed the link between APP's destruction of Sumatran rain forests and U.S. toilet paper imports. To download the report and learn more about WWF's tissue campaign, please visit www.worldwildlife.org/tp
Phil Dickie, pdickie@wwfint.org, +41 79 703 1952
Chris Chaplin, cchaplin@wwf.sg, +65 9826 3802

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. panda.org/news for latest news and media resources

Denmark tops first-of-its-kind Global Cleantech Innovation Index

2012-02-27

Denmark, followed by Israel, Sweden, Finland and the US provide the best conditions today for clean technology start-up creation, with companies in the Asia Pacific region following closely behind when it comes to commercial success, the first Global Cleantech Innovation Index shows.

In Coming Clean: The Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012, Cleantech Group and WWF looks at where entrepreneurial cleantech companies are growing today, reasons as to where they will spring-up over the coming years, and which countries are falling above and below the curve for fostering cleantech innovation.

Thirty-eight countries were evaluated on 15 indicators related to the creation and commercialisation of cleantech start-ups, generating an index measuring each one's potential, relative to their economic size, to produce entrepreneurial cleantech start-up companies and commercialise clean technology innovations over the next 10 years.

"The global macro-economic landscape is shifting; fostering entrepreneurial start-ups and growth companies with clean technology solutions will be an increasingly important part of countries' competitiveness on the world stage" said Richard Youngman, Managing Director Europe & Asia, Cleantech Group.

The four top scoring countries were Denmark, Israel, Sweden and Finland. These countries all have small economies and while they are the source of much innovation, they have less ability to scale-up companies. These small countries need innovative approaches and collaboration to compensate for the lack of large domestic markets and inconsistent availability of finance throughout a company's life-cycle.

"This index shows that several countries are on the right track, but clearly much more needs to be done if we are to properly address climate change and achieve a transition towards a global 100 percent renewable future," said Samantha Smith, leader of WWF's Global Climate and Energy Initiative.

"The overwhelming majority of capital required for making the transition to a low-carbon future will come from a variety of private sources. Developing a working recipe for strengthening the flow of public-private finance towards early as well as later stage cleantech is key for countries that want to taste the economic success of cleantech," she added.

North America and northern Europe emerged as the primary contributors to the development of innovative cleantech companies.

The US placed fifth in the Index. However in absolute terms, without factoring in economic size, the United States leads in many measures of cleantech innovation: the country has the greatest public cleantech R&D budget, the greatest number of cleantech start-ups and investors, as well as the most venture capital, private equity, and M&A deals in cleantech.

However, the Asia Pacific region performs well when it comes to scaling up entrepreneurial cleantech companies to wider commercial success and revenue creation.

While currently seeing fewer emerging cleantech start-ups and placing 13th, China leads in cleantech manufacturing, is strong in early-stage growth, and shows potential to produce more early stage innovation in the future.

The country is rapidly gaining access to funding due to success in raising money for cleantech-focused funds. Additionally, China has been home to the majority of cleantech IPOs since 2009, many of which listed on the recently established ChiNext board of the Shenzhen stock exchange.

Similarly, India scores 12th but is performing well in fund raising towards Cleantech focused funds and has much activity in later stage Cleantech companies.

Coming Clean: The Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012 is available as a free download from both Cleantech Group and WWF.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors
A free webinar, The Global State of Cleantech, discussing the findings is scheduled for February 28, 2012 at 9am GMT as well as 6pm GMT. Register at http://info.cleantech.com/CleantechIndexWebinar.html

For more information, please contact

Stefan Henningsson, Senior Adviser Climate Innovation, WWF International, +46 70 57 99 291, stefan.henningsson@wwf.panda.org, Twitter: shenningsson

Barbara Evaeus, Manager Climate Communications, WWF Sweden, Barbara.evaeus@wwf.se, +46 70 393 90 30

Arjowiggins Graphic joins WWF International Climate Savers program

2012-02-23

Paris, France - Arjowiggins Graphic, the leading manufacturer of technical and creative papers in the world has just joined the ambitious WWF International Climate Savers program joining other global companies such as Coca-Cola, Volvo, Sony and Nike.

The company is present in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia and is the only paper manufacturer that has strongly reshaped its activity towards an innovative and leading sustainable business model. Arjowiggins Graphic manufactures paper with a high percentage of recycled fibres, and boasts the most extensive range of papers on the European market, establishing itself as the benchmark for recycled papers.

Created over 10 years ago, the WWF International Climate Savers program mobilises these leading multinational companies to cut their CO2 emissions in absolute terms and to lead on the issue of climate change. The program has shown that it's possible to reduce carbon footprint while still growing the business and shareholder value.

Companies integrated in the Climate Savers Program agree to reduce their CO2 emissions in accordance with an individual reduction target defined by WWF, the company and independent technical experts.

The agreed goal is set to be more ambitious than the company's initial plan, which will position the company as a leader in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Arjowiggins Graphic's Climate Savers commitment is to reduce its greenhouse gas absolute emissions of 23% between 2007 and 2014, with a sub-target of 10% reduction for each ton of paper produced. This will be achieved:

by the biomass steam production at Dalum using wood residues
by avoiding the use of natural gas,
by the growth of recycled paper volumes, and
by the replacement of synthetic binders to natural ones.

The independent technical experts from Ecofys will monitor the progress on a yearly basis and oversee that Arjowiggins Graphic complies with its targets.

"WWF International works with best-in-class companies in order to effect change throughout the entire sector by pushing sector leaders to take on ever more ambitious CO2 reduction targets. The Arjowiggins Graphic agreement is an opportunity to demonstrate that low carbon solutions exist even within sectors that are generally considered difficult," said Bruce Haase, WWF's Head of Climate and Business Engagement.

Agnès Roger, CEO of Arjowiggins Graphic says : "We are focusing on being exemplary in the management of our environmental impact. Energy efficiency management and greenhouse gas emission reductions are fundamental to our future and fully part of our Company strategy."

Ms Roger added, "We see the integration into Climate Savers program as a very good opportunity to leverage experience and knowledge with the best in class worldwide companies truly engaged in a low carbon economy."

New melt record for Greenland ice sheet

2011-01-21

New York: New research shows that 2010 set new records for the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, expected to be a major contributor to projected sea level rises in coming decades.

"This past melt season was exceptional, with melting in some areas stretching up to 50 days longer than average," said Dr. Marco Tedesco, Director of the Cryosphere Processes Laboratory at the City College of New York (CCNY – CUNY), who is leading a project studying variables that affect ice sheet melting.

"Melting in 2010 started exceptionally early at the end of April and ended quite late in mid- September."

The study, with different aspects sponsored by WWF, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA, examined surface temperature anomalies over the Greenland ice sheet surface, as well as estimates of surface melting from satellite data, ground observations and models.

In an article published today in Environmental Research Letters, Dr Tedesco and co-authors note that in 2010, summer temperatures up to three degrees C above the average were combined with reduced snowfall.

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, had the warmest spring and summer since records began in 1873.

Bare ice was exposed earlier than the average and longer than previous years, contributing to the extreme record.

"Bare ice is much darker than snow and absorbs more solar radiation," said Dr Tedesco.

"Other ice melting feedback loops that we are examining include the impact of lakes on the glacial surface, of dust and soot deposited over the ice sheet and how surface meltwater affects the flow of the ice toward the ocean."

WWF climate specialist Dr. Martin Sommerkorn said "Sea level rise is expected to top one metre by 2100, largely due to melting from ice sheets. And it will not stop there – the longer we take to limit greenhouse gas production, the more melting and water level rise will continue."

Video: Melting streams, supraglacial lakes and meltwater flowing through ice cracks recorded in Greenland during 2009 and 2010.

For further information:

Dr. Marco Tedesco
Cryosphere Processes Laboratory, The City College of New York
mtedesco@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
Ph: +1 2126507027, Cell: + 1 2023754884

Martin Sommerkorn
WWF Global Arctic Programme
msommerkorn@wwf.no
Cell: +47 9260 6995

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Historic high seas declaration at risk

2010-09-01

Hamburg, Germany: Last minute reservations from four countries may sink the historic announcement of a network of marine protected areas over key areas of the mid-Atlantic Ridge and basin which was scheduled for the North-East Atlantic environment summit later this month.

The declaration, foreshadowed by the OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic since 2008, would have been the world's first declaration of a suite of protected sites in waters outside any national jurisdiction.

"The sixteen Contracting Parties have been working towards a milestone achievement for several years, setting a global example to protect ocean wildlife and vulnerable habitats in international waters which is considered an unprecedented pilot by other coastal states worldwide," said Stephan Lutter, International Marine Policy Officer with WWF-Germany and WWF's observer to OSPAR, the Oslo Paris convention on the north east Atlantic environment.

"Now, the reservation by four governments is putting the big break at risk."

Ministers representing parties to OSPAR were scheduled to consider detailed proposals at a meeting in Bergen, Norway on 20-24 September.

"However now that the draft Decisions and Recommendations are on the table for adoption, a group of countries sadly withdraw their support to what could become a global push for good High Seas and ocean governance," said Lutter. "Due to the reluctance of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom, the ambitious plan to deliver a first network of High Seas marine protected areas is at stake."

The new found reluctance of these states to stick to their original commitments is thought to relate to them notifying extensions of their continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) to the United Nations. These seabed claims now coincide with parts of the proposed marine protected areas.

OSPAR's 2008 agreement in principle designated large sections of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the so-called Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone as the first High Seas marine protected area. This underwater mountain range and canyon hosts a wealth of deep sea wildlife, from deep water sharks to cold-water coral reefs and sponge formations. In the upper water layer, there is the sub-polar water front rich in plankton and fish, attracting oceanic seabirds and migrating marine mammals such as big whales.

"Since the time of this political milestone agreement, OSPAR has made remarkable progress in terms of carving out specific conservation objectives and starting consultations about the future management of the protected area with the competent UN authorities for fisheries, seabed mining and shipping, another unique and innovative approach deserving global attention," Lutter said.

Moreover, five additional seamount and ridge sites have been selected and nominated as marine protected areas in the meantime, altogether covering about 450.000 square km or appr. 9% of the North-East Atlantic's international waters.

WWF disputes the basis of reservations of the four countries. Legal advice, including reports commissioned with Law of the Sea experts by WWF, notes the feasibility of establishing marine protected areas via shared responsibility of coastal states for protection of their seabed and international authorities for adjacent areas.

"We believe that states are even obliged to apply their marine conservation laws up to the offshore limit of their jurisdiction, " Lutter said, highlighting the example of Portugal which has nominated four of the sites concerned on its extended shelf and is proactively inviting OSPAR to afford protection to the remaining waters.

"We have not abandoned all hope that this example might catch on and not lost faith in the upcoming Ministerial summit keeping its momentum and international credibility."

Further information:
Stephan Lutter, International Marine Policy & Marine Protected Areas, WWF-Germany
Mobile: +49 151 18854925 E-mail: stephan.lutter@wwf.de

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Stressed Baltic faces uncontrolled growth

2010-08-24

Stockholm, Sweden: The Baltic, one of the world's most stressed seas, faces uncontrolled growth in demands for space and resources over the next 20 years, according to WWF projections released this week.

Future trends in the Baltic Sea details many sectors growing several hundred per cent, highlighting the inadequacies of sector by sector and country by country planning.

Taking shipping as an example, the number of ships plying the Baltic is expected to double in the next two decades, as will be the cargo carried. Cruise ship use of the Baltic will increase several fold. While the number of ports will remain constant, many will increase their size and capacity and more dredging is expected as a result.

The increased shipping will need to be more careful of wurling windmill blades, with the wind energy sector expected to increase today's capacity by more than 6,000%. Anchors will also be more likely to encounter electric cables and pipelines.

"The situation we have today is the result of many years of bad planning and lack of leadership," says Ottilia Thoreson, Manager of the Baltic Ecoregion Programme at WWF-Sweden. "If we continue in this way, it will lead to even more competition and conflicts between sectors, resulting in even more pressure on the marine resources the Baltic Sea provides us with."

One area that needs growth, Marine Protected Areas, is hardly assured of it. With only 12 percent currently protected, WWF estimates an additional 20 percent of the Baltic's area is required to help in restoring the sea to health.

Today, none of the open basins in the Baltic Sea have a "good ecosystem health status" according to a recent study by Helcom, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission. Of 24 ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea, less than half were operating properly.

"As long as the use of the sea is managed sector by sector and country by country, it will be impossible to take the hard decisions that are necessary", says Ottilia Thoreson. "We believe that this is one of the reasons why it has been so difficult to save the Baltic Sea".

There is also a large economic benefit to improved sea use planning. A report that was recently released by the European Commission concludes that better maritime planning in European waters could generate as much as 1.3 billion euro in 2020 and up to 1.8 billion in 2030.

In the "Future Trends" report, WWF concludes that the only way to avoid chaos in the Baltic Sea is a more integrated approach to sea use management

The report was issued during this year's Baltic Sea Festival. n 2007, WWF instituted an award, the WWF Baltic Sea Leadership Award. WWF bestows this award when the organisation is inspired and moved by specific acts of true leadership – providing the rest of us with great examples to celebrate and demonstrate as examples for others. This year the Award was presented to Poul Degnbol, Head of the Advisory Programme at ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) and former Scientific Advisor at the European Commission, with the following motivation:

"WWF applauds Poul Degnbol for taking the initiative during his five years within the European Commission to champion the need for, and benefits of, sustainability and integrating the ecosystem based approach to fisheries management within the Common Fisheries Policy which has made a real difference for the Baltic Sea. WWF also recognizes his leadership to advocate for enhanced stakeholder engagement and a more transparent regional decision-making approach to fisheries management based on scientific advice."

For more information, please contact:
Ottilia Thoreson, Programme Manager, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme
Tel: +46 (0)8- 624 74 15
Email: ottilia.thoreson@wwf.se

Oil drilling suspension should top agenda at arctic emergencies meeting

2010-06-16

Vorkuta, Russia: As oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico from a sunken BP drilling rig, a key meeting of arctic countries starting today needs to push for a suspension of all arctic drilling until the region can deal with the risks, WWF said.

Greg Bourne, a former BP executive now with the global environment organisation, said imagining nations could deal with a drilling accident in the Arctic with current technology and resources would be "a triumph of hope over experience and reason".

The Arctic Council recently updated and revised guidelines for offshore oil and gas drilling, but those guidelines, even if implemented, would not go far enough to prevent or contain catastrophic spills such as last year's Timor Sea blowout which took 73 days to stop or the current Gulf of Mexico oil confirmed as the worst in US history and still unresolved.

WWF maintains that the revised guidelines do not go nearly far enough and the Arctic Council Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Working Group needs to use the Vorkuta meeting commencing today to strongly urge the Council to impose a halt to drilling plans for this year over a wide spread of the Arctic.

This year exploratory drilling is scheduled to occur off the west coast of Greenland. In Norway, the government is considering opening up areas of high ecological value outside of Lofoten and Vesterålen for oil exploration. In Russia, exploratory drilling is scheduled in the Kara Sea and the Ob river estuary near the Yamal Peninsula.

Nationally, no new drilling should occur until there is the capacity to rapidly and effectively respond to spills in arctic waters.

"It is time for the arctic states to recognize that offshore oil drilling with current technology and response capability poses unacceptable risks in the Arctic" says Aleksey Knizhnikov, Oil & Gas Environmental Policy Officer for WWF-Russia who is attending the Vorkuta meeting.

"Norway and the United States have already taken the first step, by putting off any further arctic offshore drilling until an investigation into the Gulf disaster is over. But we already know that whatever that investigation reveals, it will not diminish the risks of arctic drilling."

Arctic offshore oil drilling is facing increasing opposition from local peoples. A recent poll commissioned by WWF-Norway indicated that almost one out of four Norwegians has become more negative to oil exploration in Lofoten and Vesterålen following the Gulf spill. In both Canada and Alaska, local Indigenous peoples are also opposing offshore oil development until or unless they can be assured that it can be done safely.

"The offshore exploration and production industry are pushing at the very limits of technology and the ability to safely handle and control that technology," says Greg Bourne, CEO of WWF-Australia, and formerly a Drilling Manager and Regional President with BP in Latin America and then Australasia.

"The Gulf of Mexico is the world's centre of drilling technology with thousands of engineers and immense resources in terms of boats, planes, control equipment and manufacturing facilities - and even here it is proving immensely difficult to handle the tragic event of the Gulf of Mexico blowout.

"To even conceive of being able to control a similar event in the Arctic would be a triumph of hope over experience and reason. The consequences of such an event in the cold climate would lead to a persistence of ecological damage over many decades," Bourne says.

WWF is currently updating a study of the oil spill response gap in the Arctic, showing that current technology is incapable of effectively cleaning up oil spills in ice covered waters.

Link to web-quality material: http://www.youtube.com/user/WWFNorge#p/a/u/0/dCSbY5nsjks

For further information:

In Vorkuta, Russia: Aleksey Knizhnikov, Oil & Gas Environmental Policy Officer, WWF-Russia, aknizhnikov@wwf.ru, Tel: +7 910 4280514

International: Patrick Lewis, Responsible Industry Officer, WWF Arctic Programme, plewis@wwf.no, Tel: +47 92 62 30 30

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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WWF and Industry Leaders join forces to save European fisheries

2010-04-28

Brussels, Belgium: Global environment organisation WWF and the leading associations for European seafood processors and retailers today announced they will work together to push for solutions to the crisis of European seas and fisheries.

The EU Fish Processors' and Traders' Association, AIPCE-CEP, and Eurocommerce, which represents retail, wholesale and international trade interests to the EU, and WWF will be jointly seeking reforms to the troubled European Common Fisheries Policy to lay the basis for sustainable fisheries and a sustainable fishing industry.

The current EU Common Fisheries Policy has failed to secure the health of EU fisheries, and has put most of them under severe strain, compromising the ability to offer the EU population the sustainably harvested fish they are demanding.

"In the last decade conservationists and the seafood industry have definitely changed. Where once we might have been adversaries, today we are allies and all agree that without these key reforms we will not be able to bring European fisheries back to wide scale health and prosperity," said Tony Long, Director of the WWF European Policy Office.

"Today's alliance already represents a very significant portion of the supply chain from the processing and trading sector and the retail sector, and from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Sustainability is a conservation necessity and a business necessity today."

AIPCE President Guus Pastoor said "For the sake of an improved CFP, EU Fish processors and traders are convinced that it is necessary to join forces to achieve sustainable and profitable fisheries for the future of all EU citizens. Therefore we feel committed to support an alliance of partners seeking for a reform which meets the needs of the sector."

Xavier Durieu, Secretary General of EuroCommerce, said "The commerce sector is committed to play an active role in helping to achieve a sustainable and well managed supply of fish, which in turn should enable retailers to meet the growing consumer demand for healthy and environmentally friendlier fish and aquaculture products."

The alliance is seeking the replacement of "political quotas" for fish with mandatory long term management plans firmly based on science for all EU fisheries by 2015.

The alliance is also seeking to have all regional stakeholders play effective roles in developing fisheries plans and a culture of compliance for fisheries.

Strong EU standards should also apply wherever the EU fishes and this should be reflected in EU fishery and trade polices and fishing agreements and partnerships.

Fisheries policy should also seek to maximise value from catch to consumer, avoiding waste and ensuring stable supplies of seafood and added value at each stage of supply chain.

In the next months WWF and its allies will present their shared position to members of the European Commission and the Parliament involved in the reform of European fisheries and actively engage more and more national offices and companies to move towards sustainable and well-managed fisheries inside and outside Europe.

For further information:
Stefania Campogianni, Press Officer, WWF European Policy Office, Tel. +32 (0)2 743 88 15,
Mob: (0) 499 539736, Email: scampogianni@wwfepo.org
Aurora Vicente, Secretary General, AIPCE-CEP, tel. +32 (0)2 743 87 44, Email: aipce@agep.eu
Marina Valverde Lopez, Adviser on Food Policy and Consumers, Eurocommerce,
tel. +32 (0)2 737 0584, Email: valverdelopez@eurocommerce.be

This press release and related material is available on www.panda.org/eu
.

Out-of-court negotiations lay way for less damaging Baltic pipleline

2010-04-23

Berlin, Germany - The controversial Baltic Sea gas pipeline is to be less damaging to the vulnerable sea following out-of-court negotiations between proponents Nord Stream and WWF-Germany and BUND (the German chapter of Friends of the Earth).

Under the agreement, Nordstream will modify construction procedures to better protect the environment, greatly increase funding for nature conservation activities, provide more in compensation and provisions for nature conservation measures.

BUND and WWF will discontinue their legal action against the zoning approval and hence waive the option tohave construction work stopped.

"The agreement is a trailblazing success for the protection of the Baltic Sea", notes Jochen Lamp, head of the Baltic Sea office of WWF Germany.

The operators are guaranteeing that they will implement additional measures to protect nature during the construction of the pipeline, going so far as to implement a modified concept of digging. Funds for compensation measures and nature conservation tasks and maintenance will be increased by more than €10m.

On the crucial Greifswald bodden Nord Stream has agreed to considerably reduce disruptions from construction activity, with marsh soil rich in slush now to be transported to onshore dumps or used as construction material. This will eliminate unnecessary water turbidity which would have killed soil organisms and benefit herring spawn.

The company also entered into an agreement with fishers, which will see the the fishing season for herring in the Greifswald bodden reduced by ten days during next year's spawning season.

In addition to the requirements imposed by the public authorities, Nord Stream will contribute €10 million for the implementation of nature conservation measures in the Baltic Sea.

Nature reserves as large as up to 1,000 hectares are to be created in order to compensate for damage caused during construction, with Nord Stream paying for maintenance of these areas for a term of 35 years.

Furthermore, the company will provide a guarantee for remedial action concerning unforeseeable environmental impacts of the pipeline.

The additional funds can now be used to develop and implement nature protection projects in the Baltic Sea habitats in due time. These projects include, for instance, steps to remedy the low oxygen content in the sea which is burdened anyway.

Other options include the creation of large wetlands near the coast and the relocation of dams in order to create space for flooded salt marshes.

Notes Corinna Cwielag, managing director of BUND Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: "We have achieved far more for Baltic Sea protection than public authorities were able or willing to do.

"We have achieved a revision of the approval by the mining authorities which foresaw compensation of just 40 percent - and hence also achieved the main goal of our action."

Eberhard Brandes, head of WWF Germany, called it a "historical achievement" as the first time that a material value visible for investors had been defined for nature on the seafloor and costs had been identified for intervention in marine nature.

This would set standards for the future, he said.

Seven steps to save the Baltic Sea

2010-02-09

Ban of phosphates in detergents, cleaning up remaining Helcom hotspots and a network of marine protected areas are among seven simple actions which could help save one of the most threatened sea areas in the world.

WWF and its partners have published a set of recommendations ahead of the Baltic Sea Action Summit which will take place in Helsinki on the 10 th of February.

Prime Ministers and Heads of States, together with companies and organisations will meet this week in the Finnish capital to agree on "practical commitments to save the Baltic Sea".

The Finnish president Tarja Halonen and the Swedish king, Carl XVI Gustaf, also president of the Council of WWF Sweden, are among the participants.

"Strong leadership and urgent action is needed from all countries around the Baltic to save our joint sea. Good ambitions and bold commitments are very important, but words need to be followed by concrete action to a greater extent than today if we are to see any actual improvements in the sea", said Mats Abrahamsson, Director, WWF Baltic Ecoregion Programme.

WWF has compiled a list of seven simple things that can be done right now in the short term to improve the state of the Baltic Sea. Many of these measures have already been "promised" by the Baltic Sea governments.

"We certainly need to continue to work within regional and European institutions to establish solid long term change processes that have a chance to match the severity and complexity of the problems" said Mats Abrahamsson." However, while we work on these long term processes, there are several things that can be done now in the short term to improve the state of the Baltic Sea.

The seven simple things proposed by WWF are: Ban all uses of phosphates in detergents, introduce a tax on N and P in mineral fertilizers, ban fishing of eel until the stock is recovered and restore inland migration routes, ratify the Ballast Water Convention, clean up remaining Helcom hotspots, provide adequate port reception facilities for cruise ship sewage and establish a network of marine protected areas

"These measures can be achieved by with very small changes to existing legislations and budgets. They are far from what is needed to restore the Baltic Sea to a good environmental status, but we think they could be a good start, concluded Mats Abrahamsson

Background: WWF, through its Baltic Ecoregion Programme , is cooperating with governments, businesses, scientists and other organisations around the Baltic Sea to involve all nations, all sectors and all stakeholders in a coordinated process to plan the use of the sea and its resources, in an ecosystem-based approach, with the aim of both saving the environment and facilitating economic development.

Governmental initiatives include the 1977 Helsinki Convention and all its ministerial declarations; the Baltic Sea Environmental Declaration of 9 April 1992; the Baltic 21 agenda, initiated by the Prime Ministers of the Baltic Sea countries in 1996; the Baltic Sea Action Plan of November 2008; and lately the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, adopted by the European Council in October 2009.

La próxima semana se celebra anticipadamente La Hora del Planeta en Copenhague

2009-12-11

Todos podemos hacer llegar nuestro farol en señal de apoyo

Si bien muchos no podemos acompañar las negociaciones climáticas de Copenhague este mes, podemos expresar nuestro apoyo a través de dos accesibles y creativas herramientas que WWF ha lanzado: ya sea enviando un farol personalizado que ayude a iluminar el espíritu de responsabilidad en el marco de La Hora del Planeta Copenhague la próxima semana (haga clic aquí para hacer llegar su farol), o Votando por el Planeta junto a decenas de miles de personas que ya lo han hecho desde todos los rincones del mundo (haga clic aquí para emitir su voto).

La ciudad de Copenhague será este 16 de diciembre la anfitriona de un evento único de La Hora del Planeta mientras es la sede de la importante conferencia internacional cuyo objetivo es generar un nuevo acuerdo para estabilizar el clima.

Esta Hora del Planeta, la cual tiene un carácter especial, involucra a los ciudadanos de Copenhague, quienes apagarán sus luces por una hora a las 19 h el próximo miércoles, demostrando el apoyo de la ciudad a los líderes mundiales, inspirándolos a que logren un acuerdo que incluya acciones justas y efectivas para reducir los riesgos de un cambio climático catastrófico.

La Hora del Planeta Copenhague da continuidad al apoyo abrumador a acciones efectivas en relación al clima demostrado por cientos de millones de personas de 88 países al apagar sus luces a principios de año el 28 de marzo, y como preparativo hacia La Hora del Planeta próxima, el 27 de marzo de 2010. Bolivia también se sumará, por tercer año consecutivo, contando ya con la confirmación de apoyo de al menos tres ciudades y decenas de empresas e instituciones nacionales.

En marzo de este año, más de 4.000 ciudades y poblaciones, incluyendo nueve de las 10 ciudades más grandes del mundo, participaron del evento que dejó a muchos de los monumentos mundiales más importantes en penumbras, incluyendo las Pirámides y el Partenón, además de íconos nacionales como el Cristo Redentor en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, el Puente del Puerto y La Casa de la Ópera en Sydney, la "Table Mountain", el Big Ben, el Edificio Empire State y la Torre Eiffel.

La Hora del Planeta 2009 también obtuvo el apoyo de importantes personalidades mundiales, como ser el Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas Ban Ki-Moon y el Arzobispo Desmond Tutu, quien se refirió al cambio climático como "la mayor crisis provocada por el hombre que actualmente enfrenta el mundo".

El Director General de WWF International, James Leape, dijo que los ciudadanos de Copenhague se convertirán en embajadores del resto del mundo al llamar a la acción sobre cambio climático durante la Cumbre de las Naciones Unidas actualmente sucediendo en esa ciudad. "Los colegios, iglesias, empresas e individuos de una sola ciudad pueden expresar un fuerte mensaje a nombre de sus conciudadanos en todo el planeta".

"Con cientos de millones de participantes, La Hora del Planeta este año emitió un claro mandato global llamando a la acción en Copenhague".

Antecedentes

Acerca de La Hora del Planeta y su llamado a Votar por el Planeta
La campaña La Hora del Planeta y su llamado a Votar por el Planeta contribuye a llamar a la acción en relación al cambio climático a millones de personas, empresas y comunidades. La campaña pretende proveer una plataforma para que las personas en todo el mundo puedan incidir en los líderes mundiales hacia una decisión correcta durante la Cumbre Climática de las Naciones Unidas a llevarse a cabo en Copenhague en diciembre de 2009. Para obtener mayor información sobre la campaña, por favor visite www.panda.org/bolivia/lahoradelplaneta y www.earthhour.org. La Hora del Planeta es una iniciativa de WWF.

Acerca de WWF
WWF Bolivia, la organización de conservación, tiene el objetivo de contribuir a la conservación de la Amazonia y el Pantanal, promover y generar oportunidades económicas sostenibles para sus habitantes y el país.

WWF trabaja por un planeta vivo, y su misión es detener la degradación ambiental de la Tierra y construir un futuro en el que el ser humano viva en armonía con la naturaleza:

conservando la diversidad biológica mundial,
asegurando que el uso de los recursos naturales renovables sea sostenible y
promoviendo la reducción de la contaminación y del consumo desmedido.

Danish climate text should be regarded as diversion:WWF

2009-12-08

Copenhagen, Denmark - A leaked draft Copenhagen climate agreement prepared by the Danish hosts of the summit should be regarded "as a distraction" from the negotiations which should focus on texts that have been worked up in previous negotiating sessions, WWF said yesterday.

The Guardian newspaper, which published the document and sighted a confidential developing country analysis of it, said the text was a departure from the Kyoto protocol which weakened the pre-eminent role of the UN negotiations.

"The behind the scenes negotiations tactics under the Danish Presidency, have been focusing on pleasing the rich and powerful countries rather than serving the majority of states who are demanding a fair and ambitious solution," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.

"The Danish Prime Minister´s proposed text is weak and reflects a too elitist, selective and non-transparent approach by the Danish presidency."

The Guardian said it was believed the UK and US were involved with Denmark in drawing up the text. WWF has been critical of the Danish Prime Minister for talking down what can be achieved in the Copenhagen talks in recent weeks, and has tracked the growing criticism from both emerging economies and states highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.

"We understand and share the frustration of the poor and vulnerable countries," Carstensen said. "We urge the Danish presidency to change its style and move to a cooperative and listening mode.

"We also believe this was one of the political signals sent by COP President Connie Hedegaard in her opening statement yesterday."

Carstensen said the draft appeared to go in a contrarz direction to months of intense negotiations on text over more than a year.

"Focus on the Danish text right now is a distraction from the negotiations that have just resumed for their final phase in Copenhagen," he said. "Talks must focus on the text that has so far been negotiated and not on new texts that are being negotiated in small groups."

People's Orb on its way to Copenhagen

2009-12-04

Sydney, Australia: A message for world leaders on the urgency for decisive action on climate changte is on its way to Copenhagen - in the form of The People's Orb - a shimmering 20cm silver sphere containing a 350 gigabyte mosaic of stories, voices, images and action on climate change collected from around the world .

An initiative of WWF's Earth Hour that has been embraced by all major community climate campaigns, the orb was unveiled in Sydney by the first joint honorary custodians, Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP and 14 year old "Climate Girl" Parrys Raines

The People's Orb is to be presented to a representative of world leaders during a dedicated Earth Hour Copenhagen when the lights of the city will be turned off for one hour from 7pm on Wednesday 16 December - a highly timely reminder of Earth Hour earlier this year when hundreds of millions globally demonstrated their wish for a fair, ambitious and binding agreement on climate change to emerge from the crucial Copenhagen summit which kicks off Monday.

During its journey, The Orb will be entrusted to a sequence of honorary custodians, including Professor Tim Flannery, WWF International Director General, Mr Jim Leape and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, Mr Achim Steiner..

The Orb will arrive in the city on Saturday 5 December via The Climate Express - a train which left the previous treaty deal city of Kyoto, Japan, last month.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Andy Ridley, says that the huge numbers of people who took part in Earth Hour 2009 – when hundreds of millions of people in over 4000 cities and towns in 88 countries throughout the world voted for Earth over global warming by turning off their lights - is evidence that the planet's population is calling for definitive action on climate change.

"The People's Orb represents the spirit of collaboration across the globe. It gives the world's citizens a voice to make a difference in the global battle against climate change," Ridley says.

The People's Orb will retain sufficient memory for world leaders to include the final piece - a binding agreement for the future of the planet.

Campaigns supporting the orb include Vote Earth, tcktcktck, 350.org, Seal the Deal, Raise Your Voice, Hopenhagen, the Copenhagen Climate Council and the Earth Journalism Awards.

A global appeal for suggestions of material to be included in The People's Orb has sparked conversation across the world. Social media networks facebook and twitter are already a buzz with suggestions and comments from the planets citizens.

Michael Jackson's Earth Song has been the number one suggestion via online forums. Further suggestions being suggested on blogs, twitter and facebook, inspirational quotes from throughout the ages ( "We do not inherit the world from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children") and a copy of The Girl Who Silenced The World For 5 Minutes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0).

Along with suggestions from individuals, The People's Orb will also contain key climate change reports from the world's most eminent scientists; representation from the world's great thinkers on the need for action on climate change and representation from the leaders of the world's cities calling for action on climate change.

Suggestions for what should be included in The People's Orb are being collected via Twitter (www.twitter/earthhour), Facebook (www.facebook.com/earthhour) and the Earth Hour blog - earthhourblog.posterous.com.

Notes to Editors

Businesses, community groups and individuals are encouraged to host a Vote Earth ballot box on their website. For more information, go to http://www.earthhour.org/HowCanIShowSupport.aspx.

About Earth Hour's Vote Earth
Earth Hour's Vote Earth campaign builds on the call for action on climate change provided by millions of people, companies and communities during Earth Hour. The campaign aims to provide a platform for the people of the world to deliver world leaders a mandate for the right decision to be made at the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009. Find out more about the campaign at www.earthhour.org Earth Hour's Vote Earth is organised by WWF.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

For more information:
Kirsten Hodgon
Earth Hour Global
M: +61 (0) 424 507 095
E: Khodgon@wwf.org.au

Danish PM's stitch-up on Copenhagen unravels in Beijing

2009-11-28

Gland, Switzerland - WWF has welcomed the very strong signal from leading emerging economies that the Copenhagen climate change conference is far too important to be stitched up in the usual way by the usual suspects in the developed world.

At a meeting in Beijing Saturday, representatives of Brazil, South Africa, India and China (the BASIC countries) indicated they intend to reject a draft Danish "political agreement" at the Copenhagen climate conference which is regarded as the developed world's preferred outcome for the conference. The Danish Prime Minister, who has spent the last month circulating the world to talk down prospects of a strong, legally binding deal in Copenhagen, is currently in Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

"We are not surprised the emerging economies have laid down this challenge for the developed world," said said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative. "Quite frankly the Danish proposal is incredibly weak and the developing world aren't gullible."

Carstensen said that the stance of the BASIC countries, dissension by African countries at the recent Barcelona negotiations session and calls from small island states and nations vulnerable to climate change impacts showed a growing rebellion against the feeble commitments on emissions cuts and climate financing from the developed world.

"Those who will suffer the most from climate change impacts are sending an ever stronger and clearer message to those who have done the most to cause them," Carstensen said. "We need clear commitments, we need a legally binding agreement, and not just nice words about a political will that's not there.

"The developed world needs to respond to the science with much deeper emissions cuts, much more new money on the table and much more willingness to share the technologies for low carbon development.

Danish fishers set anchor on certification

2009-08-31

Taulov, Denmark: Danish fishers in a landmark decision today announced they planned to adhere to the internationally-recognized marine stewardship standards -- putting a stop to years of overfishing and bycatch.

The Danish Fishermen's Association declared that all fish from Danish fisheries will be certified according to standards set by the Marine Stewardship Council by 2012.

"The Danish fishermen are now taking a huge step towards securing that Danish fisheries in the future will be sustainable," says Espen Tind Nordberg, program manager for sustainable consumption at WWF Denmark. "This is an announcement we have been demanding for years."

"Now the fishermen deserve true recognition and support to implement their ambitious plan."

Only 52 fisheries are certified according to MSC's standards. Three of these fisheries are Danish. With the objective announced today, the Danish Fishermen's Association aim to certify more than 30 fisheries, which on a global scale is a positive development.

Three of the most important fisheries in Demark – plaice, eastern Baltic Sea cod and Saithe -- are ready to enter full assessment. Meanwhile, the pre-assessment process is being undertaken for the remaining fisheries.

For several years, WWF has been promoting the MSC programme as the most environmentally friendly choice in producing seafood and now both consumers and large retailers are increasingly starting to demand MSC certified fish.

"The European and North American markets are experiencing a trend where the MSC certification is becoming a market requirement" said Nordberg. "The fact that Danish fishermen are now stepping up to the challenge is good news for fishstocks and marine ecosystems - and may also help to boost Danish export of fish and jobs in the processing sector.".

However, the ambitious decision from the Danish fishing industry cannot stand alone. To truly document sustainability of such a large number of fisheries requires political support.

"MSC is the most ambitious and trustworthy certification scheme which is currently available, partly because it creates incentives for the fishermen to constantly raise the performance bar," Nordberg said. "But the objective announced today will never materialize if the responsible ministers keep deciding unsustainable quotas".

The MSC is the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood, according to its website.

Copenhagen citizens to reach for the switch as climate spotlight settles on city

2009-08-28

WWF's Earth Hour today announced that the City of Copenhagen will play host to a single-city Earth Hour while it hosts the crucial international conference intended to produce a new deal to stabilize the earth's climate.

The special Earth Hour, involving Copenhagen citizens turning out their lights for one hour at 7pm on 16 December 2009, will demonstrate the city's support for world's leaders reaching agreement on fair and effective ways to reduce the risks of catastrophic climate change.

"Copenhagen will have a special role as host for the COP15. We'll gather the mayors from the world's largest cities in December to put pressure on the state leaders to negotiate an agreement in Copenhagen. Also the city will host a series of exiting climate events to engage and involve the citizens of Copenhagen and the many guests in the city. Earth Hour Copenhagen, will be a great example of this," said Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Ritt Bjerregaard.

Earth Hour Copenhagen follows and builds on the overwhelming support for effective climate action demonstrated by hundreds of millions of people from 88 countries turning off lights for Earth Hour on 28 March earlier this year.

More than 4,000 cities and towns, including nine of the world's 10 largest cities, participated in the event which saw the lights go out on many of the world's great landmarks, including ancient wonders the Pyramids and the Parthenon and national icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Table Mountain, Big Ben, the Empire State building and the Eiffel Tower.

Earth Hour 2009 also drew the support of leading world figures such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who called climate change "the greatest human-induced crisis facing the world today".

WWF International Director General James Leape said that the citizens of Copenhagen will become ambassadors for the rest of the world in calling for action on climate change at the UN Summit.

"Schools, churches, businesses and individuals in just one city can make a powerful statement on behalf of their fellow citizens around the planet.

"With hundreds of millions of people participating, this year's Earth Hour delivered an unequivocal global mandate calling for action at Copenhagen.

In addition to announcing Earth Hour Copenhagen, the Earth Hour campaign has also launched a world first social mapping platform aimed at further illustrating this global mandate.

The new 'Show Your Vote' platform asks people to show their Vote for Earth (over Global Warming) in the lead up to the UN Climate Summit.

'Show Your Vote' enables supporters to show their Vote for Earth online by pinpointing their location on a Google Map. Users can also add photos, videos and links, which will be displayed in a pop-up when their map pin is clicked.

The platform is open source, free, available to everyone and can easily be added to any web page, with or without Earth Hour branding. It can be customised to suit the look and feel of the host website and can easily include a modified message.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Andy Ridley called on people, companies and community groups to use the platform to influence the outcome of the most important decision human society has ever faced.

"Show your Vote is a great example of using technology to allow ordinary citizens to make a difference.
"It helps give a voice to billions of people who would otherwise have no chance to let world leaders know they want action at Copenhagen.

"Join the hundred of millions of people who Voted Earth during Earth Hour by getting on the platform and showing your Vote for Earth," said Mr Ridley.

Polar bears and penguins 'just tip of climate change iceberg'

2009-04-06

New evidence from the North and South Poles indicates that time is running out for the world's leaders to respond to climate change.

As ministers from Arctic Council and Antarctic Treaty states hold their first ever joint meeting in Washington on April 6 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, WWF is challenging the ministers to mark the occasion by affirming their commitment to climate change action.

The conservation organisation provided the ministers with compelling recent evidence from both the north and south poles that clearly demonstrates global temperature increases must be kept well under two degrees Celsius.

"A global average temperature rise of 2 degrees is clearly too much for the poles," says Rob Nicoll, Manager of WWF's Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative.

"Scientists are already unpleasantly surprised at how quickly the impacts of warming such as sea ice loss are showing up in the polar regions, exceeding recent predictions."

Global average warming due to climate change since the late 1800s is showing severe impacts at less than one degree, as the Arctic is warming at about twice the global average and parts of the Antarctic are also outstripping the global average.

The polar regions themselves have profound and not yet fully understood impacts on climate globally, and there are fears that polar tipping points could trigger abrupt change around the world.

A forthcoming report on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is expected to up previous estimates on Antarctica's expected substantial contributions to sea level rises.

Marine food chains of global significance are also under threat from warming in the Antarctic. "Ice shelves the size of small countries are crumbling away and the latest evidence from the Antarctic is showing that the effects of global warming there are increasing in magnitude," said Mr Nicoll.

"The penguins may feel it first, but the rest of us won't be far behind."

The warming of the Antarctic is not yet as acute as the Arctic, but it is yet a further indication that the meltdown of our polar caps continues apace. If world leaders fail to act on this information the effects will be calamitous.

"The world is caught in a polar pincer movement," said Neil Hamilton, Director of WWF International's Arctic Programme.

"What is happening at the poles will control the world's climate. If we do not stop the poles from melting, the whole world will feel it, in the form of runaway warming and rising waters."

Right now the Catlin Arctic Survey expedition is sampling the thickness of Arctic sea ice. The expedition, partly sponsored by WWF, is likely to confirm scientists' fears that the older, thicker ice is disappearing. This has led them to predict that the summer sea ice could disappear within a generation, leading to catastrophic consequences for the entire ecosystem, everything from single celled animals to whales.

"The Ministers meeting today in Washington have a special responsibility to the world," said Mr Hamilton.

"They are the custodians of the poles, and this would be an opportunity for them to show the world that they are ready to step up and shoulder their responsibility to keep the poles frozen, by committing to taking urgent and effective action at the Copenhagen climate meeting this December."

Please note: WWF will hold a briefing for Washington reporters immediately outside the State Department once the ministerial is over. There will also be two teleconference briefings for reporters outside Washington, details of these are on a separate media advisory. Reporters who have not received the advisory can contact the people listed below.

For further information:

Joe Pouliot, Director of Climate and Policy Communications, WWF US
Cell: 202-476-9919
Email: joe.pouliot@wwfus.org

Clive Tesar, Head of Communications, WWF International Arctic Programme
Tel: (+1) 613-232-2535
Mobile: (+1) 613-883-3110
Email: ctesar@wwf.no

Dr. Neil T. M. Hamilton, Director, WWF International Arctic Programme.
Mobile +47 9300 5660
Email: Nhamilton@wwf.no

Rob Nicoll, Manager, WWF Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative
Mobile: +61438938764
Email: rnicoll@wwf.org.au

More background is available at panda.org/arctic.

WWF gives Europe a roadmap to Copenhagen

2009-02-27

Brussels, Belgium: With a series of critical European Union meetings on a new global climate deal about to begin, WWF has set out what Europe needs to do to grow in a green way while contributing to helping the world avoid passing the 2 degree threshold of warming that presents unacceptable risks of catastrophic climate change.

"There is a clear link to be made between ambitious climate policies and a new phase of economic growth," said Stephan Singer, Director of Energy Programme at WWF International.

"The recent financial bailouts prove that when governments decide to fix a problem, money and regulatory instruments are there. There is no excuse to treat the climate crisis with less support and attention."

The WWF roadmap to a successful new global agreement in Copenhagen in December would see Europe radically strengthen its announced commitments of cutting emissions by just 20 per cent by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2050.

European environment ministers will consider target developed and undeveloped country emissions to take to Copenhagen at Monday's EU Environment Council meeting in Brussels.

Commit to zero net emissions

Based on various studies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, WWF says that emissions will have to be reduced by at least 80 percent by 2050 globally to keep warming below 2°C. In compliance with its fair share of responsibility, the EU must commit to net zero emissions by 2050.

The IPCC also said that industrial countries will have to reduce their greenhouse gases by between 25 and 40% by 2020. The current EU target is only 20%, with a possibility to increase to 30% if other developed nations will join an international agreement.

These targets are clearly at the lower end of the IPCC scale, and even lower in reality considering that EU countries are allowed to fulfil up to two thirds of their commitment by way of certificates for projects in developing countries (the so-called CDM credits).

At the forthcoming Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting on Tuesday March 10, European finance ministers will consider both the plan to boost economic recovery in Europe and financing climate protection measures.

WWF said Ecofin must come to grips with the fact that so far EU countries have failed to seriously face the challenge and to see the opportunities created by a greener economy.

Today, the fossil fuel energy sector in the EU-15 countries still receives about €20 billion of subsidies, equal to 0.2% Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Europe imports about 4.8 billion barrels of oil per year, equal to 3% of GDP. Natural gas imports are another 3% of GDP.

According to the European Commission, between 600,000 and 900,000 jobs can be created by renewable energy by 2020, compared to today's 150,000 jobs. As a comparison, the cement and the steel sectors – some of those crying wolf about strong climate measure – employ about 60,000 and 300,000 people respectively.

With finance to developing countries being touted as a make or break issue at Copenhagen, WWF is calling for European contributions for clean technology and reduced deforestation in developing countries to
amount to €35 billion per year, in addition to the long-time promised 0.7% GDP for development aid.

Funding of climate protection measures (avoidance, adaptation and forest protection) needs to be sustainable, predictable and controlled in a transparent manner by the international community.

The European Commission's current proposal also fails to address the enormous potential of energy efficiency, with an almost complete lack of concrete proposals for technology co-operation.

WWF says that the EU financing of technology development and research should be increased by a factor of 10 compared to current levels by 2020, particularly for renewable energies, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The EU should also promote the setting up of a technology action programme under the UNFCCC to protect intellectual property rights and promote innovation.

Outcomes from the Ecofin and Environment Council meetings are scheduled to be considered by EU Heads of State at a European Council meeting on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March. Some issues however may carry over to when Sweden assumes the presidency of the EU

Earth Hour 2009 setting new records in climate concern

2009-02-05

Already twice the participating countries of Earth Hour 2008
Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads call for action on climate change
Obama artist Shepard Fairey likens flicking switch to climate vote

With eight weeks still to go, citizens, businesses and public authorities in 375 cities across 74 countries have already committed to turning off their lights for one hour at 8.30pm on 28 March in a graphic show of support for decisive action on climate change.

The list of cities confirming their participation in Earth Hour 2009 includes 37 national capitals and some of the great cities of the world, including London, Beijing, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Athens, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, Mexico City, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Manila, Las Vegas, Brussels, Cape Town and Helsinki.

The WWF-sponsored event continues to show amazing momentum, from being a Sydney, Australia awareness-raising event in 2007, to the astounding 371 cities across 35 countries total last year. As participation for Earth Hour 2009 storms past this level of municipal involvement in more than twice the number of countries, discussions are under way or nearing completion in hundreds of other cities.

WWF Director General, Mr James Leape, said he is optimistic about the campaign's potential to drive key decision making on the issue of climate change.

"With hundreds more cities expected to sign up to switch off in the coming months, Earth Hour 2009 is setting the platform for an unprecedented global mandate for action on climate change," he said.

Along with the great metropolises of the world, Earth Hour 2009 will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognised landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, CN Tower in Toronto, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the world's tallest constructed building Taipei 101.

A host of high profile ambassadors across the world have also lent their support to the campaign, most notably Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett.

Shepard Fairey, the artist noted for his graphic portrayals of Barack Obama during the recent US Presidential Election, has likened flicking the switch to casting a vote on climate change in artwork for the Earth Hour campaign.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said the 2009 campaign as an opportunity for the people of the world to cast their vote on this important global issue.

"Earth Hour by its very nature is the essence of grassroots action. This is the opportunity for individuals, from all corners of the globe to unite in a single voice and demand action on climate change", said Mr Ridley.

2009 is a critical year for action on climate change, with the world's leaders due to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December to sign a new deal to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.