WWF - WWF Germany office

Tropical pulp still a long way from fiction in German children's books

2012-12-20

Gland, Switzerland – German book publishers have only marginally improved performance in excluding paper pulp sourced through destruction of tropical forests that are home to critically endangered elephants, tigers and orang-utans.

A WWF-Germany survey of children's books found about 30 per cent of books contained significant amounts of mixed tropical hardwood fibres characteristic of natural forest destruction. A 2009 children's book survey found mixed tropical hardwood fibres in 40% of German children's books from one third of the publishing houses sampled.

Children's books linked to forest destruction included titles such as the Rainforests book from The Magic World of Knowledge series and This is the Forest.

WWF attributes the low rate of improvement to increased production of books in China and large scale sourcing of pulp from deforestation in Indonesia and other tropical forest countries.

Indonesia's largest pulp and paper company, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), linked with its suppliers to the destruction of more than 2 million hectares of tropical forest in Sumatra, directly operates 20 pulp and paper mills in China with an annual production of eight million tonnes.

"Germany's publishers have been amazingly slow to react despite the highlighting of their involvement in forest destruction in 2009," said Emmanuelle Neyroumande, Manager of WWF´s global paper programme.

The global conservation organization renewed its call for responsible sourcing by publishing houses worldwide. "Recycled or appropriately certified pulp and paper sources are all avenues available for companies wanting to end their involvement with tropical forest destruction," said Neyroumande.

WWF applauded the decision of one major publisher to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources from now on. Some publishing houses, including Holtzbrinck-Group, Kosmos Verlag Lingen Verlag or Oetinger Verlag had committed to recycled or FSC certified paper sourcing since the initial WWF survey, with Random House Germany being a pioneer in responsible sourcing from even earlier.

"Offering books to children is a great gift, but no parent and grandparent wants to place books contributing to forest destruction under the Christmas tree and therefore the publishing houses need to source responsibly and influence their suppliers," said Neyroumande.

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

WWF cool on lukewarm outcome in Bonn climate talks

2011-06-17

Bonn, Germany: In contrast to its slow start, the United Nations climate talks have picked up pace this week and could help set the stage for the conference in Durban, South Africa at the end of this year, WWF said today.

"While progress is still uneven, parties have returned to constructive talks and have been moving forward step by step," said Tasneem Essop, WWF delegation leader, reflecting on negotiations at the UNFCCC Intersessional Conference on Climate Change ending today in Bonn.

"While we feel slightly more optimistic for a positive outcome in Durban," said Essop. "The process is so volatile that even progress on technical issues are often held hostage by fundamental political issues like the future of the Kyoto Protocol, equity and overall ambition"

Given the International Energy Agency's recent report that 2010 saw the highest level of emissions ever, it is clear that we need countries to have a greater sense of urgency.

"Step by step progress is not enough, what we need now is a shift into high gear and a resolution of the difficult issues blocking agreement."

Progress was made on some areas, notably on climate change adaptation, and in most areas there are draft texts on the table that can form the basis for more focused negotiations at the next session.

While no real progress was made on increasing the levels of ambition in emissions reductions, parties did recognize the problem of the 'gigatonne gap.'

"WWF wants parties to deal with this gap as well as reach agreement on when emissions must peak and start declining. Countries agreed in Cancun to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and now need to ensure that they get on a pathway to meeting that goal as well as increasing ambition beyond that"

It is clear that progress in these negotiations depends on agreements on a core set of fundamental issues that include agreement on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol starting in 2013, a mandate for legally binding commitments and actions for countries not covered by the Kyoto Protocol; clarity on sources and scale of funding when existing commitments expire at the end of next year, transparency on emissions and actions by all parties.

"How countries resolve these issues by Durban is fundamental for creating trust and ambitious global action," said Essop.

For further information:

Tasneem Essop, Head of WWF Delegation and Head of Climate Strategy and Advocacy, tessop@wwf.org.za, +27839986290

Ms. Samantha SMITH, Leader, Global Climate & Energy Initiative, ssmith@wwf.no
+47 45 02 21 49

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.

www.panda.org/news for latest news and media resources

Leading environmental and development organisations call for halt to forest loss within a decade

2011-06-16

As the latest United Nations climate change talks reach their final stages, CARE International, Greenpeace and WWF are calling on the world's governments to show leadership and unite on efforts to halt forest loss by 2020.

The details of a global mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) were under negotiation at the climate talks this week.

Yet, REDD+ alone will not save the world's tropical forests and stop runaway climate change unless further urgent action is taken to reduce emissions in all countries, said CARE, Greenpeace and WWF. The organizations are calling on governments to commit to ambitious goals that set the scale and urgency for halting forest destruction. In addition, demand for biofuels, animal feed and beef should not lead to more forests being converted to agricultural land, said the groups.

"We are spending precious time designing a complex system of rules for REDD+. These are necessary to protect the rights and livelihoods of the millions of poor men and women who depend on forests," commented Raja Jarrah, CARE's Senior Advisor on REDD+. "But this is only part of the story. With no ambitious commitment to cut global emissions, it is like treating a patient's lung disease without asking him to stop smoking."

While considerable progress has been made on working out the details of REDD+ in these UN climate talks, negotiators must not shy away from making the big commitments that will ensure REDD+ is successful in halting forest loss and tackling climate change, the groups said. This will also put the world on the path to a future built on low carbon economies.

"In Bonn, developed countries including the United States have been calling on developing countries to monitor, report, and verify (MRV) their emissions. But what we actually need is for all countries to be transparent about how their policies, including for public and private finance, are supporting the drivers of deforestation," said Roman Czebiniak, Senior Policy Advisor for Greenpeace.

Industrialized countries also have a critical role to play in providing adequate, predictable and sustainable financing for REDD+, said the organizations. The needed finance to support REDD+ actions should be addressed at the UN climate change talks in Durban South Africa at the end of this year.

"The world must step-up with the money needed to support forest countries' efforts to end forest loss," said Gerald Steindlegger, WWF's Policy Director on Forests and Climate. "Investing in maintaining our forests is essential to people and nature."

Water shortage becoming growth risk for business, says DEG and WWF report

2011-04-04

According to a new study by WWF and German development bank DEG, the shortage of freshwater is not only becoming more and more of an ecological risk, but it also is rapidly becoming a major business growth risk – one that investors need to take into account.

Assessing Water Risk: A Practical Approach for Financial Institutions, states that climate change, population growth and increasing living standards are contributing to the rising pressure on existing and already scarce water resources, particularly in developing countries. In Southeast Asia and Africa, for example, water shortages constitute a threat to entire ecosystems and to the living standards of the population.

"The availability of water also is becoming a development bottleneck for companies. With the water risk filter we have now developed a new tool to identify such risks to companies and to offer support in water management," said Dr Peter Thimme, head of DEG's department for Sustainable Development/Environment.

Access to a sufficient quantity of water of adequate quality, he added, is therefore of considerable economic significance.

"Our intention is to provide the conscientious investor with the knowledge to work with clients toward more sustainable water management, with the aim of mitigating both business and environmental risks," according to the study.

"Business risk stemming from a company's relationship to water can be broken into three broad, inter-related categories: physical – as a result of too little, too much or polluted water; regulatory – with dwindling availability and increased pollution, the regulation of water is bound to become stricter; and reputational – public and media awareness of water and how companies are handling this resource is on the rise.

The report goes on to state that "all of these risks can cause disruption of supply and, in worst cases, termination of business operations."

According to DEG and WWF, 191 out of over 300 companies studied as part of the report showed high potential business risks related to freshwater. Concrete support measures to mitigate these water risks will now have to be initiated, according to the report.

"Sustainable use of water is a responsibility of companies to eco-systems and the local population, which is dependent on this water," confirms Martin Geiger, head of Freshwater at WWF Germany.

In particular, the report shows that the agribusiness' are at a particular risk since they sector accounts for 70 percent of global water consumption. If countermeasures are not taken now, water-intensive agricultural produce may become scarce in the future and the companies concerned may face economic risks, according to the report.

The newly developed water risk filter system in the report is intended to identify water-related risks at an early point in time so they can be considered in investment decisions.

The tool also outlines possible courses for action for companies from different industries and regions, which may be threatened by water shortage or pollution, either directly or in their supply chain.

DEG is planning to support the implementation of individual business approaches to improve the situation in a follow-up project financed by funds for technical assistance from the bank. The development finance institution in turn hopes this will cushion the ecological and economic impacts of the ongoing water crisis.

Additionally, the project produced more than 80 detailed and comprehensive country fact sheets on individual water situations and mappings.

Lights out on Bosphorus Bridge marks Earth Hour transition into Europe.

2011-03-27

Lights going out on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge was a fitting way to mark Earth Hour's transition from Asia to Europe.

The symbolic action of turning lights out for an hour in an expression of concern for the environment is in the process of being officially observed in thousands of communities across 134 countries and territories on all continents.

In Turkey, one of only a few countries to straddle 2 continents, the lights had earlier been switched off in capital Ankara's Opera House. WWF-Turkey enlisted 250 businesses and corporations and 2,000 online supporters to support its Earth Hour efforts.

The CEO of WWF-Turkey Tolga Bastak, made his Earth Hour press speech while the lights of the Bosphorus Bridge were going dark.

"This year, the lights are going off for a different cause," Bastak said, "we put great pressure on the natural resources of our planet and our ecological footprint exceeds the biological capacity by 50 per cent.

"If we continue living and consuming as usual, we would need two planets by 2030 and 2.8 planets by 2050. It is getting harder and more difficult each day to survive in our 'global home'. We should try living in the resources that the planet supplies and respect the limits of one planet.

"Today, we ask everyone to take this opportunity to question how they can contribute to a living planet by making small changes in their lifetsyles and habits."

With Russia's main Earth Hour events in Moscow still 8 hours away, WWF-Russia's Polar Bear Patrol were commemorating Earth Hour by setting out from their base in the small village of Lavrentiy to the even smaller Uelento, the nation's easternmost settlement on the Dezhnev Cape.

"We know Earth Hour very well," said a spokesperson for the patrol unit. "As we get to Uelen, we will tell the villagers about this action and I'm sure, they will support us. We are glad that the ones who keep peace between the bears and humans and protect the Arctic animals will be the first ones in Russia to celebrate this global event."

As the event traversed 11 timezones, riders in 20 cities saddled up on bicycles adorned with LED lamps - with the northernmost ride in Murmansk going ahead despite the forecasts of a strong snowstorm. The westernmost ride was staged in Archangelsk near the Finnish border. Over the border, the lights went out at the distinctive Helsinki cathedral, Finland and a special Tampere market place Energiatehdas (Energy factory) was set up with the energy being provided by dancers and stationary cyclists.

"These cyclists are heroes," said WWF's Russia office. "In Moscow it is -8 degrees."

In Moscow, talk show host Nikolay Drozdov and popular actor Lubov Tolkalina arranged a dinner and auction for celebrities to commit to Beyond the Hour actions which included abandoning plastic bags and sharing cars. At the new Ecocentre was an environmental education event for children which attracted a range of city and government officials.

Mobile and social platforms spread the message in Egypt

Timezones here start dropping deep into Africa where Earth Hour participation boomed. In Egypt, the Earth Hour message was going out on the social media networks that recently played such a crucial role in the country's transition towards democracy, thanks in part to spirited sponsorship by Egypt's largest telco provider Mobinil. Using their extensive networks and calling on the support of Nile City management and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, Mobinil engaged the participation of Egyptians, switching off the lights of their 5 office buildings across the country in recognition of their own commitments to go beyond the hour, including the establishment of one of Egypt's first LEED buildings.

In Kenya, lights went out at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and United Nations Buildings across the East African nation as more than 10,000 gathered for a three hour concert in Nairobi with some of the country's leading musicians, including acclaimed afro-fusion artist Achien'g Abura, who implored her fans to make a commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour 2011.

"If there is anything you take away from this year's Earth Hour it is that there is something you can do in the way you live your life that makes a difference. Your lamp may be pretty but it does not have to be on," she said.

Ugandan Earth Hour activists, officially participating in the event for the first time, have spread out into their communities with a range of beyond the hour activities. Enock Nimpamya committed to the training of 10 journalists in environmental reporting and to restore a hectare of degraded land in Kampala while Job Mutyaba will be assisting in the installation of efficient cook stoves in an Entebbe orphanage and its surrounding community. Around 20 individuals and organisations in Uganda have committed to planting 16,000 trees.

15 year old motivates town in Swaziland

Nathi Mzileni, a 15-year-old boy from Swaziland, was inspired to take action in 2010 when he realised his town near Shewula Nature Reserve in the east of the country did not participate in Earth Hour. He started a group at his High School called Green Enviro to educate people about climate change, and this year single-handedly made Earth Hour a reality with major buildings in Simunye turning off including the Church of the Nazarene, the Simunye National Library, Simunye Country Club and major schools such as the Ngomane and Lusoti Primary Schools and Lusoti High.

Earlier this week, in Botswana, Former President Festus Mogae was among members of the public who came in large numbers to plant trees, in Gakuto, to demonstrate one of the ways Botswana can go beyond the hour of switching electricity off on March 26. Earth Hour was observed with a candle-lit ceremony in Gaborone. The lights also went off at the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Soweto again demonstrates power of grassroots action

Almost 35 years after making global headlines as the scene of one of history's greatest displays of grassroots action, Soweto, South Africa embraced the world's largest environmental action by turning off the lights at Orlando Stadium to the soaring strains of a spirited candlelit concert headlined by the Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir.

Other soccer stadiums turning off included Moses Mabhida (Durban), Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), and Soccer City (Johannesburg). International soccer regulator FIFA had earlier come out in support of Earth Hour.

Citizens of Durban which will in December host the next global climate change conference chose to follow a beach clean-up with a soccer in the dark event at popular tourist site, uShaka Marine World. Four well-known soccer teams battled it out in the dark of the Marine World.

Shutting off all lights in all municipal buildings were Durban and Bloemfontein, while Cape Town turned off its backdrop, the spectacular Table Mountain as well. Johannesburg flicked the switch on some of its best known landmarks including the Ponte Tower, the Hillbrow Tower, the SABC (national broadcaster) and the Sentech Tower (broadcast signal distribution centre) and hotels and businesses all over the city.

Moving on to Africa's northwestern-most nation, Morocco received the Earth Hour baton, the national capital, Rabat, switching off the lights of the Chellah ruins and ancient Medina walls surrounding the old city. The official ceremony in Rabat was attended by local government members, the President of local NGO Ribat Al fath, and hundreds of people who celebrated the event with Kanun and Gnawa music.

While in Casablanca an Earth Hour show accompanied by candles and acoustics was held at the 'Casa del Arte' (school of art) as diners at the iconic 'A ma Bretagne' restaurant celebrated a candlelit Earth Hour dinner by the famous Casablanca foreshore.

Ancient Acropolis switches off

Greece, which recently passed admirable biodiversity protection legislation despite economic adversity, turned off its best known landmark, the Acropolis, crowned by the Parthenon dominating the ancient city of Athens. On current information, this was the oldest buildings complex to observe Earth Hour.

Cyprus celebrated Earth Hour in the Presidential Palace with a message from the President and members of the Green Party.

Bulgaria celebrated Earth Hour for the third year, in part with free acoustic concerts staged simultaneously in top Sofia music clubs. Many of the musicians had previously recorded a video asking fans to turn off computers as well as lights. Lights went out at the National Theatre, the National Library and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia and on administrative buildings, historic monuments and public spaces in 46 towns and cities outside the capital. Patron for the event was EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, and top Bulgarian tennis players Wimbledon semi-finalist, Tsvetana Pironkova, and Junior Wimbledon and US Open winner, Grigor Dimitrov, were Earth Hour ambassadors.

"I believe that Earth Hour shouldn't be just turning off your lights for an hour once a year," Tsvetana Pironkova said. "We should all think how we can contribute to saving our planet every day. The Earth is not our home only, it will need to be the home of our children too. To begin with, I always unplug the charger once my mobile phone has charged. I try not to have the TV on if I am not watching it, to switch off the lights when I leave a room and to recycle as much as possible!"

"I try to choose the products I use depending on how they were made. When possible, I chose the most environmentally friendly products. I try to use recycled materials and use as little energy as possible in my daily life", Grigor Dimitrov said.

"Really, it's not difficult and I believe that everyone can work on their environmental footprint and be more responsible towards the environment".

Locals in Pristina, Kosovo marked their commitment to go beyond the hour at Mother Teresa Square where, from 3.00pm local time, organising partners "AKEA" and "Eko Viciana" provided boards for Kosovars to sign up in support of the Earth Hour movement.

Some 42 Serbian cities and municipalities led by Belgrade and Nis took part in Earth Hour, with Eco Musketeers again persuading Belgradians in Republic Square to register pledges and mark out the Earth Hour logo with candles.

A concert held in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina was at full capacity with 300 people attending the event. Man of the year and renowned musician, Damir Imamovic, showed his support by performing at the event.

Croatia was also a third time participant, this time with the support of President Ivo Josipovic. Fifteen cities and towns signed up for the event and the lights went out for the first time on UNESCO heritage sites at old Dubrovnik and the sprawling palace of Roman Emperor Diocetian which dominates Split.

Actor and Earth Hour ambassador, Zrinka Cvitesic, hosted the drum concert and singing in Petar Preradovic Square in the capital Zagreb.

Romania again turned out the lights on its Parliament Palace, one of the world's largest buildings which consumes in one hour what a household consumes in a year. Other notable buildings to darken included the Romanian Athenaeum, the National Theatre in Bucharest, the Central Library, the National Opera and the National Art Museum.

Outside Bucharest, 51 other cities and towns commemorated Earth Hour including 9 out of the 10 largest cities. As buildings plunged into darkness, people could choose among 20 events - candle-lit shows, stargazing, unplugged concerts hosted by folk artists and children choirs. A Bucharest bike march across the city drew 500 while an unplugged concert hosted by popular musician and Earth Hour ambassador Zoli Toth`s band SISTEM and by Romanian choir SOUND, provided the music in front of the Romanian Athaeneum.

"Every day we consume a lot of energy that we don't actually need," said Toth. "If we are a bit more careful and care about future generations, we can decrease our carbon footprint significantly in the future. Everything depends on us."

The historic city of Brasov in the heart of the Carpathian mountains organized a special event, showing a silent movie, powered by the energy produced by several people biking.

The so-called Endless Column by famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncusi at Târgu Jiu in the heart of Romania, also went dark for Earth Hour. The monument was commissioned to honour the soldiers who defended Târgu Jiu during the First World War and saved from the destruction by the former Communist regime in the 1950s. An 18th, but incomplete rhomboidal module at the top is thought to be the element that expresses the concept of the infinite.

Ukrainian capital Kiev flicked off lights on busy Kreschatik Boulevard and the historic orthodox Christian Kievo-Pecherskaya monastery to lead 32 further cities in observing Earth Hour for the country's third time. Supporters enjoyed an hour of acoustic music with popular Ukrainian singer Dmitriy Shurov and music band "Bahroma" at the Contemporary Art Centre M17.

In Odessa, the historic centre of the city, including the Opera and seaside boulevard, were also shrouded in darkness. At 8:30pm people could join a street concert near the city hall, followed by fire shows and a flash mob with candles. At the end of the concert people could write their pledges to the planet on lanterns and let them fly into the night sky.

"If each one of us begins to monitor the quantity of gas, water and electricity used, the numbers for a huge country like Ukraine will be enormous. In reality it is so simple to change our behaviour", said Earth Hour veteran and popular clothes designer Lilia Poustovit, who has been an ambassador to the Ukrainian campaign since 2009.

In other Ukrainian cities people could visit street concerts and candlelit dinners at different restaurants, as well as join roller skaters in Energodar and attend an evening of street astronomy in Poltava.

Belarus turned out lights on its most prominent and perhaps most startling building - its national library, a glass 23-story rhombicuboctahedron (a solid with 8 triangles and 18 squares) while Lithuania turned off the lights on the castle most featured on its national currency, the 14th century Vilnius Gediminas Castle, backed up by the National Museum building. Polish celebrations in 30 cities and towns were led by TV presenter Kinga Rusin.

"I have supported the 'Earth Hour' for several years now, because it offers a practical opportunity for every resident of this planet to switch off the lights for one hour, thus taking part in the pursuit of a common goal in terms of promoting green thinking and the sustainability of our planet," said Latvian President Valdis Zatlers.

"By taking an active part in this, as opposed to standing around the sidelines, we confirm that we are concerned about the climate changes that are occurring in our environment."

Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and the State Parliament Saeima also supported Earth Hour's fourth commemoration in Latvia.

Malmo wins Earth Hour greenest city award

Across the Baltic, 30 Swedish cities competed for the honour of being named 'Earth Hour Capital 2011' and it was Malmo that received the award from the King in the inaugural Earth Hour City Challenge for the most holistic, inspiring and credible plan for reaching zero carbon emissions.

But the city isn't about to rest on its laurels with Mayor Ilmar Reepalu telling the international panel of experts that "our work isn't finished, and our goal is for Malmö to be powered by 100% renewable energy by the year 2030."

Elsewhere, famous musician Anders Paulsson was leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through its paces in the Stockholm Concert House in Sweden, while at the other end of the musical scale Love Generation, Vanessa Falk, J-Son and Vanessa Liftig were starring in a carbon-neutral pedal-powered Hip Hop concert in the dark at the Sockholm Cultural Centre

Folk music and pop concert fans weren't neglected either with a concert in Katarina Kyrka (one of the largest and most central churches in Stockholm) Stars included Me and My Army, Carl Norén, Little Majorette, Esbjörn Hazelius Kleerup and Stiko Per Larsson, with Stiko's next engagement being a post Earth Hour walk from Stockholm to Copenhagen.

Earth Hour actions in the Albanian capital Tirana took place across the city with the theme of "turn off the lights - turn on solidarity with the planet". Locals gathered in front of prominent Tiranian landmark, The Faculty of History and Philology, where the lights were turned off as part of a ceremony followed by a "candle party" that lasted the full 60 minutes of Earth Hour. Those attending were kept entertained by an acoustic guitar concert without the use of electricity and the event was broadcast across Albania by local TV network, Planet TV.

In Norway, Earth Hour celebrations broke records for the third year in a row with 181 cities and communities participating (up from 162 in 2010). One of the highlights included a ski resort that celebrated the event with a torch slalom event where participants were invited to ski down the slopes with torches in hand. Norwegian Polar Explorer Borge Ousland communicated the urgency of action that goes beyond the hour, "during my expeditions to the Arctic, I have sailed right through the consequences of climate change: where there should have been ice, there is now open sea. The changes are dramatic and the job of cutting greenhouse gas emissions has never been more important than now".

The Norwegian national energy company, Statnett, reported a national drop in energy consumption during the hour that surpassed last year's saving. Figures showed that Norwegians who switched off their lights were able to save the equivalent of slightly over 6 million 40W light bulbs.

Candlelit demand for "Energiewende jetzt!"

A 3000 candle demand for " Energiewende jetzt! ("Switch to Green energy now!") was the main feature of the "Switch Off Event" at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Lanterns were used to spell out "Klimaschutz jetzt" (climate protection now).

Some 65 cities and towns in Germany participated in Earth Hour 2011.

There was a fourfold increase in Czech Republic cities and towns participating in Earth Hour, including four regional capitals. Among the 131 was Brno, the country's second biggest city, which invited citizens to "enjoy the darkness" with movies about darkness, lectures on climate and light pollution, concerts in the dark and a guided city walk to some of the "dark" corners of the city, stopping at art shops, cafés and restaurants operating only by candle light. The observatory in Valašské Mezirící had an evening dedicated to climate and light pollution.

Runway switches off at Budapest Airport, no alarm necessary

More than 5000 people congregated in the darkened Castle precincts of Budapest, Hungary to hear celebrities talk about climate change, environment protection and why they support Earth Hour.

In what was initially slightly alarming news, Budapest Airport announced a commitment to turning off runway lights. The temporary black-out, carried out, the airport explained, under strict national and international control to ensure passenger and aviation safety celebrated a light system refit which has significantly reduced the amount of energy the airstrip uses to provide lighting that can be seen from a distance of 20 kilometres.

Lively university town Szeged in southern Hungary hosted an event featuring drummers and fire dancers. Mulled wine and refreshments were served and Earth Hour supporters received candles with the Earth Hour logo.

Austrian capital Vienna participated in Earth Hour for the first time, as President Heinz Fischer affirmed support with a statement saying that "The Federal President of Austria welcomes all activities such as Earth Hour to make known the drastic impacts of climate change to all Austrians and people who live in Austria".

Lights go off on the famous Vienna City Hall building and the huge and historic Schönbrunn Palace on the outskirts of Vienna. Some 11 further cities supported the event. Among these were the historic towns of Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt and Salzburg. In Salzburg, lights went out on 20 landmarks, among which Castle Hohensalzburg and the Statue of Mozart. In Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee based in Lausanne also offered its support.

Eternal city Rome Italy went temporarily dark around a main event in Piazza Navona which kicked off with animations and children leading up to the lights of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi being turned off by actor Christian de Sica and WWF Italy founder Fulco Pratesi. Down towards the forum, the Colosseum dimmed.

Swim champion Massimiliano Rosolino was the first of a procession of celebrities to light flying lanterns on the green carpet, while Pocoyo Mascotte was on board to animate the square along with a concert of street artists.

Milan's main event for Earth Hour was held in the gothic scenery of Piazza Duomo. From the afternoon animations, games and laboratories, including ecological house, solar energy and water clock demonstrations, were held for the kids. The city's famous cathedral played mute witness to one minute of silence for Japan.

Spain also saw a record turnout with 214 cities and towns, 172 schools and universities, 76 companies and 153 other organisations supporting the event. Some 15,026 individuals have signed online. In Portugal the lights were switched off by Internationally renowned Portuguese composer, António Vitorino d'Almeida.

City of light turns them off

A 25m² Earth Hour logo of 1,600 LED lit Pandas was a new touch to Earth Hour celebrations in Paris, France, but the main spectacle remained an Eiffel Tower suddenly switching off. Pressing the red button to accomplish this is one of the most sought after jobs in the entire global progress of Earth Hour. Other switches are, however, required to turn off historic bridges over the Seine. Some 126 other French towns and cities also went dark.

Celebrations in The Netherlands were centred on Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam with a special set played by top ten Netherland Dj and Earth Hour ambassador, Ferry Corsten. In the country's second largest city Rotterdam, lights on the City Hall and Erasmus Bridge were extinguished for the hour.

60 static cyclists broadcast the Earth Hour news

At the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, a special event was created for Earth Hour: human energy cast through the darkness to shine a message of hope onto the walls of the iconic Royal Albert Hall. For the duration of the hour, 60 static cyclists powered a projection of natural world animation and Earth Hour news.

"Earth Hour is about millions of people all over the world coming together to switch off their lights, tackle climate change and protect our natural world," said UK Prime Minister David Cameron. " It is a huge symbol of global solidarity, an inspiring display of international commitment. I urge everyone to take part, and I really do believe this is another small step to the big prize we all want to see – our planet protected from Climate Change."

Landmarks that darkened for Earth Hour across the UK include the EDF Energy London Eye, Manchester United Old Trafford, Albert Hall, Buckingham Palace, and No 10 Downing Street. The Tower Bridge is among 6 bridges across the UK that switched off during Earth Hour.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said, "I am pleased to give my full backing to WWF's Earth Hour to highlight London's commitment to energy conservation. At City Hall we'll be turning off our lights to mark this global event, and ensuring that London's iconic Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square will be in darkness."

Scotland's official countdown event for Earth Hour was held at Edinburgh Castle. Alex Salmond MSP, Scotland's First Minister, said, "The Scottish Government is delighted to back WWF's Earth Hour.

Our world-leading Climate Change Act with its target to cut emissions by 42% by 2020 is challenging but achievable, and in doing so we will create a cleaner, greener Scotland with a thriving low-carbon economy. We are committed to leading by example and to encouraging others to do the same.

"Every person in Scotland typically contributes twice the global average in terms of greenhouse gas emissions produced as a result of our everyday behaviour. Small changes in our daily lives will not only help reduce emissions but can also contribute towards a healthier lifestyle, improve our environment and offer real financial savings.

"WWF's Earth Hour provides an opportunity to demonstrate Scotland's commitment to tackling climate change in a simple yet effective way."

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland, Gerry Brown, celebrated his city's participation in the global initiative, highlighting its pioneering role in the European roll out of Earth Hour, "Dublin was the first city in Europe to support Earth Hour and I am proud to continue this tradition that shows the power of small nations, individuals and communities to come together and send a powerful message." Ireland switched off some of its best known landmarks such as the Rock of Cashel, Donegal Castle and Leinster House.

WWF launches database of eco-rated paper products

2011-01-31

WWF today launched a global benchmarking tool for pulp and paper products at PaperWorld in Frankfurt, Germany. Check Your Paper is an online database to help paper buyers find products with the lowest environmental impact.

The tool rates the environmental quality of the paper-making process for a given product, including how well forests supplying fibre are managed, use of recycled fibre, fossil CO2 emissions, waste going to landfills and water pollution from mills. The fibre in all papers featured on the audited list on the website must come from known, legal sources. Paper products posted on the official list have been audited by third-party certification bodies to ensure high credibility.

Check Your Paper at the same time allows pulp and paper manufacturers to voluntarily rate and post their products' environmental impacts online.

Makers of paper products including Arjo Wiggins, ITC Limited Paper Boards and Specialty Papers Division, Mondi, M-real, Lenzing Papier, SCA, Steinbeis Papier, Tullis Russell, and UPM are the first to disclose their selected papers' environmental profile at http://checkyourpaper.panda.org.

As of today, the Check Your Paper includes about 100 paper products with "good" or "excellent" environmental score listed in the coated and uncoated categories, such as copy papers and printing and writing papers.

WWF invites other pulp and paper manufacturers to follow the example of these companies by communicating their products' environmental performance transparently. "We believe this new database will help paper buyers choose the most environmentally friendly papers on the market. WWF invites all paper buyers to check the tool before purchasing and encourage other paper-makers to join Check Your Paper," says Rodney Taylor, Forest Director, WWF International.

"Listing our products in Check Your Paper is an important step in our commitment to augmenting economic, environmental and societal capital and in making environmentally responsible products available to our customers and paper buyers." says P.N. Sridharr, ITC Limited, Paper Boards and Specialty Papers Division, India, one of the manufacturers that have posted their papers' environmental information on the database.

"Over the years SCA has been deeply involved in the development of publication papers with high environmental performance - TCF bleaching, FSC certification, good resource utilisation, small carbon footprint. It is very positive that paper customers now get access to an easy-to-use tool to guide them in their choice of an environmental-friendly paper, says Björn Lyngfelt, vice president communications SCA Forest Products, Sweden.

Check Your Paper includes all the main pulp and paper categories, including coated and uncoated papers, newsprint, tissue, packaging and board papers, speciality papers and several types of pulp.

Globally, paper consumption is on the rise, with an expected increase from the current rate of 400 million tons annually to 450-500 million tons by 2020. Without a higher standard of environmental performance across the industry, this level of consumption will leave an unacceptably large environmental impact on the planet. Poor practices such as reckless logging and indiscriminate expansion of pulpwood plantations damage fragile ecosystems and escalate social conflict. The pulp and paper industry's mills and factories are large users of energy and emitters of greenhouse gases, and many are also significant sources of water pollution and landfill waste.

Check Your Paper provides a single percentage score for a product that indicates the quality of its production in terms of reduced environmental impact. In addition, the star-rating breaks this down into impact mitigation performance specific to forests, climate change and aquatic ecosystems.

In order to earn the maximum five stars in WWF's Check Your Paper, the paper product shall have:

•positive impacts on forests, and contain high proportions of post-consumer recycled fibre and/or virgin fibre originating from credibly certified, well managed forests.

•reduced contributions to climate change through use of recycled fibre, responsible forest management and minimising CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, and, indirectly, emissions of CO2 and methane from degrading waste in landfills.

•close to zero water pollution through reduction of organic water pollution and reduced water pollution from bleaching, through promotion of unbleached or totally chlorine-free bleached products.

Navigation threat barges in on Danube

2010-12-09

New plans to ease navigation bottlenecks on the Danube could threaten some of the river's most scenic and natural values, said WWF after the release today of plans of the European Commission to increase navigation on the river as part of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

The Danube River basin, the most international river basin in the world, comprises 19 countries and is currently home to close to 100 million people. One quarter of them depend on the river for their drinking water.

WWF criticises the decision to increase navigation on the Danube by removing the so-called bottlenecks, obstacles to navigation during low water level. This usually involves deepening and widening the fairway with the help of old-fashioned and expensive infrastructures. Such interventions would not only affect local ecosystems, but the entire river morphology and dynamics as well as the associated flora and fauna.

The number of existing navigation projects show the alarmingly broad definition being applied to the term bottleneck - it includes the last free flowing stretch of the Danube in Germany and the entire Hungarian section of the river. Many areas with outstanding natural values are also being investigated for intrusive navigational works. In the Lower Danube, islands like Belene, Cama-Dinu and Turcescu are considered bottlenecks at the same time as being part of Nature Parks or designated EU Natura 2000 sites.

Although the river has seen considerable improvements in its condition over the last decade, this decision could result in significant negative impacts on its unique environment without bringing the expected economic benefit to the region.

"Heavy investments in diking and dredging the Danube have been justified by various officials with reference to the Rhine river. But the Rhineland has very different conditions from the Danube area, with an industrial base that has developed over centuries and not just thanks to the river. Expecting an economic miracle from investments in Danube navigation is a myth, and potentially a very costly mistake." said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

The Danube as opposed to the Rhine, does not harbour as many industrial sites, and many of the large economic centres on the Danube are not located on the river.

"Today is a sad day", said Petruta Moisi, a prominent Romanian environmentalist who lives close to the river in Galati. "It's sad not because there will be navigation along the Danube River – the river has always been navigable – but because of the narrow mindset of the hydrologists and river engineers, who were all trained over the past 50 years and this is their final lifetime opportunity to get things wrong".

"It's the same pattern of thinking that made it possible for the former river wetlands and floodplains to be destroyed for good starting back in the early 1970s."

"I feel sad because I truly believed in all the decision makers' capacity for understanding the issues here. But who will pay the price now for doing things in an unsustainable way? You do not need to be smart to know that", Moisi said.

The current focus of the proposed strategy on expensive and out-dated approaches to increase navigation risks not only waste money but destroy valuable biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, from flood protection to water purification.

"Solutions for improving inland navigation without changing drastically the nature of the river are available and are less costly in financial as well as ecological terms. We need to invest in innovative ship design that fit the existing depth of the river, better information systems, and nature friendly infrastructure." added Beckmann.

WWF is calling on Danube countries and on Hungary as next leader of the EU Council to seize the opportunity of the Strategy to bring short and long term benefits to its population by using its enormous natural and cultural assets in a sustainable way.

Other aspects of the plan, which will continue the improvement of water quality and offer special protection to the sturgeon, were praised by WWF.

For further information:
Stefania Campogianni, Media and Communication Officer, WWF European Policy Office, tel: +32 2 743 88 15, mob. +32 (0)499 539736, email: scampogianni@wwfepo.org

Andreas Beckmann, Director, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28 216, email: abeckmann@wwfdcp.org

Irene Lucius, Head of Policy, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, mob: +43 676 84 27 28215, email: ilucius@wwfdcp.org

Sergey Moroz, Freshwater Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office, mob: +32 499 539734, email: smoroz@wwfepo.org

Wild for a cure report highlights improved harvesting of wild medicines

2010-09-15

Berlin, Germany: Worldwide application of a new standard for sustainable harvesting of wild medicinal, aromatic, dye and food plants and trees is charting new ways to protect the species and their habitats and benefit the communities that depend on them, according to a new report from world wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC.

In Karnatka, India, it is now possible to collect the resin of the White Palle tree used in traditional Indian medicine and incense without removing the bark and killing the trees that provide it. In Cambodia, a new co-operative has boosted returns to medicinal plant harvesting communities through better harvesting, drying and marketing.

In Brazil, a women's co-operative in Amazonia State and a major natural cosmetics company are aiming to co-operate on the marketing of sustainably harvested products. In Lesotho and South Africa, a harvesting and management strategy for Kalwerbossie, whose tubers are used to treat digestive disorders, will ensure sustainable harvest of the plant, thus providing long term benefits to communities.

Guidelines a success from Bosnia to Brazil

Wild for a cure: ground-truthing a standard for sustainable management of wild plants in the field details projects ranging from South America to Southern Africa and South-East Asia where new methods were devised to protect key natural resources from the wild while improving the livelihoods and benefits for local people through application of guidelines on sustainable wild collection.

"With around 15,000 of the estimated 50,000–70,000 plant species used for medicine, cosmetics or dietary supplements threatened, the need for developing practical guidelines to ensure supplies are sustainable has never been more urgent," said Anastasiya Timoshyna, TRAFFIC's Global Medicinal Plants Programme Leader and co-author of the report.

The project demonstrated sufficient flexibility in the guidelines to allow them to be adapted to meet local conditions, including a variety of governance and land tenure systems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Lesotho, Nepal, and South Africa.

The report notes the importance of ensuring all local stakeholders—from collectors to local organizations, resource management authorities, and businesses—are involved in partnership from the outset, and that clear and realistic market openings should be identified for harvested products and with ways devised to give "added value" to products and a fair share of benefits to the owners of traditional knowledge.

Adequate resources should be allocated for training of local project workers in wild plants' resource assessment, harvest monitoring, collection and processing techniques and most importantly for protection of their traditional knowledge and benefit-sharing.

"The BMZ-funded 'Saving Plants that Save Lives and Livelihoods' project has taken an important step in bridging the gap between words and action to manage wild plants for the future of humankind," said Dirk Niebel, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

"We are glad to demonstrate just ahead to the forthcoming Convention on Biological Diversity that by supporting TRAFFIC, we were able to contribute to the conservation of key natural plant resources from the wild, while improving the livelihoods of and benefits of local people."

The International Standard for Sustainable Collection of Wild Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP), evaluated in this study has now been combined with an existing FairWild Foundation standard aimed at ensuring trade in medicinal and aromatic plants is conducted fairly. The new FairWild Standard version 2.0 for the sustainable management and trade in wild-collected natural ingredients came into effect on 8th September
.
"Germany's continued commitment to helping guarantee the sustainable use of medicinal plant resources, particularly in countries that depend on them the most, is a model example for integration of conservation and development aid policies." said Dr Carlos Drews, Director of WWF's Global Species Programme.

"The newly developed FairWild guidelines are an invaluable tool to support sustainable harvesting and management regimes, a worldwide challenge facing the conservation community" says Jane Smart, Director, IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group.

Further information:
Richard Thomas, Global Communications Co-ordinator, TRAFFIC, Richard.thomas@traffic.org +44 1223 279068.

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

www.panda.org/media for latest news and media resources

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

Plenty to celebrate but more to do as 19 nations mark Danube Day

2010-06-29

Vienna, Austria: The waltz might have celebrated a Blue Danube, but for those who lived on its banks it was the polluted and often smelly Danube.

But now, as the 83 million people in the basin of the world's most international river prepare to celebrate Danube Day, there is plenty to celebrate - the Blue Danube is on the way back, thanks to an impressive display of multilateral cooperation by the 19 Danube basin nations.

And while the water is becoming more blue, the banks are becoming more green, with world leading programs to restore wetlands and floodplains that keep the river healthy, provide natural and more effective flood mitigation, boost recreational use of the river and are playing a big part in bringing back threatened wildlife.

While the Danube boasts one of the world's key examples of river basin cooperation and some of the leading global projects in river restoration, there is still some way to go on the path to a healthy river able to face the full challenges posed by development and the looming threats of climate change.

Phillip Weller, former head of WWF's Green Danube programme and now executive secretary for the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, is excited about the possibilities that the Danube Strateg y of the European Union offers to further create political attention and support for measures needed to restore and protect the Danube.

"I am an optimist," he said.

Read WWF's Danube Day feature, including interviews with people who have seen the oil slicks disappear, have swum the length of the river and those now restoring its living natural character..

Climate change commitments "missing" in G8 Accountability Report

2010-06-20

Ottawa, Canada: WWF is critical of the G8 Accountability Report released today for not measuring progress on one of the most substantial G8 development and climate change commitments to date: to limit temperature rise to an identified 2 degrees Centigrade threshold of dangerous climate change.

"If we don't limit global warming to as far below two degrees as possible, all development ambitions will be in serious danger," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.

"The G8 countries have yet to make sufficient emission cuts to reach this goal, and this accountability report should be assessing – not ignoring – this issue."

"This report indicates that the world's leading economies have yet to integrate climate change and development plans in a real and meaningful way."

The G8 stated in 2009 that they would "take the lead" to ensure global and national emission peaks could "take place as soon as possible." They recognized that an "increase in global average temperature" shouldn't "exceed 2 degrees C."

This followed the Gleneagles 2005 commitment - also not included in the Accountability Report - to make "substantial reductions" to stabilize emission concentrations in the atmosphere "at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

"If anything should be in the Accountability Report, even one focused on development, it should be climate change. The G8 – and now G20 – should be sending clear messages to the rest of the world that they are working to cut emissions to reduce impacts on the most vulnerable, and stimulate a low carbon economy for all."

Of 56 indicators, there are five in total on energy and the environment. The Report does include the UN Copenhagen Accord promise on fast-track and long-term financing – both UN decisions that require the leadership of the G8 and G20 respectively.

The Report also notes that the G8 will fail to meet its 2010 objectives on reducing the loss of biodiversity. A temperature rise of 2 degrees C would put 30% of biodiversity at risk.

G8 activities: - http://panda.org/g8g20media

Resource materials:
-          WWF's G8 and G20 Recommendations: www.panda.org/climate/2010g8g20 (PDF)
           and http://bit.ly/G8G20wwfvideo (2 minute video summary)
-          Recommendation on Climate Finance: www.panda.org/climatefinance

IMD center for corporate sustainability management recognized at EFMD conference for award-winning case on WWF-Allianz partnership

2010-06-08

IMD's Center for Corporate Sustainability Management (CSM) was recognized today at the Annual Conference of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) for its award-winning case: "Feeling the Heat: Allianz and WWF push an industry toward climate change action".

The case study won first prize in the Banking/Finance category and is one of four IMD awards being attributed at this year's EFMD case awards ceremony.

"Since one of the strategic objectives of our center is to contribute to the mainstreaming of corporate responsibility issues on the business strategic agenda, we are particularly encouraged by the fact that this case won an award in the Banking/Finance category at a time when this category must have many compelling cases because of the events up to and during the currently ongoing financial crisis," said Dr Aileen Ionescu Somers, Director of the CSM. "Winning in this mainstream category will particularly increase pick up of the case by banking and finance professors for use in business school and university syllabuses worldwide."

The WWF/Allianz case documents the efforts of two leading organizations – the global insurance company, Allianz and the international NGO, WWF – to roll out an initiative to understand the business impacts of climate change. It follows Allianz and WWF during their experience of building a partnership for action leadership and illustrates the challenges and obstacles encountered during implementation.

Dr Ionescu-Somers added: "This case helps companies and organizations to better understand the challenges of rolling out sustainability strategies, and particularly in difficult business circumstances, illustrates the barriers and success factors of corporate sustainability partnerships and changes the traditional perception of business responsibility in pushing forward the agenda for action on climate change and other "mega-issues" The case cuts through complexity and provides a great learning experience for managers."

Mathias Kopp, leader of the climate and enterprise initiatives at WWF Germany, commented: "The Allianz and WWF joint venture evolved from an initial collaborative awareness-raising effort to become an action-driven partnership with the ambition to lead the financial industry on the climate change issue by example. The partnership provided insights for the insurance industry, but also the financial services industry as a whole, to the level of understanding required and for implementation of sustainable strategic directions."

About IMD
Based in Switzerland, IMD is consistently top-ranked among business schools worldwide. With more than 60 years' experience, IMD takes a real world, real learning approach to executive education. IMD offers pioneering and collaborative solutions to address clients' challenges. Our perspective is international – we understand the complexity of the global environment. Real-impact executive learning and leadership development at IMD enables participants to learn more, deliver more and be more. (www.imd.ch).

IMD's Center for Corporate Sustainability Management (CSM) is a membership driven research and learning initiative. It has been carrying out multi-industry and multi-stakeholder studies on the building and roll out of sustainability strategies in organizations for the last decade. Learn more at www.imd.ch/csm.

France gives major boost to international water treaty

2010-06-04

Palais du Pharo, Marseille, France - France is set to become the 20th country to sign up to a key international convention governing the use and protection of rivers and lakes crossing or forming international boundaries.

The announcement, made this morning by French Secretary of State for Ecology Chantal Jouanno at the kick off meeting of the 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in 2012, is a major boost for the 13 years old UN Watercourses Convention, which requires 35 contracting parties to come into effect.

France's accession, which follows that of Guinea-Bissau in May and Spain and Tunisia in 2009, still requires the French Senate to give the green light to a bill authorizing the ratification of the convention. France's National Assembly passed this measure last month.

The Secretary of State for Ecology went on to say that France will actively promote ratification of the Convention.

France's move has been welcomed by Green Cross International (GCI), the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) and WWF International, three major organisations that have long campaigned for the convention as the basis for peaceful resolution of disputes over water sharing in international rivers, lakes and aquifers.

"More than 100 nations voted for the UN Watercourses Convention in 1997," said Flavia Loures, leader of the campaign for the widespread endorsement of the convention within WWF's Global Freshwater Programme. "They voted for it because they recognised then that you can have agreement or you can have conflict over water.

"While additional agreements over specific transboundary waters have been adopted between countries since, many such agreements fail to deal with key water management issues. The world still very much needs the fair and overall blueprint supplied by the UN Watercourses Convention."

"As we increasingly wake up to a world of water shortages linked to climate change, economic growth and urbanisation, we are seeing more and more interest in discussions on transboundary water issues, and more and more interest in the convention."

"Acceding to the Convention will not create new obligations for French rivers as they are already subject to more stringent European Union rules. The announcement made by France, as the host country of the next World Water Forum, sends a strong message to the international community on

the importance of improving transboundary water management" said Marie-Laure Vercambre, the Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International.

"France has been anxious to promote an international legal regime for water, the principles of integrated water resources management included in the Convention and a framework for peace within the geopolitics of water."

Currently the only legal instrument dealing with global management of transboundary waters, the UN Watercourses Convention potentially sets standards and rules for cooperation between states sharing some 276 international watercourses - including many of the world's major river systems such as the Amazon, Rio Grande, Indus, Ganges, Mekong, Amur, Nile, Congo, Rhine and Danube.

The convention establishes the principles of equitable and reasonable use of and participation in the sound management of international watercourses, codifies the rights and duties of riparian states, promotes dialogue and data sharing, and facilitates negotiations on the adoption of regional and watercourse treaties.

"France has been at the forefront of national river basin management and transboundary issues since the Water Act of 1964 creating the Basin Committees and Water Agencies," said Jean-François Donzier, Permanent Technical Secretary of INBO. "The rules that the UN Watercourses Convention establishes reflect this French model of river basin management that has now been adopted by some sixty countries around the world.

"This model also inspired the European Union Water Framework Directive, which itself created obligations for the coordinated management of transboundary rivers and mandatory participation of all stakeholders, including civil society, in the water management process.

"France encourages the implementation of these principles of governance within the framework of its international cooperation, in particular by supporting the International Network of Basin Organizations."

The Convention will soon count 20 contracting states, including France – that is, 15 short of the number required for entry into force.

Further information:

Steal for it, shoot for it or sign for it: Stark choices facing a world running short on water at
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/media_backgrounder_steal_for_it_forum_final_nov2009.pdf

Flavia Loures, Senior Program Officer, WWF Global Freshwater Programme, flavia.loures@wwfus.org +1 202 640 9055

Marie-Laure Vercambre, Water Programme Leader of Green Cross International, marie-laure.vercambre@gci.ch +33 6 8004-0481

Christiane Runel, EURO – RIOB, presse-riob@wanadoo.fr ou service-de-presse@oieau.fr

About Green Cross International
Green Cross International (GCI) is a leading environmental organization. Founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, this non-profit and non-governmental organisation promotes a combination of high level advocacy with key international stakeholders, runs campaigns and manages local projects to address the inter-connected global challenges of security, poverty eradication and environmental degradation. GCI is present in over 30 countries and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. More information about GCI is available at www.gci.ch www.gci.ch and on twitter@GreenCrossInt

About Europe-INBO
The Europe-INBO group of European basin organizations was created in 2004 to implement the Water Framework Directive by the concerned members of the International Network of Basin Organizations for exchanging field experiences and reporting to the EU Commission about the implementation difficulties.
Europe-INBO also presented at the November 2008 EU Water Directors meeting a mid-term report on the transboundary cooperation organized among the riparian States of European shared watercourses. More information on www.inbo-news.org

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. www.panda.org

France gives major boost to international water treaty

2010-06-04

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.

EU Danube Strategy to promote basin-wide development

2010-03-05

WWF welcomes the EU's initiative to develop a Danube Strategy, which can help bring together and implement existing policies and legislation to achieve long-term sustainable development across the Danube basin.

Development of the Strategy comes at a time when the Danube region faces a series of unprecedented crises: financial, economic and -- even more ominously -- from climate change and loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

"The EU Danube Strategy presents an opportunity for the countries of the Danube region to get ahead of the development curve -- to pull themselves together and put themselves on a path toward a long-term and prosperous future, including a green, carbon-free and resource-efficient economy," said Andreas Beckmann, director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme.

Baltic inspiration

The initiative has been inspired by the Baltic Strategy, which was officially adopted last year and is now focusing efforts of Baltic countries from Sweden to Estonia to address issues including marine pollution and transportation.

A five-month public consultation process for the Danube Strategy got under way on February 2 with a kick-off conference that took place in Ulm in Germany. Follow-up events are planned to take place through June in Budapest, Vienna, Ruse (Bulgaria) and Constanta (Romania), providing input for a draft to be developed by the European Commission in the summer that is expected to be officially adopted under the Hungarian EU Presidency in spring 2011.

WWF has published a discussion paper (see download to the right) related to the Danube Strategy; an official position will follow in early April.

European Commission officials have been clear that the Strategy will bring no new funding, no new legislation and no new institutions – i.e. it can thus only focus and coordinate efforts on issues of common interest to countries in the Danube basin. Nevertheless, the Strategy can influence the allocation of existing funds, and shape priorities for the EU's next financial period, 2014-21.

Danube basin

The Danube is the most international river basin in the world, including all or parts of the territories of 19 countries and home to some 83 million people. The region includes some of the economically poorest and richest countries in Europe, as well as a major portion of the continent's natural wealth.

The key challenge and opportunity for the future of the Danube basin is to find ways to enhance livelihoods while preserving and even enhancing the ecosystems that provide essential goods and services for people and nature – and addressing through this significant differences in socioeconomic development between countries such as Austria and Germany on the one hand, and Bulgaria and Romania on the other.

The EU and Danube countries already have most if not all of the tools they need to achieve this objective, from progressive legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive to funding programmes that in theory can provide financing for investments in a green economy, including investments in e.g. wetland restoration or nature conservation.

The problem in most cases has been putting what is required or possible on paper into actual practice. The Danube Strategy may help in focusing and integrating efforts to implement relevant policies, both across sectors and national borders, and including with those Danube countries like Ukraine or Serbia that are not presently members of the Union. It can also help address specific environmental challenges, including nutrient pollution, e.g. from agriculture and household detergents; networking protected areas; or promoting energy efficiency.

In addition, the Strategy can also complement and build on existing initiatives and achievements, including the Carpathian Convention and the recently adopted Danube River Basin Management Plan – the first comprehensive, cross-sectoral plan for the region, which has been developed and adopted by all countries in the Danube river basin, including both EU and non-EU member states.

Déjà vu?

But the Danube Strategy may have gotten off on the wrong foot in terms of addressing the key challenge of integrating environment and development.

In its current form, the Strategy envisions three pillars, including environment, socio-economic development and connectivity, especially related to transport and energy. The approach risks repeating the present major challenge of treating the issues separately and in isolation -- an approach that has many efforts working at cross-purposes, e.g. on the lower Danube, where current approaches to developing navigation risk unnecessarily cutting sturgeon migration routes, possibly pushing the ancient Danube species to extinction.

Interventions planned through the Danube Strategy must maintain and enhance the region's natural and social capital as the foundations for long-term development in the region.

"The unprecedented crises that we are facing are ample proof that business as usual is simply not an option", Beckmann said. "We need a paradigm shift, and with a bit of imagination and courage, the Danube Strategy can provide this by painting and helping to realise a bold and long-term vision for sustainable development in the region."

Contact:
Irene Lucius, Senior Policy Coordinator, WWF-DCPO

Danube management plan a big step forward

2010-02-16

The official adoption of the Danube River Basin Management Plan marks an important step for the management of the Danube, the most international river basin in the world. The plan, which has been officially adopted by all Danube countries, including both EU and non-EU member states, outlines concrete measures to be implemented by the year 2015 to improve the environmental condition of the Danube and its tributaries. It is the first such comprehensive management plan for the Danube, seeking to improve not only water quality but also the ecological health of the river.

Measures include the reduction of organic and nutrient pollution, offsetting environmentally detrimental effects of man-made structural changes to the river, improvements to urban wastewater systems, the introduction of phosphate-free detergents in all markets and effective risk management of accidental pollution. Other measures include efforts to restore migration of fish, such as the giant beluga sturgeon, across dams as well as to reconnect former floodplain wetlands to the river. The plan takes a source-to-sea approach and addresses key requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive.

The plan was adopted by ministers and high-level representatives responsible for water in the Danube basin from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the European Commission at a Ministerial Meeting organised by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in Vienna on 16 February 2010.

WWF, speaking at the Ministerial Meeting on behalf of the 5 NGO observers at the ICPDR, warmly welcomed adoption of the Danube River Basin Management Plan, but raised a number of concerns regarding its implementation, including ongoing plans to develop inland navigation as well as hydropower on the Danube. The NGOs also called on the ministers to support an EU-wide ban of phosphates in detergents.

Before the Ministerial Meeting, WWF, Bund fuer Naturschutz (Friends of the Earth Germany) and LBV (BirdLife Germany) presented the president of the ICPDR with 100,000 signatures of a petition calling on Danube governments to protect the Danube as a living river and to avoid damage from infrastructure development connected to navigation.

The Ministers at the ICPDR meeting also evaluated the progress towards the protection and sustainable use of water and other ecological resources and reaffirmed and strengthened their commitment to transboundary cooperation in the Danube River Basin.

Flood action plans for the 17 sub-basins in the Danube catchment area were also officially adopted at the meeting. The sub-basin plans contain hundreds of concrete measures the Danube countries will take to protect their populations from floods and to mitigate the flood damage and losses, such as those caused by the massive floods in the years 2002, 2005 and 2006.

The ICPDR ministerial meeting was followed by a short event organised by WWF to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Lower Danube Green Corridor.