Posted on April, 28 2025

Alongside our partners and supporters, WWF is working hard to tackle the climate and nature loss crises. Here are some examples of the progress we have been making in recent months − from global initiatives such as Earth Hour to on-the-ground projects in Argentina, Cambodia, Cameroon and Kazakhstan.

For more examples of our work over the last year, please read our global Annual Review 2024.

Earth Hour 2025 sees global participation soar

Millions came together for WWF’s Earth Hour on Saturday, 22 March, in an inspiring show of unity and commitment to our planet − reminding us all that we need to act together against the climate and nature loss crises.

At 8:30pm local time, individuals, communities and organizations in over 118 countries and territories joined the symbolic switch-off in support of the world’s largest grassroots environmental movement.

Earth Hour trended on major search engines in 31 countries as iconic landmarks, including the Burj Khalifa, the Christ the Redeemer statue, the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House, dimmed their lights. People also committed a record-breaking three million hours of their time to take action for the planet − whether reconnecting with nature, restoring the environment, learning about the planet or inspiring others to care for it.

Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, said: "In times when the world feels increasingly divided, Earth Hour reminds us that we can unite for a common cause, something greater: our shared home, the planet.”


A WWF restoration project specialist checks on trees that are soon to be planted. © WWF-US/Franck Gazzola 

Progress on financing nature restoration

It’s been two years since the UN agreement by countries around the world to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.

We are proud to have played our part in making this happen but are also concerned about the desperate need for more investment in getting nature on the path to recovery.

So we welcome the recent progress made at the UN COP16.2 biodiversity conference, where governments agreed on a way forward to set up an effective financing system that will help drive UN-backed biodiversity actions in an equitable way well beyond 2030.

However, much hard work is still needed to make this become a reality and we are concerned that developed nations are not currently on track to honour their commitment of raising US$20 billion by 2025 for developing nations.

Efraim Gomez, WWF International Global Policy Director, said: “Investing in nature is existential, it is a global life insurance. Through it, we can mitigate the climate crisis, make ecosystems and communities more resilient, stabilize food prices and lock away carbons that fuel extreme weather patterns and displace people.”


The 2021 demolition of the Kangaskoski dam in Finland enabled land-locked salmon and brown trout to return to their historic spawning grounds. © Mikko Nikkinen / Storymakers

Commitments grow for global freshwater initiative

Rivers, lakes and wetlands are vitally important for the future of many species, including our own. That’s why WWF is delighted that two more countries − Australia and Kazakhstan − have joined the global Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands, as well as conserve intact freshwater ecosystems.

That means 49 countries and the EU are now committed to the challenge, and we are one of eight organizations working with them to turn their commitments into reality.

In more good news, the challenge is getting a new US$5 million investment from a multilateral fund called the Global Environment Facility.

Meanwhile, plans for a destructive hydropower dam have been axed on Poland’s River Vistula after years of challenges from WWF and others, including a 140,000-signature petition. This win also upends plans for connecting the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea with a waterway involving the construction of up to 15 dams.


Trafficking of pangolins has increased significantly. © naturepl.com / Neil Aldridge / WWF

AI tool takes on illegal wildlife trade

The illegal wildlife trade is a huge threat to many species including the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin.

With 80-90 per cent of global trade moving through maritime routes and less than 2 per cent of containers inspected, traffickers can exploit the sheer volume of cargo and the limited capacity of customs officials.

But the traffickers don’t have it all their own way thanks to an ambitious collaboration between WWF and partners − an AI-powered cargo screening system that analyzes shipping manifests to detect suspicious shipments before they reach their destination.

The AI model uses data going back to the 1990s to identify patterns, such as suspicious routes, frequently renamed companies and unusual commodity pairings, that help customs officials target high-risk containers.

The system initially focused on elephant ivory and pangolin scales during its proof-of-concept phase, and will soon be expanded to include other trafficked wildlife species.

In the meantime, we will keep up the pressure on traffickers by continuing to work for stronger laws, engage with business and make best use of technology.

Tigers return to Kazakhstan after 70 years

The introduction of two captive Amur tigers to Kazakhstan marks a huge milestone in efforts, led by the government and supported by WWF, to return wild tigers to the country − over 70 years since hunting drove them to extinction nationally.

If successful, it could be the first country to reintroduce wild tigers after a period of extinction.

The pair have been introduced to a semi-wild enclosure in the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve, which lies in Central Asia’s largest natural delta and wetland.

WWF and partners have worked closely with the Auyldastar community, the people who live in and around the reserve, over the past six years − restoring  the habitat and prey species, improving protection efforts against poaching and developing facilities that benefit local people.

WWF supports global efforts to stabilize and increase wild tiger populations, which still face threats such as hunting and habitat loss, across over 20 landscapes. 


The study found an estimated 19,472 great apes (gorillas and chimpanzees) in the parks. © WWF-Cameroon

Good news for wildlife in Cameroon

A new WWF-supported survey in and around two national parks in Cameroon has revealed promising results for the health of local wildlife populations.

Taking place in the Nki and Boumba Bek National Parks, logging concessions and surrounding communal forests, the survey found that the forest elephant and gorilla populations have been relatively stable since the last survey in 2016-17, with chimpanzee numbers increasing significantly.

The good news comes after WWF efforts to support local communities and other partners in strengthening their conservation efforts, develop alternative income-generating activities to hunting and poaching, and build the capacity of conservation staff in protected areas.

Alain Ononino, WWF-Cameroon Country Director, says: “Future actions will focus on monitoring wildlife populations, addressing human-wildlife conflicts and reducing the impact of illegal wildlife trade and extractive industries on the ecosystem.”


Kimsour and her husband, who have 450 rubber trees, benefitted from the training. © Sokleng Kheang / WWF-Cambodia

Transforming rubber harvesting in Cambodia

Unsustainable agricultural systems are an important contributor to both climate change and the destruction of the natural world. That’s why we are working from global to local levels to turn things around, including the provision of training and support to over 230 farmers in Cambodia’s Sre Khtum commune.

Faced with problems such as low yields and tree diseases, many had previously resorted to harmful rubbing tapping methods that damaged trees and reduced their productivity and production lifespan.

WWF and partners have helped farmers learn about improved agricultural practices for rubber tapping, soil maintenance and disease control, as well as gain access to subsidized fertiliser.

Through relatively minor changes, farmers can achieve an increase in productivity while maintaining soil and tree health: a win-win for people and nature. 
 

1.5 million nature observations in Argentina

A WWF-led citizen science initiative in Argentina has reached a major milestone after five years of running: 1.5 million biodiversity observations have been recorded by more than 20,000 people across the country.

Participants can upload images onto ArgentiNat, a collaboration with iNaturalist, the largest global citizen science platform.

The platform has led to species, previously unknown to science, being found and the discovery of wildlife thought to be extinct or unknown in the country.

WWF’s Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina also invites people each season to record the nature they encounter simultaneously − helping to generate useful comparative data on the country’s species.

These are welcome scientific contributions but of equal importance are the impacts they have on individuals − from helping them to learn more about the organisms they observe to building stronger personal connections with the natural world.