Spanish

Friends and colleagues,

It has been a few months since life around the world changed radically. We are shifting to a new normality and an economic crisis is affecting several countries. At WWF, we are conscious of the current critical situation, so we call for a true economic recovery, designed to benefit people and nature in the long term. Together, a sustainable resurgence is possible. Our organization continues to work for a world where we live in harmony with nature.

Through our work in Governance, WWF-LAC under the initiative of Colombia, launched the Generation 10 platform, which brings together Latin American youth committed to nature. On the other hand, the city of Tarija honored WWF-Bolivia for its work in support of the environment and sustainable development.

In Oceans, the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in Colombia, which is the ninth-largest marine protected area in the world, was recently included in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. On the other hand, WWF-Peru presented TrazApp, a tracking system for the Peruvian artisanal fishing sector.

With regard to Wildlife, observations of wildlife organisms was duplicated on ArgentiNat, iNaturalist network’s local page, promoted by Fundación Vida Silvestre to promote citizen science.

For Climate and Energy, WWF-Chile is optimistic about a possible scenario of early decarbonization in the country, due to several signs like the closure of some coal-fired plants. Meanwhile, WWF-Mexico presented its 2019 Ambition meter report, analyzing companies’ commitment to fighting climate change. Meanwhile, WWF-Mesoamerica announced that the city of Escuintla was the winner of the 2019-2020 edition of WWF’s One Planet City Challenge.

Lastly, in the Markets practice, Ecuadorian banana farms are among the first in the world to receive the international AWS certification, for good water management. In addition, WWF-Ecuador promoted a dialogue on economic recovery and sustainable development with Ecuadorian industry leaders. On the other hand, WWF-Paraguay, the ONIRIA agency and researchers from Berkeley Earth and Texciclo launched the Global Warming Collection, a set of dresses inspired by climate change.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

Generation 10, the social network for youth dedicated to the planet

Applications are now open at http://www.generacion10.com. Led by Colombia, this online platform was created for youth between 18 and 34 years old to connect and act for our planet. Getting to know each other to generate joint actions, accessing opportunities and asking for help and receiving it, are some of the benefits of being part of this network. They will also get an online course about the challenges we face and how to act.

WWF-Bolivia receives a recognition from the city of Tarija

On June 5, in honor of World Environment Day, the Municipal Council of Tarija, through a Virtual Protocol Act, recognized WWF and other entities and organizations with the “Jorge Paz Rojas” Environmental Prize. It highlights the work on environmental issues, promoting sustainable development and preserving the environment. The “Urban Solutions with Citizen Action” project, which received support from the Swedish Embassy in Bolivia, has contributed to youth Environmental Education since 2018 through the centers that were established in partnership with the municipalities and the support of initiatives from community organizations.

Malpelo, in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas

The Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, which is the ninth-largest marine protected area in the world, was recently included in the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UICN). This recognition means that during the next five years, the team in charge of its administration will have the opportunity to evaluate and improve the performance of the site under globally established conservation criteria. This sanctuary contains key ecosystems for the good health of the oceans, in addition to a great diversity of species such as sharks and seabirds.

TrazApp: technological revolution for the Peruvian artisanal fishing sector

TrazApp is a tracking system that allows users to follow a fish’s path from the ocean to their plate. It provides reliable real-time information on artisanal fishing to improve its management. Up to date, the app has been tested on mahi mahi, jumbo squid, shark and bonito fisheries, and in the Piura, Lambayeque and Arequipa regions.

Citizen science moves forward in ArgentiNat

Just six months after its presentation, ArgentiNat, the iNaturalist network’s local Argentine portal promoted by Fundación Vida Silvestre, has doubled the amount of observations registered in the country. There are more than 100,000 new records that added to the previous ones total more than 200,000 national observations. Also, 10,000 different species have been identified in Argentina, including 3,000 new ones since the launch. This was achieved thanks to the collaboration of 3,500 users from the national network, who are uploading and identifying wildlife observations, contributing to the biodiversity knowledge in the country through citizen science.

Optimism for early decarbonization in Chile

During the first year balance of the Decarbonization Plan launched by the Government in early June 2019, WWF-Chile highlighted the signs that have been given by various actors in the sector and that could contribute to advancing the goals originally set despide the pandemic.

This Plan established the year 2040 as the latest date for the closure of the 28 coal-fired plants operating up to that time in the country, a key step in reducing GHG emissions. However, the power company ENEL announced in May the early closure of its last two coal-fired power plants in Chile, originally scheduled for 2023 and 2040. Likewise, there are talks between the Ministry of Energy and stakeholders that could accelerate new closings.

WWF-Mexico launches 2019 Ambition meter report

WWF evaluated 151 companies operating in Mexico on their commitment to fight climate change, with the goal of inviting them to improve their operations and contribute to the national goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The 2019 Ambition meter report analyzed public information from 151 companies whose total annual revenues add up 13.3 trillion pesos and represent 77% of the country’s 500 largest companies.

Escuintla is Guatemala’s winner of the One Planet City Challenge

The city of Escuintla was selected as the winner of WWF’s One Planet City Challenge 2019-2020 (OPCC) in Guatemala. The level of data reporting presented by the city through the CDP-ICLEI unified system allowed it to advance to the final round.

All finalist cities were presented to the OPCC International Experts Jury, which spoke highly of this city: “the Municipality of Escuintla demonstrated a good baseline in relation to the reported climate data and a process of involvement of key actors, with signs of a strong integration of the climate action plan in a local government.”

Ecuadorian banana farms are among the first in the world to obtain international AWS certification

Two of the banana farms that are part of the WWF-Ecuador project, in conjunction with Dole Food Company and the German supermarket chain EDEKA, are among the first in the world to achieve the AWS (Alliance for Water Stewardship) certification, related to the good use of water. The Elba and Encarnación farms have systems that save up to 80% of water, setting a precedent to ensure the sustainability of banana production in the country and the region.

Dialogue on sustainability and economic recovery with representatives of large Ecuadorian industries.

On June 16, WWF-Ecuador organized a virtual dialogue with various private sector stakeholders to discuss sustainability as a key piece for the economic recovery after Covid-19. Different leaders of the cocoa, banana, and fishing industry, with whom WWF-Ecuador works on different projects, attended to the event as panelists. Within the dialogue , the importance of working from different fronts to rethink the relationship between people and nature was emphasized.

The Global Warming Collection, a sustainable fashion revolution

The sustainable fashion revolution is the concept embodied in the Global Warming Collection, which consists of eight dresses inspired by the consequences of climate change in recent years. The pieces created by the renowned designer Emma Viedma are part of a creative campaign by the ONIRIA agency in conjunction with WWF and in partnership with scientific researchers from Berkeley Earth and Texciclo.

Fast fashion waste is the second leading cause of global warming. This clothing line invites us to reflect as fashion consumers and makes a call to reduce our impact on the environment.