Translating Science for Parliamentarians
The lack of effective communication between the worlds of science and policy has contributed to the continued widespread degradation of ecosystems.
The Zoological Society of London is contributing to the development of international conservation policy in our role as scientific advisors to parliamentarians from GLOBE International.
Coral Reef Resilience
ZSL and GLOBE are coordinating the development of an ‘Action Plan for Coral Reefs’ to make national policy makers aware of the threats facing coral reefs, the services they provide, and actions that can be taken to increase coral reef resilience in the face of climate change and ocean acidification.
The Action Plan’s recommendations for legislators, which make up Part II of the GLOBE Marine Ecosystems Recovery Strategy, will be endorsed at a GLOBE forum at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010.
Marine Fisheries
On World Oceans Day (8 June 2010), GLOBE legislators endorsed a series of marine fisheries policy proposals that make up part of its 
Marine Ecosystems Recovery Strategy. (325 KB)
ZSL and GLOBE’s work on marine fisheries to date has focused on addressing the main drivers of overfishing, reforming high seas management, implementing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), improving compliance with regulations, and other measures to improve sustainable management of marine fisheries.
More Information on the World Oceans Day GLOBE Fisheries Meeting
Oceans and Climate Change
ZSL is engaged in communicating the ecological and economic impacts of climate change and acidification on the world’s oceans to GLOBE legislators.
ZSL has written policy briefing notes on coral reefs & climate change (76 KB) and ocean acidification (145 KB) for GLOBE legislators.
Project Staff
ZSL provided high level input into the GLOBE process through the Chief Scientific Advisors to GLOBE ICLUCE, Jonathan Baillie and Alex Rogers. Professor Baillie is Director of Conservation Programmes within ZSL. Dr Rogers is a Reader and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Zoology.
Core ZSL team members include: Natasha Pauli (terrestrial ecosystems scientific advisor), Simon Harding (marine ecosystems scientific advisor), Elizabeth Clark (research assistant, marine ecosystems), Anisha Grover (research assistant, terrestrial ecosystems) and Noëlle Kümpel (programme manager, ZSL Conservation Programmes).
GLOBE International
The Global Legislators Organisation, known as GLOBE International, is a cross-party legislators’ forum with participants from the major economies and developing nations.
GLOBE’s International Commission on Land Use Change and Ecosystems (ICLUCE) develops internationally-coordinated proposals on environmental legislation. ZSL is the scientific advisory body for ICLUCE. Scientists from ZSL present scientific evidence and policy recommendations during meetings of GLOBE parliamentarians.
ZSL has provided scientific advice to GLOBE parliamentarians since the inception of ICLUCE in November 2008. Some of highlights are provided below
Restoring Natural Capital
ZSL, Volans and GLOBE are illustrating how government investment in the restoration of natural capital can have clear public policy benefits.
A report on Investing in Natural Capital will showcase examples from around the world where governments and legislators have been actively involved in projects to restore and conserve natural capital as a way to achieve public policy goals.
Tropical Forests
GLOBE legislators are taking action to reduce tropical deforestation, by addressing the role of demand for commodities, the underlying causes of deforestation in forest nations, and the creation of payments for forest carbon.
At the GLOBE Climate Forum in October 2009 in Copenhagen, GLOBE legislators endorsed a set of Forest Policy Proposals (45 KB) designed to combat illegal logging and integrate forest carbon into international climate change policy.
Accounting for Natural Capital
ZSL works with GLOBE to draw attention to new and innovative methods of valuing and accounting for biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural resources. GLOBE parliamentarians are very interested in how the national accounts can be modified to better account for the true value of natural capital.
Partners and Donors
GLOBE International is supported by UNEP and GEF. Key partners in the collaboration are the Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics, and Volans.
