Key focal areas for ZSL at the WCC focused on strategy and action linked to three themes of ‘spaces’, ‘species’ and ‘people’.
Spaces
- A more ambitious strategy on space for nature, including setting the limits to development: this included a motion and events on developing a strategy to safeguard space for nature and secure our future post-2020, a motion on increasing the coverage of marine protected areas (MPAs), events and a motion on freshwater conservation, and events and motions on ‘no-go’, focusing on World Heritage and primary forests.
- Sustainable landscapes and development: events and motion on South Sumatra sustainable landscape approach, transparency and best practice for business, impact assessment (including launch of IAIA biodiversity guidelines) and forest certification.
Species
- Highlighting neglected flagship threatened species: events and motions on migratory fish, tigers, giraffids and pangolins, events and motions on the IUCN Red List and National Red Lists.
- Tackling the illegal wildlife trade: demos on Instant Detect and SMART, motions on environmental crime, closing the domestic trade in ivory and pangolin CITES listing.
People
- Connecting people to nature and citizen science: demos on Instant Wild, events featuring ‘We are the rangers’ Minecraft gaming, United for Wildlife's free online conservation course and the art of conservation.
ZSL motions at the WCC
The passing of ‘Motions’ (which then become formal IUCN Resolutions) is a key component of the Congress Members’ Assembly and helps to define IUCN’s strategy and position on key areas.
ZSL co-sponsored 15 Motions at this WCC (out of a total of 99), and was highly active in the online consultation of motions in the run up to the Congress.
Key motions supported by ZSL which were passed by IUCN Members at the Congress included those calling for:
- the closure of domestic markets for ivory
- actions to reduce declines of pangolins, including uplisting all eight species to CITES Appendix 1 to ban all commercial trade
- the mandating of industrial-scale development projects to follow best practice
- all categories of IUCN protected areas to be 'no-go' to environmentally-damanging industrial activities and infrastructure development
- measures to protect primary forests, including intact forest landscapes
- mitigation of the impacts of oil palm expansion
- an increase in marine protected area coverage to 30% by 2030
- the development of a more ambitious strategy to safeguard space for nature and a secure future for people.
ZSL events at the WCC
ZSL led, presented in or partnered on around 40 events at the Congress, ranging from technology demonstrations of our Instant Wild citizen science monitoring app, to discussing a new action plan to save Congo’s elusive okapi, to launching our major new landscape conservation project in South Sumatra, Kelola Sendang.
These events took a variety of formats, including workshops, small-group ‘knowledge cafés’ and drop-in pavilion events.
Download a list of all our events below or find out more on the IUCN website.
ZSL events at IUCN WCC 2016 (251.13 KB)
ZSL staff attending
Craig Bruce, Head of Asia Programmes
Dr Sarah Thomas, Head of Discovery and Learning
Dr Noëlle Kümpel, Conservation Policy Programme Manager
Elizabeth Clarke, Business and Biodiversity Programme Manager
Angela Yang, East and South-east Asia Programme Manager
Sophie Adwick, Asia Assistant Programme Manager
Hem Baral, Nepal Country Manager
Damayanti Buchori, Kelola Sendang Project Director
Yessi Dewi Agustina, Kelola Sendang Communications Officer
Louise Hartley, Project Manager, Conservation Technology Unit
Dr John Ewen, Research Fellow, ZSL Institute of Zoology
Jonas Kambale Nyumu, USFWS MENTOR-PoP Fellow, Cameroon (ZSL-affiliate)
Linh Bao, USFWS MENTOR-PoP Fellow, Vietnam (ZSL-affiliate)
