» 2008 » June

Eczema In Infancy May Be Linked To Cat Ownership In Those With A Specific Gene Mutation
By ScienceDaily: Cat News on June 26th, 2008 | Comments Off

A gene mutation and cat exposure at birth may increase a child’s risk of developing eczema during their first year according to a study in PLoS Medicine. Researchers studied the association between mutations in the filaggrin gene and exposure to environmental factors with the development of eczema.
Potential Key To Better Drugs To Fight Toxoplasmosis Parasite Discovered
By ScienceDaily: Cat News on June 24th, 2008 | Comments Off

Researchers can now help explain how the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis transforms into a cyst form that resists drugs and the body’s immune system, yet can emerge from its dormant state to strike when a patient’s immune system is weakened. The discovery linking this stress-response mechanism to cyst formation and maintenance not only offers a possible target for new drugs, but it could also lead to a preventative vaccine — for animals.
Goodbye June-uary, Hello Hot Cars!!
By Reed Coleman on June 11th, 2008 | Comments Off

We’ve all struggled through some pretty crazy, chilly weather this so-called spring. But NOW they say June-uary will truly end, and our coveted summer weather will stay *ahem* for sure *ahem*. Here’s to thinking postively. And with that in mind,…
Otters Reveal Their Identity
By ScienceDaily: Cat News on June 11th, 2008 | Comments Off

Researchers have developed two new methods, in order to be able to better estimate the numbers of European otters (Lutra lutra) and their effects on the fish farming industry. Genetic analyses of the feces could prove to be a promising approach when investigating otter populations, as reported in the scientific journal Conservation Genetics. The new method does not only apply to otters, but also to all vertebrates.
Unravelling The Mystery Of The Kitty Litter Parasite In Marine Mammals
By ScienceDaily: Cat News on June 5th, 2008 | Comments Off

Researchers have discovered what may be a clue to the mystery of why marine mammals around the world are succumbing to a parasite that is typically only associated with cats. The key may just be the lowly anchovy, according to new research.

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Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-11" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4257) "Sport Environment, the organiser of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment, have today announced an exciting new partnership with the conservation organisation WWF-UK. The announcement by Sport Environment was made together with WWF and round the world sailor, Conrad Humphreys who is founder of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. The event which is open to everyone to take part, aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. Today’s announcement will mean that WWF will become the Official Charity Partner of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment and will be working with Sport Environment to raise awareness of the threats facing our world’s oceans and the need to protect our seas. Monica Dolan, Sponsored Events Manager at WWF-UK says: “The Blue Mile is a fantastic opportunity to educate and inspire people to value our marine environment. The UK is blessed with 20,000km of coastline, and diverse marine life and habitats ranging from deep sea corals to harbour porpoises. However our seas are facing increasing pressures, and now, with the threat of climate change, it is more important than ever that we protect our marine biodiversity. By completing a Blue Mile, businesses, schools, and individuals can show they care about our oceans and help raise crucial funding to support WWF’s conservation projects.” Conrad Humphreys, founder of the Blue Mile said: “It is often said that sport is intimately connected to nature and for some athletes it is the relationship with the environment that inspires and motivates them. One of the key aims of the Blue Mile is to encourage an active community who can respond and find ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Our relationship with WWF will provide opportunities for everyone to form stronger links with our marine and natural environment. Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. " } [1]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(71) "Post-Copenhagen opportunity to accelerate efforts to slow deforestation" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3746" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(1777) "An initiative bringing together key forest and donor countries today (11th March) provides a critical opportunity to fast track action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), WWF said.Broad agreement has already been reached on principles and safeguards of REDD+, despite no formal decision on these coming out of last year’s United Nations conference on climate change. The REDD+ Partnership, hosted by Norway and France, which holds its first meeting today, now provides an important chance to mobilize early action and financing for national REDD+ programmes. Emily Brickell, WWF-UK climate and forests officer, said: “With funding already flowing for REDD+, it is vital that benefits for people and biodiversity are a fundamental part of this effort to integrate forests into the climate change solution. REDD+ is not only about the carbon stored in forests and so we must ensure there are positive social and environmental impacts as REDD+ becomes a reality. “Slowing deforestation would help the world significantly cut global emissions and that’s an opportunity we simply cannot ignore as any delay in reducing emissions only makes it more difficult to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C. The REDD+ Partnership must build real momentum for countries to move ahead with REDD+. It is important this remains an open and inclusive process.” Countries have signalled their commitment to REDD+, with many developing countries, including Brazil and Indonesia, announcing targets for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In Copenhagen, $3.5 billion was pledged for REDD+ by Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and the US. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-10" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(1777) "An initiative bringing together key forest and donor countries today (11th March) provides a critical opportunity to fast track action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), WWF said.Broad agreement has already been reached on principles and safeguards of REDD+, despite no formal decision on these coming out of last year’s United Nations conference on climate change. The REDD+ Partnership, hosted by Norway and France, which holds its first meeting today, now provides an important chance to mobilize early action and financing for national REDD+ programmes. Emily Brickell, WWF-UK climate and forests officer, said: “With funding already flowing for REDD+, it is vital that benefits for people and biodiversity are a fundamental part of this effort to integrate forests into the climate change solution. REDD+ is not only about the carbon stored in forests and so we must ensure there are positive social and environmental impacts as REDD+ becomes a reality. “Slowing deforestation would help the world significantly cut global emissions and that’s an opportunity we simply cannot ignore as any delay in reducing emissions only makes it more difficult to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C. The REDD+ Partnership must build real momentum for countries to move ahead with REDD+. It is important this remains an open and inclusive process.” Countries have signalled their commitment to REDD+, with many developing countries, including Brazil and Indonesia, announcing targets for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In Copenhagen, $3.5 billion was pledged for REDD+ by Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and the US. " } [2]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(46) "WWF’s Earth Hour heads into record territory" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3744" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3569) "With just over two weeks to go before WWF’s Earth Hour takes place, the global initiative has become bigger than ever, surpassing all previous years’ events.  From Australia to America and Europe to Asia on Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, over 1,100 cities and towns across the globe will switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about climate change. Last year 88 countries got involved in the initiative and with 2010 seeing more than 91 countries taking part, a ripple will cross the Earth as landmarks in 25 time zones switch off.  Many of the world’s most iconic landmarks are on board including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas strip, Table Mountain and the Burj Khalifa tower- the tallest building in the world. UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour.  Other famous buildings pledging to plunge into darkness for an hour include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.  Companies supporting the event include M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea. Countries and regions involved for the first time include the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean. “This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people”, said Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK.  “By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.” For further information or to sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour please visit: <a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour">www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour</a> - ends - Editor's notes About Earth Hour <a href="http://www.earthhour.org">www.earthhour.org</a> Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative.  Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.  The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour. WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, t: 01483 412383, e: <a href="mailto:khulbert@wwf.org.uk">khulbert@wwf.org.uk</a>  " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3569) "With just over two weeks to go before WWF’s Earth Hour takes place, the global initiative has become bigger than ever, surpassing all previous years’ events.  From Australia to America and Europe to Asia on Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, over 1,100 cities and towns across the globe will switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about climate change. Last year 88 countries got involved in the initiative and with 2010 seeing more than 91 countries taking part, a ripple will cross the Earth as landmarks in 25 time zones switch off.  Many of the world’s most iconic landmarks are on board including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas strip, Table Mountain and the Burj Khalifa tower- the tallest building in the world. UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour.  Other famous buildings pledging to plunge into darkness for an hour include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.  Companies supporting the event include M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea. Countries and regions involved for the first time include the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean. “This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people”, said Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK.  “By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.” For further information or to sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour please visit: <a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour">www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour</a> - ends - Editor's notes About Earth Hour <a href="http://www.earthhour.org">www.earthhour.org</a> Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative.  Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.  The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour. WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, t: 01483 412383, e: <a href="mailto:khulbert@wwf.org.uk">khulbert@wwf.org.uk</a>  " } [3]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(60) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3743" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3926) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL Embargoed until GMT 00.01, 10 March 2010Tokyo, Japan: Japan is at risk of undermining its own recent commitments on carbon emissions reductions during its debate on forthcoming climate legislation, WWF said today. WWF is calling on Thursday’s Cabinet Member Committee meeting to uphold the existing absolute emissions reductions of 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 agreed under the Copenhagen Accord framework, with the ‘cap and trade’ scheme outlined as a key mechanism for achieving the target. The climate bill, to be presented to the full cabinet including Prime Minister Hatoyama on Friday, is being lobbied against by heavy industry labour unions for possible job loss, ignoring the potential for new sustainable jobs in clean energy and other industrial sectors. At the same time, some government ministries are promoting a carbon intensity framework, rather than necessary absolute targets, for their national emissions reduction commitment. An intensity-based emissions trading scheme would seriously undermine the environmental integrity of the bill - absolute emissions would increase with production even if intensity-based targets are achieved. "If the bill includes 'intensity-based' emissions trading schemes then it ignores the emissions cap that the Japanese government has promised to the Japanese people during the elections and to the world following the Copenhagen Accord," said Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change. "For the scheme to be called a 'cap and trade' scheme, it needs to have a real emissions cap" Japanese civil groups are also calling on the government to drop the conditionality clauses in the new bill that threaten to tie Japanese action on climate change to a successful international agreement which includes all the major economies. "Japan should not send wrong signals by making its action conditional on an international agreement," said Yamagishi. "It will not only jeopardize the credibility of the Japanese target internationally but will also slow down domestic actions. There is no time to waste, and Japan needs to avoid locking itself further into development using environmentally and socially unsustainable technologies. The current language in the bill could be interpreted as Japan doing nothing to reduce emissions if there is no comprehensive international agreement." "Japan's 25% target is one of the strongest that any country has committed to so far," said Keith Allott, WWF-UK's Head of Climate Change. "It should remain as an example to others; Japan should not chase everyone else in a race to the bottom, and to the disastrous climate impacts that will result." Japan's existing pledge to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 is one of the most ambitious in the world. For further information contact: Benjamin Ward, WWF-UK, bward@wwf.org.uk +44 7837 134 193, Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change, yamagishi@wwf.or.jp +81-3-3769-3509 (office) / +81-90-6471-1432 (mobile); Ashwini Prabha, Communications Manager, WWF International, aprabha@wwfint.org, +41798741682 About WWF WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.wwf.org.uk www.wwf.or.jp/activity/climate " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3926) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL Embargoed until GMT 00.01, 10 March 2010Tokyo, Japan: Japan is at risk of undermining its own recent commitments on carbon emissions reductions during its debate on forthcoming climate legislation, WWF said today. WWF is calling on Thursday’s Cabinet Member Committee meeting to uphold the existing absolute emissions reductions of 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 agreed under the Copenhagen Accord framework, with the ‘cap and trade’ scheme outlined as a key mechanism for achieving the target. The climate bill, to be presented to the full cabinet including Prime Minister Hatoyama on Friday, is being lobbied against by heavy industry labour unions for possible job loss, ignoring the potential for new sustainable jobs in clean energy and other industrial sectors. At the same time, some government ministries are promoting a carbon intensity framework, rather than necessary absolute targets, for their national emissions reduction commitment. An intensity-based emissions trading scheme would seriously undermine the environmental integrity of the bill - absolute emissions would increase with production even if intensity-based targets are achieved. "If the bill includes 'intensity-based' emissions trading schemes then it ignores the emissions cap that the Japanese government has promised to the Japanese people during the elections and to the world following the Copenhagen Accord," said Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change. "For the scheme to be called a 'cap and trade' scheme, it needs to have a real emissions cap" Japanese civil groups are also calling on the government to drop the conditionality clauses in the new bill that threaten to tie Japanese action on climate change to a successful international agreement which includes all the major economies. "Japan should not send wrong signals by making its action conditional on an international agreement," said Yamagishi. "It will not only jeopardize the credibility of the Japanese target internationally but will also slow down domestic actions. There is no time to waste, and Japan needs to avoid locking itself further into development using environmentally and socially unsustainable technologies. The current language in the bill could be interpreted as Japan doing nothing to reduce emissions if there is no comprehensive international agreement." "Japan's 25% target is one of the strongest that any country has committed to so far," said Keith Allott, WWF-UK's Head of Climate Change. "It should remain as an example to others; Japan should not chase everyone else in a race to the bottom, and to the disastrous climate impacts that will result." Japan's existing pledge to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 is one of the most ambitious in the world. For further information contact: Benjamin Ward, WWF-UK, bward@wwf.org.uk +44 7837 134 193, Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change, yamagishi@wwf.or.jp +81-3-3769-3509 (office) / +81-90-6471-1432 (mobile); Ashwini Prabha, Communications Manager, WWF International, aprabha@wwfint.org, +41798741682 About WWF WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.wwf.org.uk www.wwf.or.jp/activity/climate " } [4]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(66) "CITES can help save bluefin tuna and stem wildlife poaching crisis" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3742" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4869) "Governments meeting on 13th March for the largest wildlife trade convention will have a unique opportunity to preserve the world’s oceans and simultaneously stem a worldwide poaching crisis. At the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15), Parties will consider an unprecedented six proposals for commercially exploited marine species. This is unusual because in the past CITES has focused more on terrestrial species. Notably, the governments will consider putting Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention – the highest level of protection under its appendix system, which would ban all international commercial trade. WWF will encourage Parties to accept this proposal, as well as asking for commitments to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa.  2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar; there is no better time to ensure an end to all tiger trade. Heather Sohl, WWF-UK, wildlife trade officer, said: "Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are at an all-time low following overfishing and illegal fishing to feed a rapidly expanding market in recent years for sushi and sashimi, mainly in Japan, but also increasingly in the United States and Europe. "Insatiable demand has left the Atlantic bluefin tuna on the brink of extinction. This is the meeting where governments have an opportunity to stop pandering to the short-term interests of a bloated high-tech fishing industry and make a stand. If they don't we face losing an important species forever." Overall, Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have declined by over 85 per cent compared to maximum historical stock levels. Other marine species up for increased protection under CITES include red and pink coral – being harvested out of existence to make jewelry and decorative items – and four shark species.   Proposals to put these four shark species on CITES Appendix II, which would ensure stricter trade controls, will be considered at the meeting. These sharks currently are overfished because of demand for their fins and meat. In addition, government delegations also will consider steps they can take to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa. Tigers, in particular, are in the spotlight during this Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar.  All 13 tiger range states are signatories to the CITES convention. Heather Sohl added: “Poaching and illegal trade are the biggest threat to the survival of the tiger, and the CoP countries have the chance to vote on measures that, if properly enforced, can end all illegal tiger trade for good. With as few as 3,200 wild tigers left, it’s critical that steps are taken now to ensure a future with tigers still in the wild.” Rhino poaching worldwide is at a 15-year high and exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high-calibre weapons to kill rhinos. There is also a marked increase in demand in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, fueled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer. “Not only has rhino poaching in southern Africa increased but elephant poaching in central Africa and tiger poaching in Asia has risen as well and is seriously threatening these species,” said Steve Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC International. “At the CITES CoP, governments will have a chance to take a collective, big-picture look at what is driving poaching and illegal trade and seek common solutions.” For further information:   David Burrows, WWF-UK press office, <a href="mailto:dburrows@wwf.org.uk">dburrows@wwf.org.uk</a>, 01483 412388 Notes to Editors WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN.  " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4869) "Governments meeting on 13th March for the largest wildlife trade convention will have a unique opportunity to preserve the world’s oceans and simultaneously stem a worldwide poaching crisis. At the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15), Parties will consider an unprecedented six proposals for commercially exploited marine species. This is unusual because in the past CITES has focused more on terrestrial species. Notably, the governments will consider putting Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention – the highest level of protection under its appendix system, which would ban all international commercial trade. WWF will encourage Parties to accept this proposal, as well as asking for commitments to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa.  2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar; there is no better time to ensure an end to all tiger trade. Heather Sohl, WWF-UK, wildlife trade officer, said: "Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are at an all-time low following overfishing and illegal fishing to feed a rapidly expanding market in recent years for sushi and sashimi, mainly in Japan, but also increasingly in the United States and Europe. "Insatiable demand has left the Atlantic bluefin tuna on the brink of extinction. This is the meeting where governments have an opportunity to stop pandering to the short-term interests of a bloated high-tech fishing industry and make a stand. If they don't we face losing an important species forever." Overall, Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have declined by over 85 per cent compared to maximum historical stock levels. Other marine species up for increased protection under CITES include red and pink coral – being harvested out of existence to make jewelry and decorative items – and four shark species.   Proposals to put these four shark species on CITES Appendix II, which would ensure stricter trade controls, will be considered at the meeting. These sharks currently are overfished because of demand for their fins and meat. In addition, government delegations also will consider steps they can take to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa. Tigers, in particular, are in the spotlight during this Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar.  All 13 tiger range states are signatories to the CITES convention. Heather Sohl added: “Poaching and illegal trade are the biggest threat to the survival of the tiger, and the CoP countries have the chance to vote on measures that, if properly enforced, can end all illegal tiger trade for good. With as few as 3,200 wild tigers left, it’s critical that steps are taken now to ensure a future with tigers still in the wild.” Rhino poaching worldwide is at a 15-year high and exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high-calibre weapons to kill rhinos. There is also a marked increase in demand in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, fueled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer. “Not only has rhino poaching in southern Africa increased but elephant poaching in central Africa and tiger poaching in Asia has risen as well and is seriously threatening these species,” said Steve Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC International. “At the CITES CoP, governments will have a chance to take a collective, big-picture look at what is driving poaching and illegal trade and seek common solutions.” For further information:   David Burrows, WWF-UK press office, <a href="mailto:dburrows@wwf.org.uk">dburrows@wwf.org.uk</a>, 01483 412388 Notes to Editors WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN.  " } [5]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(78) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failures" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3725" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4387) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failuresThe release of six alleged rhino poachers from custody two weeks before a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention is emblematic of the chronic lack of political will to enact enforcement efforts required to save this endangered species. A Zimbabwean court last week granted bail to six men arrested at Bubye Valley Conservancy, home to Zimbabwe’s largest remaining rhino population, in connection with rhino poaching. Charges included illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of a rhino horn. The incident, part of a surge in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe and South Africa, is made worse by a lack of enforcement support in Zimbabwe in particular. As 175 countries prepare for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15) in Doha, starting on March 13, the increased poaching of rhinos and trade in rhino horns—compounded by failed enforcement efforts—is threatening to undermine conservation successes to date. Most rhinos are listed in the Convention’s Appendix I, which bans international trade in their parts for commercial purposes. Countries participating in the CITES convention have been tasked with combating illegal trade in rhino horn. “Zimbabwe’s failure to live up to its obligations to CITES is unacceptable and has caused its already endangered rhino population to decline,” said Heather Sohl, Wildlife Trade Officer, WWF-UK. “The time has come for the CITES Parties collectively to decide how to address this failure.” This incident, coming so soon after Zimbabwe was specifically urged by the CITES Secretariat to tighten up its law enforcement to protect rhinos, will reduce Zimbabwe's ability to defend its wildlife management policies at the forthcoming CITES conference. Last year, rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high due to increased demand for rhino horn. A recent report by TRAFFIC and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The report also showed that the conviction rate for rhino crimes in Zimbabwe is only three percent. WWF and TRAFFIC urge Zimbabwe, South Africa and all CITES Parties to uphold the commitments they have made as signatories to the Convention and dramatically improve law enforcement, including investigation of poaching incidents and prosecution of rhino crimes. “Rhino poachers are currently operating in an environment where they are allowed to break the law without appropriate consequences,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC. “This kind of ineffective law enforcement increasingly undermines the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhinoceros populations in southern Africa back up to healthy levels.” Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam,where demand has escalated in recent years. - ends - Editor's notes WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker Press Officer WWF-UK tel: 01483 412387 rwalker@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-02" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4387) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failuresThe release of six alleged rhino poachers from custody two weeks before a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention is emblematic of the chronic lack of political will to enact enforcement efforts required to save this endangered species. A Zimbabwean court last week granted bail to six men arrested at Bubye Valley Conservancy, home to Zimbabwe’s largest remaining rhino population, in connection with rhino poaching. Charges included illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of a rhino horn. The incident, part of a surge in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe and South Africa, is made worse by a lack of enforcement support in Zimbabwe in particular. As 175 countries prepare for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15) in Doha, starting on March 13, the increased poaching of rhinos and trade in rhino horns—compounded by failed enforcement efforts—is threatening to undermine conservation successes to date. Most rhinos are listed in the Convention’s Appendix I, which bans international trade in their parts for commercial purposes. Countries participating in the CITES convention have been tasked with combating illegal trade in rhino horn. “Zimbabwe’s failure to live up to its obligations to CITES is unacceptable and has caused its already endangered rhino population to decline,” said Heather Sohl, Wildlife Trade Officer, WWF-UK. “The time has come for the CITES Parties collectively to decide how to address this failure.” This incident, coming so soon after Zimbabwe was specifically urged by the CITES Secretariat to tighten up its law enforcement to protect rhinos, will reduce Zimbabwe's ability to defend its wildlife management policies at the forthcoming CITES conference. Last year, rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high due to increased demand for rhino horn. A recent report by TRAFFIC and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The report also showed that the conviction rate for rhino crimes in Zimbabwe is only three percent. WWF and TRAFFIC urge Zimbabwe, South Africa and all CITES Parties to uphold the commitments they have made as signatories to the Convention and dramatically improve law enforcement, including investigation of poaching incidents and prosecution of rhino crimes. “Rhino poachers are currently operating in an environment where they are allowed to break the law without appropriate consequences,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC. “This kind of ineffective law enforcement increasingly undermines the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhinoceros populations in southern Africa back up to healthy levels.” Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam,where demand has escalated in recent years. - ends - Editor's notes WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker Press Officer WWF-UK tel: 01483 412387 rwalker@wwf.org.uk " } [6]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(70) "Government’s Household Energy Strategy: Time to get the builders in." ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3724" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(5115) "Household Energy Management Strategy: Time to get the builders in.This week the Government will announce their long-awaited Household Energy Management Strategy, introducing a plan to reduce emissions from our existing housing stock, and help the UK on its way to meeting its domestic climate change targets. A new finance scheme to enable more homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties is on the cards, along with new plans to tackle the millions of older properties that require ‘solid wall insulation’. However WWF-UK is concerned that the strategy may not include enough substance to bring about the national-scale transformation of our homes that is so desperately needed to reduce emissions and create new jobs. Zoe Leader, Sustainable Homes Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “A private finance scheme that enables homeowners to take out loans to increase their home’s energy efficiency is welcome, but is pointless if it is not accompanied by a strong financial commitment from the Government. We have been waiting a long time to see the details of how a ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme will be rolled out to all homeowners, and we expect to see adequate funding and policies in place.” “Household Energy Management Strategy must include the significant level of investment to treat the eight million homes in the UK that require a ‘whole house retrofit’. The government needs to look beyond the easy wins of loft and wall insulation and urgently initiate a nationwide ‘whole home’ retrofit programme. This is where the real financial and carbon savings can be made, and with the right plan of action, such a scheme could create over 100,000 new jobs per year, providing a huge boost to the green economy.” WWF-UK is the current chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, a group of key players in the housing and construction sector that recently set out a manifesto, calling for each home to be given a ‘whole house makeover’ by 2030. The Alliance laid down a figure of £6bn a year as a minimum investment for retrofitting the UK’s existing stock. According to a new report by WWF, over 100,000 new jobs per year could be created through a nationwide retrofit programme, but this will require homeowners taking appropriate action to upgrade their homes. WWF is therefore calling for Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, and support and advice programmes that will encourage homeowners to address energy efficiency in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties. Leader adds: “The Government’s emphasis on tackling the energy efficiency of our homes is a positive step forward in the battle against climate change, but we need to see some real substance in the Household Energy Management Strategy to ensure we reduce emissions from the housing sector. Alongside financial investment we need a defined marketing strategy for communicating the benefits of upgrading our homes. The success of any Pay as You Save scheme relies upon homeowners taking up the opportunity to transform their homes.” ends - Editor's notes As part of the move to a low-carbon economy, it is vital that the UK slashes emissions from the domestic housing sector by at least 80 per cent by 2050. The UK’s housing stock is currently responsible for 26 per cent of our total carbon emissions, and the average household in Britain emits over six tonnes of CO2 every year. Under a proposed ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme, homeowners will get funding to help them with the costs of green refurbishment on their property and will pay this money back through the savings on their energy bills. As part of the Grand Designs Great British Refurb Campaign, WWF is working with the 10:10 campaign to give a Bristol home a ‘whole house’ makeover. Further information on this project and images of the refurbishment in process are available on request. www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker, Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel: 01483 412387, email: rwalker@wwf.org.uk Benjamin Ward, 01483 412378, email: bward@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-01" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(5115) "Household Energy Management Strategy: Time to get the builders in.This week the Government will announce their long-awaited Household Energy Management Strategy, introducing a plan to reduce emissions from our existing housing stock, and help the UK on its way to meeting its domestic climate change targets. A new finance scheme to enable more homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties is on the cards, along with new plans to tackle the millions of older properties that require ‘solid wall insulation’. However WWF-UK is concerned that the strategy may not include enough substance to bring about the national-scale transformation of our homes that is so desperately needed to reduce emissions and create new jobs. Zoe Leader, Sustainable Homes Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “A private finance scheme that enables homeowners to take out loans to increase their home’s energy efficiency is welcome, but is pointless if it is not accompanied by a strong financial commitment from the Government. We have been waiting a long time to see the details of how a ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme will be rolled out to all homeowners, and we expect to see adequate funding and policies in place.” “Household Energy Management Strategy must include the significant level of investment to treat the eight million homes in the UK that require a ‘whole house retrofit’. The government needs to look beyond the easy wins of loft and wall insulation and urgently initiate a nationwide ‘whole home’ retrofit programme. This is where the real financial and carbon savings can be made, and with the right plan of action, such a scheme could create over 100,000 new jobs per year, providing a huge boost to the green economy.” WWF-UK is the current chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, a group of key players in the housing and construction sector that recently set out a manifesto, calling for each home to be given a ‘whole house makeover’ by 2030. The Alliance laid down a figure of £6bn a year as a minimum investment for retrofitting the UK’s existing stock. According to a new report by WWF, over 100,000 new jobs per year could be created through a nationwide retrofit programme, but this will require homeowners taking appropriate action to upgrade their homes. WWF is therefore calling for Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, and support and advice programmes that will encourage homeowners to address energy efficiency in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties. Leader adds: “The Government’s emphasis on tackling the energy efficiency of our homes is a positive step forward in the battle against climate change, but we need to see some real substance in the Household Energy Management Strategy to ensure we reduce emissions from the housing sector. Alongside financial investment we need a defined marketing strategy for communicating the benefits of upgrading our homes. The success of any Pay as You Save scheme relies upon homeowners taking up the opportunity to transform their homes.” ends - Editor's notes As part of the move to a low-carbon economy, it is vital that the UK slashes emissions from the domestic housing sector by at least 80 per cent by 2050. The UK’s housing stock is currently responsible for 26 per cent of our total carbon emissions, and the average household in Britain emits over six tonnes of CO2 every year. Under a proposed ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme, homeowners will get funding to help them with the costs of green refurbishment on their property and will pay this money back through the savings on their energy bills. As part of the Grand Designs Great British Refurb Campaign, WWF is working with the 10:10 campaign to give a Bristol home a ‘whole house’ makeover. Further information on this project and images of the refurbishment in process are available on request. www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker, Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel: 01483 412387, email: rwalker@wwf.org.uk Benjamin Ward, 01483 412378, email: bward@wwf.org.uk " } [7]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(95) "WWF: Cautious welcome to European Commission’s conditional support for bluefin tuna trade ban" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3718" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3889) "WWF cautiously welcomes the EU Commission’s recommendation today that the 27 European Union member countries vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, through a listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), at next month’s meeting in Doha, Qatar.But WWF is concerned about the Commission’s proposal that entry into force of the ban be conditional on new analysis, a procedure which is neither scientifically justified nor allowed under the CITES rules. WWF believe that the only real choice is to support full implementation of the ban as soon as possible to ensure the species has a chance to recover. “WWF is highly concerned by any conditions which might delay or even derail the process”, said Heather Sohl, Species Policy Officer at WWF-UK. “The best available data of barely four months ago already demonstrates clearly that stock levels are under 15 per cent of historical levels. The international trade ban must be voted in at the CITES meeting in Doha and implementation must begin immediately if we are to save tuna stocks. The time for action is now, and that action must be clear and unambiguous if the fish and the industry are to be saved,” said Heather Sohl. After today’s recommendation in Brussels by the newly appointed European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, and Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the last remaining step to galvanise a formal EU bloc voting position in Doha will be at a European Council meeting between representatives of all 27 EU member state governments. This could happen as late as 15 March – after the opening of the CITES event – but is expected to closely reflect today’s recommendation from the Commission. WWF calls on European representatives to drop the conditional implementation proposal and urgently engage the support of the global community for the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I, which to be adopted requires the backing of two thirds of the 175 CITES member countries present. “If the biggest Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing nation in the world, France, and the EU – whose fishing industry has the highest stakes in this fishery, holding more than 50 per cent of total catch quota – can decide to support a CITES Appendix I listing for the sake of preserving the fishery and the tuna, Europe should be able to convince the rest of the international community to follow. WWF calls on EU leadership to this end,” said Heather Sohl. Others to have made public their support for Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of CITES include the European Parliament and the secretariat of CITES itself. At the end of 2009 both the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization expert panel and the scientific committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body in charge of managing the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, released analyses showing that the species amply fits requirements for an Appendix I listing. Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF’s tuna expert said, “A CITES Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin will exclusively control international trade – so there will be no stepping on ICCAT’s toes. The international trade ban will rather help the fisheries management body to do its job by tackling the main obstacle to sustainable and science-based fisheries management – international trade on luxury seafood markets – while allowing artisanal and coastal fishermen to fish as usual and trade their tuna domestically.” For more information contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, Tel: 01483 412383, Email: khulbert@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-23" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3889) "WWF cautiously welcomes the EU Commission’s recommendation today that the 27 European Union member countries vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, through a listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), at next month’s meeting in Doha, Qatar.But WWF is concerned about the Commission’s proposal that entry into force of the ban be conditional on new analysis, a procedure which is neither scientifically justified nor allowed under the CITES rules. WWF believe that the only real choice is to support full implementation of the ban as soon as possible to ensure the species has a chance to recover. “WWF is highly concerned by any conditions which might delay or even derail the process”, said Heather Sohl, Species Policy Officer at WWF-UK. “The best available data of barely four months ago already demonstrates clearly that stock levels are under 15 per cent of historical levels. The international trade ban must be voted in at the CITES meeting in Doha and implementation must begin immediately if we are to save tuna stocks. The time for action is now, and that action must be clear and unambiguous if the fish and the industry are to be saved,” said Heather Sohl. After today’s recommendation in Brussels by the newly appointed European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, and Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the last remaining step to galvanise a formal EU bloc voting position in Doha will be at a European Council meeting between representatives of all 27 EU member state governments. This could happen as late as 15 March – after the opening of the CITES event – but is expected to closely reflect today’s recommendation from the Commission. WWF calls on European representatives to drop the conditional implementation proposal and urgently engage the support of the global community for the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I, which to be adopted requires the backing of two thirds of the 175 CITES member countries present. “If the biggest Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing nation in the world, France, and the EU – whose fishing industry has the highest stakes in this fishery, holding more than 50 per cent of total catch quota – can decide to support a CITES Appendix I listing for the sake of preserving the fishery and the tuna, Europe should be able to convince the rest of the international community to follow. WWF calls on EU leadership to this end,” said Heather Sohl. Others to have made public their support for Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of CITES include the European Parliament and the secretariat of CITES itself. At the end of 2009 both the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization expert panel and the scientific committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body in charge of managing the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, released analyses showing that the species amply fits requirements for an Appendix I listing. Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF’s tuna expert said, “A CITES Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin will exclusively control international trade – so there will be no stepping on ICCAT’s toes. The international trade ban will rather help the fisheries management body to do its job by tackling the main obstacle to sustainable and science-based fisheries management – international trade on luxury seafood markets – while allowing artisanal and coastal fishermen to fish as usual and trade their tuna domestically.” For more information contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, Tel: 01483 412383, Email: khulbert@wwf.org.uk " } [8]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(43) "Year of the Tiger - Big Cats in Big Trouble" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3702" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(7839) "WWF today outlined the current top 10 trouble spots for tigers, in an interactive map that provides a unique overview of threats faced by wild tigers. <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The interactive map has been released in advance of WWF's Year of the Tiger campaign, which launches on Sunday to coincide with the start of Chinese year of the tiger. The campaign aims to build critical momentum to ensure the protection of the species, working with world leaders towards the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 - the next Year of the Tiger. A global tiger summit to be held in Vladivostok in September, attended by Heads of Government from the tiger range countries, will be a focal point of the campaign.  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Since the last year of the tiger in 1998, tigers have lost 40 per cent of their habitat.  They now occupy only 7 per cent of their historic range,” said Diane Walkington, Head of Species at WWF-UK. “Already, three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. WWF is committed to ensuring the remaining populations receive the protection they so desperately need.”</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, and if left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022. WWF’s map highlights the increasing threats faced by the species, including habitat loss, illegal trade and climate change</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The threats to wild tigers highlighted in the map include:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <ul> <li>·        Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to critical tiger populations;</li> <li>·        Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat;</li> <li>·        Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds continued demand in East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere;</li> <li>·        More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. state of Texas than are left in the wild - and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market;</li> <li>·        Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers;</li> <li>·        Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink;</li> <li>·        Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent.</li> </ul> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Tigers are being persecuted across the globe. They are being poisoned, trapped, snared, shot and squeezed out of their homes,” said Diane Walkington. “But there is now real hope that this trend can be reversed. With 13 countries where wild tigers survive now pledging that they will work towards doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, there has never been such an ambitious, high-level of commitment from governments to work to save this iconic species.”  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">*MATERIALS AVAILABLE*</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">To view and/or download the map, please visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldwildlife.org%2ftigertroublespots">http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots</a> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Camera trap photos, captured this September, of a tigress and one of her cubs are also available. These were obtained from a selectively logged forest in Malaysia.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> The photo shows the tigress checking out a WWF camera trap with one of her two cubs. Researchers from WWF-Malaysia working in the area have caught the same female tiger on camera several times during the last several years, but this was the first time they saw that she had become a mother.   For the photo of the tigress and her cub, B-roll, a media album of high-res photos, background information on Year of the Tiger, and other media resources related to tigers, please visit <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.panda.org%2ftigers%2fmedia">www.panda.org/tigers/media</a></div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information, high resolution image or interviews, please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 375 Mob: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-11" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(7839) "WWF today outlined the current top 10 trouble spots for tigers, in an interactive map that provides a unique overview of threats faced by wild tigers. <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The interactive map has been released in advance of WWF's Year of the Tiger campaign, which launches on Sunday to coincide with the start of Chinese year of the tiger. The campaign aims to build critical momentum to ensure the protection of the species, working with world leaders towards the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 - the next Year of the Tiger. A global tiger summit to be held in Vladivostok in September, attended by Heads of Government from the tiger range countries, will be a focal point of the campaign.  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Since the last year of the tiger in 1998, tigers have lost 40 per cent of their habitat.  They now occupy only 7 per cent of their historic range,” said Diane Walkington, Head of Species at WWF-UK. “Already, three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. WWF is committed to ensuring the remaining populations receive the protection they so desperately need.”</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, and if left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022. WWF’s map highlights the increasing threats faced by the species, including habitat loss, illegal trade and climate change</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The threats to wild tigers highlighted in the map include:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <ul> <li>·        Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to critical tiger populations;</li> <li>·        Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat;</li> <li>·        Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds continued demand in East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere;</li> <li>·        More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. state of Texas than are left in the wild - and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market;</li> <li>·        Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers;</li> <li>·        Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink;</li> <li>·        Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent.</li> </ul> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Tigers are being persecuted across the globe. They are being poisoned, trapped, snared, shot and squeezed out of their homes,” said Diane Walkington. “But there is now real hope that this trend can be reversed. With 13 countries where wild tigers survive now pledging that they will work towards doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, there has never been such an ambitious, high-level of commitment from governments to work to save this iconic species.”  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">*MATERIALS AVAILABLE*</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">To view and/or download the map, please visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldwildlife.org%2ftigertroublespots">http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots</a> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Camera trap photos, captured this September, of a tigress and one of her cubs are also available. These were obtained from a selectively logged forest in Malaysia.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> The photo shows the tigress checking out a WWF camera trap with one of her two cubs. Researchers from WWF-Malaysia working in the area have caught the same female tiger on camera several times during the last several years, but this was the first time they saw that she had become a mother.   For the photo of the tigress and her cub, B-roll, a media album of high-res photos, background information on Year of the Tiger, and other media resources related to tigers, please visit <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.panda.org%2ftigers%2fmedia">www.panda.org/tigers/media</a></div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information, high resolution image or interviews, please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 375 Mob: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div>" } [9]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(76) "UK urged to follow France in support of international bluefin tuna trade ban" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3692" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(2558) "WWF-UK is calling on the UK Government to add its support for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. This follows an announcement yesterday by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo that France supports the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).The support for a CITES Appendix I listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna by a major European fishing country may free up the deadlock across EU member states and the European Commission, whose fisheries and environment commissioners have been at loggerheads for weeks in a failure to agree on the formal EC position. The pressure is also mounting on Spain, who hold the EU presidency to follow suit. Italy already voiced its support for the Appendix I listing last week, along with suggesting a three-year suspension of industrial fishing. Now WWF is urging the UK Government to step up to the table and ensure this endangered species is given the immediate protection it needs from overfishing. France’s call for an international trade ban on endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna is a strong political commitment, but WWF is concerned that the French Government is asking for an 18-month delayed implementation of the ban pending new scientific analysis of tuna stocks. Heather Sohl, Species Trade & Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “The scientific case for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I is already clear. The trade ban must take immediate effect and be implemented without condition if it is to be of conservation and economic value.” “It now falls to EU Presidency holder Spain, other EU countries, the European Commission and all governments that are members of CITES to follow France’s lead and throw their support behind an Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin.” The proposed listing on CITES Appendix I was originally tabled by the Principality of Monaco. Fisheries experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the scientific committee of the management commission for this fishery (ICCAT) have both confirmed that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for listing on CITES Appendix I. The 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next meet on 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar, where Atlantic bluefin tuna will be the headline marine species. - ends - " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-04" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(2558) "WWF-UK is calling on the UK Government to add its support for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. This follows an announcement yesterday by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo that France supports the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).The support for a CITES Appendix I listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna by a major European fishing country may free up the deadlock across EU member states and the European Commission, whose fisheries and environment commissioners have been at loggerheads for weeks in a failure to agree on the formal EC position. The pressure is also mounting on Spain, who hold the EU presidency to follow suit. Italy already voiced its support for the Appendix I listing last week, along with suggesting a three-year suspension of industrial fishing. Now WWF is urging the UK Government to step up to the table and ensure this endangered species is given the immediate protection it needs from overfishing. France’s call for an international trade ban on endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna is a strong political commitment, but WWF is concerned that the French Government is asking for an 18-month delayed implementation of the ban pending new scientific analysis of tuna stocks. Heather Sohl, Species Trade & Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “The scientific case for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I is already clear. The trade ban must take immediate effect and be implemented without condition if it is to be of conservation and economic value.” “It now falls to EU Presidency holder Spain, other EU countries, the European Commission and all governments that are members of CITES to follow France’s lead and throw their support behind an Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin.” The proposed listing on CITES Appendix I was originally tabled by the Principality of Monaco. Fisheries experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the scientific committee of the management commission for this fishery (ICCAT) have both confirmed that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for listing on CITES Appendix I. The 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next meet on 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar, where Atlantic bluefin tuna will be the headline marine species. - ends - " } [10]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(83) "Existing Homes Alliance make rallying call to tackle inefficient, old housing stock" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3685" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(2483) "Key players in the housing and construction sector have joined together to outline a plan of action for upgrading the UK’s woefully outdated housing stock. The Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) 2010 Manifesto seeks commitment from the Government to deliver a national retrofit programme, essential for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. The need for action is pressing. Emissions from UK households are not falling, and are 5 per cent higher than ten years ago.Key demands in the manifesto include: • All homes to have a whole house retrofit by 2030 • £6bn a year should be invested in retrofitting the UK’s existing stock • A 2010 to 2030 roadmap to set out minimum regulatory standards and voluntary aspirational standards for the energy performance of homes • Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, to ensure that energy efficiency standards are reflected in house prices • A range of financing mechanisms are made available to homeowners to cover the upfront costs of retrofitting • Greater investment in a support and advice programme that will engage homeowners to use less energy in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties The Existing Homes Alliance assert that such a programme of updating the housing stock will benefit the economy by creating new jobs and reducing levels of fuel poverty. It will also provide certainty for businesses investing in low carbon measures for homes. Colin Butfield, Chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “It is a sad fact that in the UK the majority of our homes are underperforming leaving many of us out of pocket, out in the cold and wastefully emitting carbon emissions. This manifesto outlines what we see as the solutions to our housing crisis. It is now essential that the Government establishes a national retrofit programme with some urgency so that we can meet the UK’s carbon budget targets.” Ends Notes to Editors ExHA is comprised of expert organisations working with all sectors including financial institutions, builders and installers, energy utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, social housing managers, homeowners, landlords, local authorities and with government, to develop a programme of radical low carbon refurbishment. For further information visit www.existinghomesalliance.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-01" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(2483) "Key players in the housing and construction sector have joined together to outline a plan of action for upgrading the UK’s woefully outdated housing stock. The Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) 2010 Manifesto seeks commitment from the Government to deliver a national retrofit programme, essential for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. The need for action is pressing. Emissions from UK households are not falling, and are 5 per cent higher than ten years ago.Key demands in the manifesto include: • All homes to have a whole house retrofit by 2030 • £6bn a year should be invested in retrofitting the UK’s existing stock • A 2010 to 2030 roadmap to set out minimum regulatory standards and voluntary aspirational standards for the energy performance of homes • Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, to ensure that energy efficiency standards are reflected in house prices • A range of financing mechanisms are made available to homeowners to cover the upfront costs of retrofitting • Greater investment in a support and advice programme that will engage homeowners to use less energy in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties The Existing Homes Alliance assert that such a programme of updating the housing stock will benefit the economy by creating new jobs and reducing levels of fuel poverty. It will also provide certainty for businesses investing in low carbon measures for homes. Colin Butfield, Chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “It is a sad fact that in the UK the majority of our homes are underperforming leaving many of us out of pocket, out in the cold and wastefully emitting carbon emissions. This manifesto outlines what we see as the solutions to our housing crisis. It is now essential that the Government establishes a national retrofit programme with some urgency so that we can meet the UK’s carbon budget targets.” Ends Notes to Editors ExHA is comprised of expert organisations working with all sectors including financial institutions, builders and installers, energy utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, social housing managers, homeowners, landlords, local authorities and with government, to develop a programme of radical low carbon refurbishment. For further information visit www.existinghomesalliance.org.uk " } [11]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(34) "WWF, the Amazon and climate change" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3684" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3970) "A WWF/IUCN Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) has been the subject of comment in media regarding its use as a source for the IPCC and questioning the credibility of some of its claims. Some commentators have concluded that potential climate impacts on the Amazon are overstated and unsupported. WWF refutes this conclusion and stands by the credibility of its report.WWF-UK would like to clarify the following details: • The Global Review of Forest Fires says that “up to 40% of the Brazilian forest is extremely sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” WWF's source for this statement was Fire in the Amazon, a 1999 overview of Amazon fire issues from the respected Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM – Amazon Environmental Research Institute). The source quotation from Fire in the Amazon reads “Probably 30 to 40% of the forests of the Brazilian Amazon are sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” Our report does NOT say that 40% of the Amazon forest is at risk from climate change. • WWF acknowledges that a reference to Fire in the Amazon as the source of the 40% claim outlined above was mistakenly omitted during the editing process of the Global Review of Forest Fires report. • The essential point made in the report (and referred to by the IPCC) is that reduced rainfall increases fire risk and that a drying of the “normally fire-resistant Amazon forest” could impact the hydrologic cycle with implications for regional and global climate. • WWF has since published a further, more detailed report that looks at this subject in further depth: Nepstad, Daniel C, The Amazon’s Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse - Ecological and Climatic Tipping Points of the World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest, and Practical Preventive Measures, (WWF 2007). This report was supported by The Woods Hole Research Centre, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and independently reviewed by Prof Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at Oxford University. • What is not in contention is that the Amazon is at risk from factors which include and are complicated by climate change. Climate change is widely predicted to pose a significant risk to Amazon forest cover and type. A number of recent peer-reviewed studies support this. • WWF cannot answer for the use of our 2000 report by other institutions. The overwhelming majority of scientists from all relevant fields stand by the basic conclusion of climate science that human-induced changes in the composition of the atmosphere are resulting in warming which is driving damaging and possibly catastrophic climate change. This finding is supported by theory, modelling and more and more extensively by measurement over more than 20 years of what has become the largest international scientific collaboration ever mounted. Recent controversies have largely concerned scientific standards employed in the assessment of projected impacts of climate change in a very small proportion of regions and cases studied. These incidents have no bearing on the overwhelming mass of findings on the reality and causes of climate change. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public meets high standards of accuracy. WWF practice is to research any errors we are alerted to and make corrections where relevant. For further comment please call Benjamin Ward (+44 7837 134 193) or Phil Dickie (+41 7970 31952). Benjamin Ward Head of Press & Media Relations WWF-UK +44 (0) 1483 412 378 +44 (0) 7837 134 193 bward@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-31" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3970) "A WWF/IUCN Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) has been the subject of comment in media regarding its use as a source for the IPCC and questioning the credibility of some of its claims. Some commentators have concluded that potential climate impacts on the Amazon are overstated and unsupported. WWF refutes this conclusion and stands by the credibility of its report.WWF-UK would like to clarify the following details: • The Global Review of Forest Fires says that “up to 40% of the Brazilian forest is extremely sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” WWF's source for this statement was Fire in the Amazon, a 1999 overview of Amazon fire issues from the respected Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM – Amazon Environmental Research Institute). The source quotation from Fire in the Amazon reads “Probably 30 to 40% of the forests of the Brazilian Amazon are sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” Our report does NOT say that 40% of the Amazon forest is at risk from climate change. • WWF acknowledges that a reference to Fire in the Amazon as the source of the 40% claim outlined above was mistakenly omitted during the editing process of the Global Review of Forest Fires report. • The essential point made in the report (and referred to by the IPCC) is that reduced rainfall increases fire risk and that a drying of the “normally fire-resistant Amazon forest” could impact the hydrologic cycle with implications for regional and global climate. • WWF has since published a further, more detailed report that looks at this subject in further depth: Nepstad, Daniel C, The Amazon’s Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse - Ecological and Climatic Tipping Points of the World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest, and Practical Preventive Measures, (WWF 2007). This report was supported by The Woods Hole Research Centre, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and independently reviewed by Prof Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at Oxford University. • What is not in contention is that the Amazon is at risk from factors which include and are complicated by climate change. Climate change is widely predicted to pose a significant risk to Amazon forest cover and type. A number of recent peer-reviewed studies support this. • WWF cannot answer for the use of our 2000 report by other institutions. The overwhelming majority of scientists from all relevant fields stand by the basic conclusion of climate science that human-induced changes in the composition of the atmosphere are resulting in warming which is driving damaging and possibly catastrophic climate change. This finding is supported by theory, modelling and more and more extensively by measurement over more than 20 years of what has become the largest international scientific collaboration ever mounted. Recent controversies have largely concerned scientific standards employed in the assessment of projected impacts of climate change in a very small proportion of regions and cases studied. These incidents have no bearing on the overwhelming mass of findings on the reality and causes of climate change. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public meets high standards of accuracy. WWF practice is to research any errors we are alerted to and make corrections where relevant. For further comment please call Benjamin Ward (+44 7837 134 193) or Phil Dickie (+41 7970 31952). Benjamin Ward Head of Press & Media Relations WWF-UK +44 (0) 1483 412 378 +44 (0) 7837 134 193 bward@wwf.org.uk " } [12]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(51) "Countries must show commitment to Copenhagen Accord" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3696" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(6002) "  Nations which pushed for the Copenhagen Accord on climate change last December must heed the 31st January deadline for pledging their targets and details of emission reduction programs, WWF said today.<div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Currently, the Copenhagen Accord sets out one agreed goal – keeping the world below the two degrees Celsius danger threshold for global warming,” said Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK.  “Sunday is the self-imposed deadline for countries to lay out what they are actually going to do to keep the world out of the danger zone. For the great majority of nations, this would imply a considerable increase on their commitments so far.”</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“Emissions reductions on the table at Copenhagen were clearly setting us up for a world that would be at least three degrees warmer, even without taking account of several large loopholes which allow dubious emissions reductions claims or double counting of reductions. The impacts of three degrees warming would be devastating for people and nature around the world,” Keith Allott said.</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">WWF today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">The conservation organisation is calling for targets from developed countries which approach the upper end of a 25-40 per cent range of emissions reductions below 1990 levels, by 2020. Of the targets on the table in Copenhagen, only Norway, which has a 40 per cent reduction target, met this level of ambition. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“We fear that there is still a gross mismatch between the goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps that the developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord forward, are actually prepared to take to achieve this goal,” Allott said.  </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">Last weekend major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China –  announced that they intended to meet the January 31 deadline by providing more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans meet this ambition. It is time the developed world made a similar commitment regarding their emissions reductions targets,” Allott said. “There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen but climate change is not a problem that will go away. The issue will get  ever more costly to tackle, and the impacts ever harder to cope with, the longer we wait to take effective action.”</div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 383</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Mobile: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone?  can be downloaded from:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=6c5bffa74bdb4ba1918927fc8e96c01f&URL=http%3a%2f%2fassets.panda.org%2fdownloads%2fthe_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf">http://assets.panda.org/downloads/the_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf</a></div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> </div>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-29" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(6002) "  Nations which pushed for the Copenhagen Accord on climate change last December must heed the 31st January deadline for pledging their targets and details of emission reduction programs, WWF said today.<div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Currently, the Copenhagen Accord sets out one agreed goal – keeping the world below the two degrees Celsius danger threshold for global warming,” said Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK.  “Sunday is the self-imposed deadline for countries to lay out what they are actually going to do to keep the world out of the danger zone. For the great majority of nations, this would imply a considerable increase on their commitments so far.”</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“Emissions reductions on the table at Copenhagen were clearly setting us up for a world that would be at least three degrees warmer, even without taking account of several large loopholes which allow dubious emissions reductions claims or double counting of reductions. The impacts of three degrees warming would be devastating for people and nature around the world,” Keith Allott said.</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">WWF today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">The conservation organisation is calling for targets from developed countries which approach the upper end of a 25-40 per cent range of emissions reductions below 1990 levels, by 2020. Of the targets on the table in Copenhagen, only Norway, which has a 40 per cent reduction target, met this level of ambition. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“We fear that there is still a gross mismatch between the goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps that the developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord forward, are actually prepared to take to achieve this goal,” Allott said.  </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">Last weekend major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China –  announced that they intended to meet the January 31 deadline by providing more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans meet this ambition. It is time the developed world made a similar commitment regarding their emissions reductions targets,” Allott said. “There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen but climate change is not a problem that will go away. The issue will get  ever more costly to tackle, and the impacts ever harder to cope with, the longer we wait to take effective action.”</div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 383</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Mobile: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone?  can be downloaded from:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=6c5bffa74bdb4ba1918927fc8e96c01f&URL=http%3a%2f%2fassets.panda.org%2fdownloads%2fthe_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf">http://assets.panda.org/downloads/the_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf</a></div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> </div>" } [13]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(35) "WWF Statement on Himalayan Glaciers" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3671" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(1197) "WWF recently became aware that a 2005 report contained erroneous information about the rate at which glaciers are melting in the HimalayasThe WWF report, An Overview of Glaciers, Glacier Retreat, and Subsequent Impacts in Nepal, India and China, quoted an article published in 1999 which predicted a high likelihood of Himalayan glaciers disappearing entirely by 2035 due to climate change. Although scientists remain deeply concerned about glacier retreat in that region, this particular prediction has subsequently proved to be incorrect. At the time the WWF report was issued, we believed the source of the statement to be reliable and accurate. We regret any confusion caused by our role in repeating the erroneous quote in the 2005 report and in subsequent publications and statements. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is strongly committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public is thoroughly reviewed to meet the highest standards of accuracy. Our offices around the world are taking action to correct this information in WWF publications and websites." ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-20" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(1197) "WWF recently became aware that a 2005 report contained erroneous information about the rate at which glaciers are melting in the HimalayasThe WWF report, An Overview of Glaciers, Glacier Retreat, and Subsequent Impacts in Nepal, India and China, quoted an article published in 1999 which predicted a high likelihood of Himalayan glaciers disappearing entirely by 2035 due to climate change. Although scientists remain deeply concerned about glacier retreat in that region, this particular prediction has subsequently proved to be incorrect. At the time the WWF report was issued, we believed the source of the statement to be reliable and accurate. We regret any confusion caused by our role in repeating the erroneous quote in the 2005 report and in subsequent publications and statements. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is strongly committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public is thoroughly reviewed to meet the highest standards of accuracy. Our offices around the world are taking action to correct this information in WWF publications and websites." } [14]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(55) "Seafood ecolabels under the spotlight in new WWF report" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3667" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4552) "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) comes out on top in a new report commissioned by WWF that reveals poor performance among other assessed seafood ecolabelling schemes and calls for improvements across the board to strengthen their effectiveness.Accenture’s non-profit practice, Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) compared and ranked seven fishery certification schemes that use ecolabels on seafood products against a set of WWF criteria that focus on the schemes’ effectiveness in addressing the health of fisheries and oceans. The MSC is ranked the highest in the ADP report, Assessment of On-Pack, Wild-Capture Seafood Sustainability Certification Programmes and Seafood Ecolabels, with a score of just over 95 percent compliance to the assessment’s criteria requirements. The report finds that except for the MSC, the other assessed schemes - Naturland, Friend of the Sea, Krav, AIDCP, Mel-Japan and Southern Rocklobster - do not evaluate fisheries across all criteria to the extent required to support sustainable fishing and healthy oceans. “The findings of this assessment reveal serious inadequacies in a number of ecolabels and cast doubt on their overall contribution to effective fisheries management and sustainability.” said Miguel Jorge, Director of WWF International’s Marine Programme. “While the assessment shows the MSC comes out best in class using the most rigorous programme out there, it is not perfect. Improvements are needed across the board to ensure all seafood ecolabels deliver on their promise.” The criteria used in the assessment reflect best practices for fisheries ecolabelling certification schemes with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2005 guidelines for ecolabelling forming the basis for the criteria. Standards developed by the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and elements from WWF’s framework for ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries were added. The assessment points to significant differences in transparency, information availability, structure and accuracy of claims made by each scheme. Aside from the MSC, all other schemes assessed have substantial shortcomings in the area of transparency and information provision. “The growth of seafood ecolabels over the last ten years attests to the strong demand from consumers and seafood companies who want seafood from better fisheries.” added Jorge. “But with the proliferation of ecolabels and the variability of these schemes there is a real risk of confusion, or worse still a lack of confidence in seafood ecolabelling among buyers and consumers.” As part of WWF’s efforts to implement sustainable fishing practices globally to protect marine life and ocean habitats, the conservation organization works with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources and assess their current supply chain. The report is intended to address confusion expressed by this group and inform their choices. The most credible ecolabelling schemes accepted in international fora are voluntary, third party, operated independently and involving interested parties. In addition to fisheries certification scheme efforts to address sustainable fishing, other issues including carbon footprint, animal welfare and social issues such as worker’s rights are growing in public consciousness. WWF calls on the seafood ecolabelling community to develop internationally agreed criteria for these priority issues and establish evaluation mechanisms. “We recommend the assessed schemes reflect on their contribution to marine conservation and use the report as a guide to how best to assess and evaluate fisheries seeking their ecolabel.” added Jorge. For further information: Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, 01493 412397, 07900 670282, <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(100,99,104,97,112,109,97,110,64,119,119,102,46,111,114,103,46,117,107)+'?'">dchapman@wwf.org.uk</a> Sarah Bladen, Conservation Communications, t+41 22 364 9019, m+41 79 415 0220, e <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(115,98,108,97,100,101,110,64,119,119,119,102,105,110,116,46,111,114,103)+'?'">sbladen@wwwfint.org</a>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-19" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4552) "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) comes out on top in a new report commissioned by WWF that reveals poor performance among other assessed seafood ecolabelling schemes and calls for improvements across the board to strengthen their effectiveness.Accenture’s non-profit practice, Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) compared and ranked seven fishery certification schemes that use ecolabels on seafood products against a set of WWF criteria that focus on the schemes’ effectiveness in addressing the health of fisheries and oceans. The MSC is ranked the highest in the ADP report, Assessment of On-Pack, Wild-Capture Seafood Sustainability Certification Programmes and Seafood Ecolabels, with a score of just over 95 percent compliance to the assessment’s criteria requirements. The report finds that except for the MSC, the other assessed schemes - Naturland, Friend of the Sea, Krav, AIDCP, Mel-Japan and Southern Rocklobster - do not evaluate fisheries across all criteria to the extent required to support sustainable fishing and healthy oceans. “The findings of this assessment reveal serious inadequacies in a number of ecolabels and cast doubt on their overall contribution to effective fisheries management and sustainability.” said Miguel Jorge, Director of WWF International’s Marine Programme. “While the assessment shows the MSC comes out best in class using the most rigorous programme out there, it is not perfect. Improvements are needed across the board to ensure all seafood ecolabels deliver on their promise.” The criteria used in the assessment reflect best practices for fisheries ecolabelling certification schemes with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2005 guidelines for ecolabelling forming the basis for the criteria. Standards developed by the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and elements from WWF’s framework for ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries were added. The assessment points to significant differences in transparency, information availability, structure and accuracy of claims made by each scheme. Aside from the MSC, all other schemes assessed have substantial shortcomings in the area of transparency and information provision. “The growth of seafood ecolabels over the last ten years attests to the strong demand from consumers and seafood companies who want seafood from better fisheries.” added Jorge. “But with the proliferation of ecolabels and the variability of these schemes there is a real risk of confusion, or worse still a lack of confidence in seafood ecolabelling among buyers and consumers.” As part of WWF’s efforts to implement sustainable fishing practices globally to protect marine life and ocean habitats, the conservation organization works with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources and assess their current supply chain. The report is intended to address confusion expressed by this group and inform their choices. The most credible ecolabelling schemes accepted in international fora are voluntary, third party, operated independently and involving interested parties. In addition to fisheries certification scheme efforts to address sustainable fishing, other issues including carbon footprint, animal welfare and social issues such as worker’s rights are growing in public consciousness. WWF calls on the seafood ecolabelling community to develop internationally agreed criteria for these priority issues and establish evaluation mechanisms. “We recommend the assessed schemes reflect on their contribution to marine conservation and use the report as a guide to how best to assess and evaluate fisheries seeking their ecolabel.” added Jorge. For further information: Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, 01493 412397, 07900 670282, <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(100,99,104,97,112,109,97,110,64,119,119,102,46,111,114,103,46,117,107)+'?'">dchapman@wwf.org.uk</a> Sarah Bladen, Conservation Communications, t+41 22 364 9019, m+41 79 415 0220, e <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(115,98,108,97,100,101,110,64,119,119,119,102,105,110,116,46,111,114,103)+'?'">sbladen@wwwfint.org</a>" } [15]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(56) "Emissions from UK food industry far higher than believed" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3665" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(7366) "*New report finds technology and behavioural changes required to cut emissions from food*The food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network. Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20%, but this study is the first to incorporate land use change overseas, increasing the estimate of emissions attributed to food consumption in this country from 152MtCO2 to 253MtCO2. Land use change, mainly deforestation, is a major source of climate changing emissions. Each year world-wide, an area of forest equivalent to half of England is lost. The expansion of the food system is the biggest driver behind this as land is cleared to grow crops and rear animals. Given the extent of food consumption on the UK’s overall emissions, WWF-UK and the FCRN are calling for a radical change to the country’s food system to help stop deforestation and reduce the scale of emissions from the food chain. The new report – How Low Can We Go: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – assessed various scenarios that explored what these changes might look like. Both technological and behavioural initiatives were tested, including decarbonisation of the energy used in the food chain, improved efficiencies and changes in consumption of meat and dairy products. If the food industry is to play its part in keeping temperature rises below two degrees, emissions need to be cut by at least 70% by 2050. The report concludes that no one solution alone can reduce emissions to this extent. WWF-UK and FCRN are urging Government and industry decision-makers to recognise that a focus on technology alone is not enough – food consumption patterns need to change too. Mark Driscoll, head of WWF-UK’s One Planet Food programme said: “The full impact of our diets on climate change is astonishingly high – this report shows that. This makes the target to cut emissions by at least 70% by 2050 a daunting task, but not an impossible one. We must stop chewing over some of the issues and start making change happen – both in terms of technology and behaviour.” Tara Garnett, head of the FCRN said: “We now know enough to conclude that the food system contributes very substantially to the problem of climate change. We also know enough about where and how the impacts arise to start doing something about them. Business as usual – and even business as usual ‘lite’ – is no longer an option.” In terms of the impacts of food consumption the report found: • The food chain’s contribution to overall UK consumption-related emissions is 20%. However, when land use change is included this increases to 30%. • All stages of the UK food chain give rise to emissions, with the breakdown as follows: production and initial processing (34%); manufacturing, distribution, retail and cooking (26%) and agriculturally-induced land use change (40%). • Livestock farming accounts for 57% of agricultural emissions and is also responsible for three quarters of land use change emissions. Solutions-wise, the report concluded that there is no silver bullet to achieve such reductions – a combination of activities and changes will be required. These include: • increasing production efficiency, including improved crop yields and changes to animal feeds to reduce methane emissions • a significant switch to non-carbon fuels and increased energy use efficiency • changes in the types of food we consume The idea of collaboration – between producers, processors, retailers, NGOs and Government – is highlighted in the Government’s recently published Food 2030 document, which sets out a vision for UK food. This should be applauded. The role of sustainable diets and a commitment to defining them will also be an important step. Dietary changes will also ease land pressures, in terms of reducing the amount of land needed to produce the food we consume. While this study did not consider the impact of diet on land use change in detail, nor deal with the issue of land quality, and its potential to produce different types of food, these ideas will be dealt with in a follow-up study tackling the question of how changing consumption will affect land use. For more details and to receive an embargoed copy of the summary and report, contact David Burrows: dburrows@wwf.org.uk 07917 831640 Notes to editors • This report – How low can we go: An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – forms part of WWF-UK’s wider One Planet Food programme. This programme incorporates the whole food chain, from the production of commodities (like palm oil and soya) through processing and on to consumption and disposal. The goals of the programme are to radically improve the key environmental impacts of the food that is eaten in the UK, including our impact on the parts of the world richest in biodiversity. This is a complex task, and since 2008 WWF has been working in collaboration with scientists and key actors in the food system – businesses, policy makers, consumer organisations and other non-governmental organisations – to understand the impacts of the food consumed in the UK, whether grown here or imported from abroad. • The way we live is leading to environmental threats such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, water shortages and the collapse of fisheries. WWF’s One Planet Future Campaign is working to help people live a good quality of life within the earth’s capacity. For more information visit www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet<http://www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet> • The Food Climate Research Network www.fcrn.org.uk is a UK research council-funded initiative based at the University of Surrey. Its aim is to understand how the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and to research and promote ways of reducing them. Its focus is broad, encompassing technological options, behaviour change and the policy dimension. • In 2008, the Food Climate Research Network published Cookng up a Storm (http://www.fcrn.org.uk/fcrnPubs/index.php?id=6 ), which estimated that our consumption of food in the UK, from agriculture through to consumption, accounts for 19% of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated through the goods and services we consume. It also argued that a reduction of up to 70% should be possible if we deployed a mix of technological improvements and changes in consumption. The report recommended that Government should commit to reducing emissions by this amount, by 2050, and should set out a road map for how it intends to do so, stating what proportion would be achieved through technological and managerial improvements; and what from changes in the balance of what people eat. This recommendation and WWF-UK’s desire to understand what approaches are needed to reduce GHG emissions from food by 70% provided the impetus for WWF-UK and the FCRN to join forces in commissioning this new report. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-18" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(7366) "*New report finds technology and behavioural changes required to cut emissions from food*The food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network. Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20%, but this study is the first to incorporate land use change overseas, increasing the estimate of emissions attributed to food consumption in this country from 152MtCO2 to 253MtCO2. Land use change, mainly deforestation, is a major source of climate changing emissions. Each year world-wide, an area of forest equivalent to half of England is lost. The expansion of the food system is the biggest driver behind this as land is cleared to grow crops and rear animals. Given the extent of food consumption on the UK’s overall emissions, WWF-UK and the FCRN are calling for a radical change to the country’s food system to help stop deforestation and reduce the scale of emissions from the food chain. The new report – How Low Can We Go: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – assessed various scenarios that explored what these changes might look like. Both technological and behavioural initiatives were tested, including decarbonisation of the energy used in the food chain, improved efficiencies and changes in consumption of meat and dairy products. If the food industry is to play its part in keeping temperature rises below two degrees, emissions need to be cut by at least 70% by 2050. The report concludes that no one solution alone can reduce emissions to this extent. WWF-UK and FCRN are urging Government and industry decision-makers to recognise that a focus on technology alone is not enough – food consumption patterns need to change too. Mark Driscoll, head of WWF-UK’s One Planet Food programme said: “The full impact of our diets on climate change is astonishingly high – this report shows that. This makes the target to cut emissions by at least 70% by 2050 a daunting task, but not an impossible one. We must stop chewing over some of the issues and start making change happen – both in terms of technology and behaviour.” Tara Garnett, head of the FCRN said: “We now know enough to conclude that the food system contributes very substantially to the problem of climate change. We also know enough about where and how the impacts arise to start doing something about them. Business as usual – and even business as usual ‘lite’ – is no longer an option.” In terms of the impacts of food consumption the report found: • The food chain’s contribution to overall UK consumption-related emissions is 20%. However, when land use change is included this increases to 30%. • All stages of the UK food chain give rise to emissions, with the breakdown as follows: production and initial processing (34%); manufacturing, distribution, retail and cooking (26%) and agriculturally-induced land use change (40%). • Livestock farming accounts for 57% of agricultural emissions and is also responsible for three quarters of land use change emissions. Solutions-wise, the report concluded that there is no silver bullet to achieve such reductions – a combination of activities and changes will be required. These include: • increasing production efficiency, including improved crop yields and changes to animal feeds to reduce methane emissions • a significant switch to non-carbon fuels and increased energy use efficiency • changes in the types of food we consume The idea of collaboration – between producers, processors, retailers, NGOs and Government – is highlighted in the Government’s recently published Food 2030 document, which sets out a vision for UK food. This should be applauded. The role of sustainable diets and a commitment to defining them will also be an important step. Dietary changes will also ease land pressures, in terms of reducing the amount of land needed to produce the food we consume. While this study did not consider the impact of diet on land use change in detail, nor deal with the issue of land quality, and its potential to produce different types of food, these ideas will be dealt with in a follow-up study tackling the question of how changing consumption will affect land use. For more details and to receive an embargoed copy of the summary and report, contact David Burrows: dburrows@wwf.org.uk 07917 831640 Notes to editors • This report – How low can we go: An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – forms part of WWF-UK’s wider One Planet Food programme. This programme incorporates the whole food chain, from the production of commodities (like palm oil and soya) through processing and on to consumption and disposal. The goals of the programme are to radically improve the key environmental impacts of the food that is eaten in the UK, including our impact on the parts of the world richest in biodiversity. This is a complex task, and since 2008 WWF has been working in collaboration with scientists and key actors in the food system – businesses, policy makers, consumer organisations and other non-governmental organisations – to understand the impacts of the food consumed in the UK, whether grown here or imported from abroad. • The way we live is leading to environmental threats such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, water shortages and the collapse of fisheries. WWF’s One Planet Future Campaign is working to help people live a good quality of life within the earth’s capacity. For more information visit www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet<http://www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet> • The Food Climate Research Network www.fcrn.org.uk is a UK research council-funded initiative based at the University of Surrey. Its aim is to understand how the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and to research and promote ways of reducing them. Its focus is broad, encompassing technological options, behaviour change and the policy dimension. • In 2008, the Food Climate Research Network published Cookng up a Storm (http://www.fcrn.org.uk/fcrnPubs/index.php?id=6 ), which estimated that our consumption of food in the UK, from agriculture through to consumption, accounts for 19% of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated through the goods and services we consume. It also argued that a reduction of up to 70% should be possible if we deployed a mix of technological improvements and changes in consumption. The report recommended that Government should commit to reducing emissions by this amount, by 2050, and should set out a road map for how it intends to do so, stating what proportion would be achieved through technological and managerial improvements; and what from changes in the balance of what people eat. This recommendation and WWF-UK’s desire to understand what approaches are needed to reduce GHG emissions from food by 70% provided the impetus for WWF-UK and the FCRN to join forces in commissioning this new report. " } [16]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(64) "Lacklustre Government river plans let big polluters off the hook" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3611" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(5346) "Plans published today for the future of rivers in England and Wales will let the big polluters off the hook, say campaigners.Today sees the publication of the Environment Agency’s ten River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). These set out how the river network in each region will be cared for over the next five years to meet targets for wildlife set by the European Water Framework Directive. But the Our Rivers campaign – a coalition formed by the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts – have criticised the plans saying they lack ambition and fail to lay the cost of cleaning up our rivers on those most responsible. Although two of the main causes of environmental problems on rivers in England and Wales are agricultural pollution and badly planned urban development, the farming industry and local planning authorities are bearing a tiny fraction of the costs of repairing the damage. 85 per cent of the costs are to be paid for by water companies – a cost that will eventually be passed on to the consumer. Because the plans fail to tackle major polluters, the rivers that people and wildlife rely on will take decades to improve. The Our Rivers campaign is calling for better targeting of farm subsidies to tackle diffuse pollution, measures to treat run off from roads and car parks and, where incentives fail to improve our rivers quickly enough, a clear commitment from government to use tougher regulation to force action. Rob Cunningham, head of Water Policy at the RSPB, said: “Three quarters of our rivers are failing European targets that are meant to ensure our rivers, lakes and coasts are thriving with wildlife. These plans will only bring an extra five per cent up to standard. They are facing threats like polluted run off, over abstraction and invasive species which are putting native river wildlife under increasing pressure. “It’s great that the Environment Agency has made a commitment to carry out over 8,500 investigations to try and fill the gaps in the plans, but after ten years of working on this directive the scale of improvement they are committing to by 2015 is very disappointing.” Rose Timlett, WWF-UK freshwater policy officer, said: "The plans clearly show governmental failure to protect and restore the majority of English and Welsh rivers, much loved by millions of people across the country. "This is not only bad news for our rivers, lakes and wetlands but also the unique diversity of wildlife that depend on them. WWF has been working on the Water Framework Directive for a decade and to us it is clear that government has missed a unique opportunity to implement the most significant piece of environmental legislation ever to come from Europe." -Ends- Notes to editors: The Defra press release on the publication of the River Basin Management Plans can be found here - http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409833&SubjectId=2 A recent Environment Agency assessment listed 26 per cent of rivers in England and Wales as ‘Good’ status. This means 74% of rivers are failing – including 117 rivers (2%) which are classified as ‘Bad’ making them among the worst in Europe. The EU Water Framework Directive requires the UK to bring all of its rivers up to ‘Good’ status or above by 2015. Current draft plans mean the UK will fail to reach this target. Since the Our Rivers campaign launched at the end of April, 217 regional river action groups and more than a thousand individuals have adopted local rivers and have been providing information during the consultation phase on the pressures they face. The campaign has also been backed by eight Parliamentarians who are concerned about the state of the water courses in their constituencies. For more information visit the campaign website - www.ourrivers.org.uk Feedback from supporters of the Our Rivers campaign during its first six months indicate that the three biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales are chemical and sediment pollution from agriculture, over abstraction by water companies, and run-off water from urban areas. Our Rivers is supported as part of the HSBC Climate Partnership (HCP). The HCP is a US$100 million, five-year partnership funded by HSBC, working with the Climate Group, the Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. Launched in May 2007, the HCP will: Help to protect four of the world’s major rivers – the Amazon, Ganges, Thames, and Yangtze – from the impacts of climate change, benefitting the 450 million people who rely on them. Make some of the world’s great cities – Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai – cleaner and greener, which the partners will promote as models for the world; Create ‘climate champions’ worldwide who will undertake field research and bring back valuable knowledge and experience to their communities; Conduct the largest ever field experiment on the world’s forests to measure carbon and the effects of climate change. For more information, please visit www.hsbc.com/committochange " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-22" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(5346) "Plans published today for the future of rivers in England and Wales will let the big polluters off the hook, say campaigners.Today sees the publication of the Environment Agency’s ten River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). These set out how the river network in each region will be cared for over the next five years to meet targets for wildlife set by the European Water Framework Directive. But the Our Rivers campaign – a coalition formed by the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts – have criticised the plans saying they lack ambition and fail to lay the cost of cleaning up our rivers on those most responsible. Although two of the main causes of environmental problems on rivers in England and Wales are agricultural pollution and badly planned urban development, the farming industry and local planning authorities are bearing a tiny fraction of the costs of repairing the damage. 85 per cent of the costs are to be paid for by water companies – a cost that will eventually be passed on to the consumer. Because the plans fail to tackle major polluters, the rivers that people and wildlife rely on will take decades to improve. The Our Rivers campaign is calling for better targeting of farm subsidies to tackle diffuse pollution, measures to treat run off from roads and car parks and, where incentives fail to improve our rivers quickly enough, a clear commitment from government to use tougher regulation to force action. Rob Cunningham, head of Water Policy at the RSPB, said: “Three quarters of our rivers are failing European targets that are meant to ensure our rivers, lakes and coasts are thriving with wildlife. These plans will only bring an extra five per cent up to standard. They are facing threats like polluted run off, over abstraction and invasive species which are putting native river wildlife under increasing pressure. “It’s great that the Environment Agency has made a commitment to carry out over 8,500 investigations to try and fill the gaps in the plans, but after ten years of working on this directive the scale of improvement they are committing to by 2015 is very disappointing.” Rose Timlett, WWF-UK freshwater policy officer, said: "The plans clearly show governmental failure to protect and restore the majority of English and Welsh rivers, much loved by millions of people across the country. "This is not only bad news for our rivers, lakes and wetlands but also the unique diversity of wildlife that depend on them. WWF has been working on the Water Framework Directive for a decade and to us it is clear that government has missed a unique opportunity to implement the most significant piece of environmental legislation ever to come from Europe." -Ends- Notes to editors: The Defra press release on the publication of the River Basin Management Plans can be found here - http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409833&SubjectId=2 A recent Environment Agency assessment listed 26 per cent of rivers in England and Wales as ‘Good’ status. This means 74% of rivers are failing – including 117 rivers (2%) which are classified as ‘Bad’ making them among the worst in Europe. The EU Water Framework Directive requires the UK to bring all of its rivers up to ‘Good’ status or above by 2015. Current draft plans mean the UK will fail to reach this target. Since the Our Rivers campaign launched at the end of April, 217 regional river action groups and more than a thousand individuals have adopted local rivers and have been providing information during the consultation phase on the pressures they face. The campaign has also been backed by eight Parliamentarians who are concerned about the state of the water courses in their constituencies. For more information visit the campaign website - www.ourrivers.org.uk Feedback from supporters of the Our Rivers campaign during its first six months indicate that the three biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales are chemical and sediment pollution from agriculture, over abstraction by water companies, and run-off water from urban areas. Our Rivers is supported as part of the HSBC Climate Partnership (HCP). The HCP is a US$100 million, five-year partnership funded by HSBC, working with the Climate Group, the Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. Launched in May 2007, the HCP will: Help to protect four of the world’s major rivers – the Amazon, Ganges, Thames, and Yangtze – from the impacts of climate change, benefitting the 450 million people who rely on them. Make some of the world’s great cities – Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai – cleaner and greener, which the partners will promote as models for the world; Create ‘climate champions’ worldwide who will undertake field research and bring back valuable knowledge and experience to their communities; Conduct the largest ever field experiment on the world’s forests to measure carbon and the effects of climate change. For more information, please visit www.hsbc.com/committochange " } [17]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(57) "Ski area plans threaten Europe’s last untouched forests" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3591" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(10046) "Plans for new skiing areas in the region around the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans threaten to harm major protected areas that house some of Europe’s last remaining untouched wilderness. New developments and expansion plans for existing facilities for downhill skiing are in the works across many parts of the region, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine. In theory, potential conflicts between nature conservation and development – including for ski tourism – should be mediated by procedures such as Environmental Impact Assessments and the European Union’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, which provide a system for evaluating potential impacts on nature and identifying solutions and measures to mitigate negative impacts. In practice, however, these safeguards are of limited effect, and in the face of intense pressure from economic and political forces, nature conservation is often given short shrift. The Carpathian Mountains are Europe’s last great wilderness area – a bastion for large carnivores, with some two-thirds of the continent’s populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx. They are also home to the greatest remaining reserves of old growth forests outside of Russia. Meanwhile, the Balkan Mountains and the Rila-Rodope Mountain Range in Bulgaria contain outstanding natural features that are of global importance, including the Rila and Pirin National Parks, which have been recognised, respectively, as a certified PAN Parks wilderness area and a UNESCO World Heritage Park. “It is striking how little climate change and sustainability appear to be entering calculations for many of the new ski area,” said Andreas Beckman, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Already, rising temperatures and decreased precipitation and snow cover is causing problems for many facilities, with some poor recent ski seasons.” A glance at the Alps should raise questions about the wisdom of pouring investments into ski areas in the Carpathians. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as many as two-thirds of Alpine ski areas could go out of business according to current projections for climate change, while Alpine areas lower than 1,500 m are facing a very uncertain future. In fact, a 2004 report concludes that alpine ski regions in Slovakia at 1,150-1,500 meters above sea level may be uneconomic by 2030. Ski resorts being developed across the Carpathians and Bulgarian mountain ranges are already including adaptation measures to climate change in the form of snow cannons. But ironically, through their huge consumption of energy snow cannons only contribute to accelerating the rise in temperatures. The estimated 3,100 snow cannons in Europe consume per year and hectare roughly 1 million litres of water and 260,000 kWh of electricity – i.e. roughly as much energy per year as a city of 150,000 inhabitants and as much water as a city the size of Hamburg. Construction of ski facilities of course can have very significant impact on habitats and species, not only due to removal of forest cover and other vegetation to make way for ski runs, access roads and infrastructure, but also due to fragmentation of habitats and wildlife avoidance. Secondary effects such as the abstraction of water for artificial snow production and deterioration of environmental conditions due to heavy tourist flow concentration can also have heavy impacts for biodiversity and nature values. “EU support must not be given for any problematic developments, including those that clearly contravene EU and national legislation as well as projects that are likely to be unviable over the medium-term, e.g. as the result of climate change,” Beckmann said. “In addition relevant authorities must be pressured to fully apply EU legislation in their countries, including especially Strategic and Environmental Impacts Assessments as well as the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives, for projects at the planning stage.” “Ski developments must not be permitted in protected areas, especially in national parks and core areas of any other protected area, in High Conservation Value Forests and High Nature Value Farmlands,” said Erika Stanciu, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, Forest and Protected Areas Team Leader. Careful consideration should be given to valuable natural and traditional landscapes. Developments in Natura 2000 sites must respect provisions of EU’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive.” “In the meantime we can all avoid ski areas that do not comply with basic criteria for environmental safeguards and legislation”, she adds. For example, Bansko, in the heart of Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, is a popular ski destination that has become infamous for being the first of a series of illegal ski developments in Bulgarian protected areas. The project received approval from authorities in 2000 and was built in subsequent years. Half of the ski runs in Bansko have no environmental permits, while those ski runs which do have permits have violated each requirement of the Environmental Impact Assessment decision. These violations include for example the width of ski runs - instead of the permitted 30 m they actually are 60 to 100 m wide. The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko. The development has caused significant environmental problems, including landslides in Pirin National Park, but has also had social and economic implications. Bansko was once a popular summer resort, but visitor numbers have dropped in recent years due to higher prices and over-development of the once picturesque town. And as if this is not enough, earlier this year the Consultative Council of Pirin National Park submitted to the Ministry of the Environment a proposal to alter the park management plan in order to permit the construction of two huge new ski zones inside the park. The epidemic nature of the problem is also in Slovakia where authorities have essentially opened the Tatras National Park to development – a marked change as the area has been relatively strictly protected for the past thirty years. As a result, the country’s flagship protected area is facing intense pressure. Five ski areas are being developed around the park, including development of ski runs and expansion of tourist facilities, with little if any state control or proper assessments. As a result, the area could lose its international recognition as a national park by IUCN, the world conservation union. The European Commission has also begun investigating impacts of the developments on Natura 2000 protected areas. Despite international recommendations and pressure, Slovak authorities have yet to adopt clear zoning and management plans for communities in the area. Zoning and planning could guide development and management of the area, ensuring opportunities for development while maintaining the natural values that are the area’s chief attraction. The lack of any planning or guidelines, together with the hands-off attitude of relevant authorities, has essentially given developers free rein to develop the area. In Ukraine, one of the 20 largest ski areas in the world has been stamped out of the ground in the Ukrainian Carpathians, not far from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Development of the Bukovel area is continuing, with total investment in the area reportedly planned eventually to reach €3 billion. A total of 66 lifts, 400 km of ski runs, and 100,000 beds, an airport and 15 million annual visitors are planned overall. The development counts on significant artificial snow production, including 500 snow production sites, 300 snow lances, 40 mobile propeller snow cannon and a 100,000 m3 artificial lake to provide water for snow production. The Ukrainian government weighed in behind the project as a site to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, although in the end it did not make the bid. Unfortunately, many of the existing and planned ski developments in Romania are also in areas of high natural value, including within existing protected areas and often in areas included in the Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites. Many of these areas are of outstanding natural value, not only of national, but also EU and even global importance. Some 40 percent of the 45 areas with proposed ski facilities that have been identified in a Romanian country study are inside or next to proposed Natura 2000 sites and 17.8 percent will be located in the strictly protected areas from nature and national parks.The most striking examples are the planned ski resorts Pestera Padina, in the Bucegi Nature Park and Padis – 12 km of ski pistes in the strictly protected area of Apuseni Nature Park. The parks are not only flagship parks for Romania and indeed Europe, but also contain key Natura 2000 areas. These projects enjoy very considerable public sector support, both in terms of legislation and approvals as well as direct support for investment. Development of ski tourism is given priority in many planning documents for regional and local development. Many of the projects in EU countries, e.g. Slovakia and Romania, expect to receive very significant support from the EU, especially through co-financing from regional development funds. The €772 million in EU Structural Funds that Slovakia will receive in the period 2007-13 for supporting “Competitiveness and Economic Growth” will include substantial investment in constructing, modernizing and extending ski centres. But for many of the projects, the long-term profitability and public interest is questionable. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(10046) "Plans for new skiing areas in the region around the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans threaten to harm major protected areas that house some of Europe’s last remaining untouched wilderness. New developments and expansion plans for existing facilities for downhill skiing are in the works across many parts of the region, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine. In theory, potential conflicts between nature conservation and development – including for ski tourism – should be mediated by procedures such as Environmental Impact Assessments and the European Union’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, which provide a system for evaluating potential impacts on nature and identifying solutions and measures to mitigate negative impacts. In practice, however, these safeguards are of limited effect, and in the face of intense pressure from economic and political forces, nature conservation is often given short shrift. The Carpathian Mountains are Europe’s last great wilderness area – a bastion for large carnivores, with some two-thirds of the continent’s populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx. They are also home to the greatest remaining reserves of old growth forests outside of Russia. Meanwhile, the Balkan Mountains and the Rila-Rodope Mountain Range in Bulgaria contain outstanding natural features that are of global importance, including the Rila and Pirin National Parks, which have been recognised, respectively, as a certified PAN Parks wilderness area and a UNESCO World Heritage Park. “It is striking how little climate change and sustainability appear to be entering calculations for many of the new ski area,” said Andreas Beckman, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Already, rising temperatures and decreased precipitation and snow cover is causing problems for many facilities, with some poor recent ski seasons.” A glance at the Alps should raise questions about the wisdom of pouring investments into ski areas in the Carpathians. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as many as two-thirds of Alpine ski areas could go out of business according to current projections for climate change, while Alpine areas lower than 1,500 m are facing a very uncertain future. In fact, a 2004 report concludes that alpine ski regions in Slovakia at 1,150-1,500 meters above sea level may be uneconomic by 2030. Ski resorts being developed across the Carpathians and Bulgarian mountain ranges are already including adaptation measures to climate change in the form of snow cannons. But ironically, through their huge consumption of energy snow cannons only contribute to accelerating the rise in temperatures. The estimated 3,100 snow cannons in Europe consume per year and hectare roughly 1 million litres of water and 260,000 kWh of electricity – i.e. roughly as much energy per year as a city of 150,000 inhabitants and as much water as a city the size of Hamburg. Construction of ski facilities of course can have very significant impact on habitats and species, not only due to removal of forest cover and other vegetation to make way for ski runs, access roads and infrastructure, but also due to fragmentation of habitats and wildlife avoidance. Secondary effects such as the abstraction of water for artificial snow production and deterioration of environmental conditions due to heavy tourist flow concentration can also have heavy impacts for biodiversity and nature values. “EU support must not be given for any problematic developments, including those that clearly contravene EU and national legislation as well as projects that are likely to be unviable over the medium-term, e.g. as the result of climate change,” Beckmann said. “In addition relevant authorities must be pressured to fully apply EU legislation in their countries, including especially Strategic and Environmental Impacts Assessments as well as the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives, for projects at the planning stage.” “Ski developments must not be permitted in protected areas, especially in national parks and core areas of any other protected area, in High Conservation Value Forests and High Nature Value Farmlands,” said Erika Stanciu, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, Forest and Protected Areas Team Leader. Careful consideration should be given to valuable natural and traditional landscapes. Developments in Natura 2000 sites must respect provisions of EU’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive.” “In the meantime we can all avoid ski areas that do not comply with basic criteria for environmental safeguards and legislation”, she adds. For example, Bansko, in the heart of Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, is a popular ski destination that has become infamous for being the first of a series of illegal ski developments in Bulgarian protected areas. The project received approval from authorities in 2000 and was built in subsequent years. Half of the ski runs in Bansko have no environmental permits, while those ski runs which do have permits have violated each requirement of the Environmental Impact Assessment decision. These violations include for example the width of ski runs - instead of the permitted 30 m they actually are 60 to 100 m wide. The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko. The development has caused significant environmental problems, including landslides in Pirin National Park, but has also had social and economic implications. Bansko was once a popular summer resort, but visitor numbers have dropped in recent years due to higher prices and over-development of the once picturesque town. And as if this is not enough, earlier this year the Consultative Council of Pirin National Park submitted to the Ministry of the Environment a proposal to alter the park management plan in order to permit the construction of two huge new ski zones inside the park. The epidemic nature of the problem is also in Slovakia where authorities have essentially opened the Tatras National Park to development – a marked change as the area has been relatively strictly protected for the past thirty years. As a result, the country’s flagship protected area is facing intense pressure. Five ski areas are being developed around the park, including development of ski runs and expansion of tourist facilities, with little if any state control or proper assessments. As a result, the area could lose its international recognition as a national park by IUCN, the world conservation union. The European Commission has also begun investigating impacts of the developments on Natura 2000 protected areas. Despite international recommendations and pressure, Slovak authorities have yet to adopt clear zoning and management plans for communities in the area. Zoning and planning could guide development and management of the area, ensuring opportunities for development while maintaining the natural values that are the area’s chief attraction. The lack of any planning or guidelines, together with the hands-off attitude of relevant authorities, has essentially given developers free rein to develop the area. In Ukraine, one of the 20 largest ski areas in the world has been stamped out of the ground in the Ukrainian Carpathians, not far from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Development of the Bukovel area is continuing, with total investment in the area reportedly planned eventually to reach €3 billion. A total of 66 lifts, 400 km of ski runs, and 100,000 beds, an airport and 15 million annual visitors are planned overall. The development counts on significant artificial snow production, including 500 snow production sites, 300 snow lances, 40 mobile propeller snow cannon and a 100,000 m3 artificial lake to provide water for snow production. The Ukrainian government weighed in behind the project as a site to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, although in the end it did not make the bid. Unfortunately, many of the existing and planned ski developments in Romania are also in areas of high natural value, including within existing protected areas and often in areas included in the Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites. Many of these areas are of outstanding natural value, not only of national, but also EU and even global importance. Some 40 percent of the 45 areas with proposed ski facilities that have been identified in a Romanian country study are inside or next to proposed Natura 2000 sites and 17.8 percent will be located in the strictly protected areas from nature and national parks.The most striking examples are the planned ski resorts Pestera Padina, in the Bucegi Nature Park and Padis – 12 km of ski pistes in the strictly protected area of Apuseni Nature Park. The parks are not only flagship parks for Romania and indeed Europe, but also contain key Natura 2000 areas. These projects enjoy very considerable public sector support, both in terms of legislation and approvals as well as direct support for investment. Development of ski tourism is given priority in many planning documents for regional and local development. Many of the projects in EU countries, e.g. Slovakia and Romania, expect to receive very significant support from the EU, especially through co-financing from regional development funds. The €772 million in EU Structural Funds that Slovakia will receive in the period 2007-13 for supporting “Competitiveness and Economic Growth” will include substantial investment in constructing, modernizing and extending ski centres. But for many of the projects, the long-term profitability and public interest is questionable. " } [18]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(71) "WWF welcomes new financing proposals but long term finance still needed" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3588" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3131) "As talks heat up in Copenhagen, several countries put forward additional fast-start financing proposals to help broker a deal, but the important missing component remains long-term finance. Today, Japanese Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa announced USD15 billion for fast start funding by 2012, under the Hatoyama Initiative. Earlier in the day, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced that they will commit USD3.5 billion of public finance to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD).“We welcome these new commitments as they show a desire to reach a global agreement to address climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Unfortunately, the core ingredient that remains on the shelf is a solid proposal for reliable long-term finance. This is one key element that is needed to break down the wall between developed and developing countries.” Japan’s commitment is for USD 15 billion with stipulations that USD 11 billion of that would be from public financing. This represents a clear increase from previous reports estimating Japan’s financing proposal at USD 9.2 billion. “Japan is clearly trying to move the negotiations forward,” added Carstensen. In addition, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced they will commit USD $3.5 billion of public finance over three years to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in developing countries. "The commitment from these industrialized countries to provide $3.5 billion in fast-start public finance is a welcome start to the much bigger effort to reduce and ultimately stop the loss of forests, and it is good to see a broad coalition of countries getting behind it," said Carstensen. “We still need to see, however, exactly how much of the financing from both of these announcements today is new and additional to other development aid already promised.” This falls short of the need identified by the recent informal working group on REDD, which found that nearly USD $9 billion would be needed over the next 3 years. “We urge more countries to come forward with commitments and fill this funding gap,” added Carstensen. "Although fast-start funding is critical to build up capacity, it must not be seen as any substitute for secure, predictable and additional finance for the medium and long term, which is necessary both for mitigation actions, like deforestation, and for critical efforts to help vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change,” said Carstensen. “The need for this long-term money is not negotiable. The deal and the planet depend on it.” ends For further information please contact Jo Sargent, +44 (0) 7867 697519, jsargent@wwf.org.uk Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK tel: +44 (0) 1483 412397 BB: +44 (0) 7900 670282 dchapman@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3131) "As talks heat up in Copenhagen, several countries put forward additional fast-start financing proposals to help broker a deal, but the important missing component remains long-term finance. Today, Japanese Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa announced USD15 billion for fast start funding by 2012, under the Hatoyama Initiative. Earlier in the day, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced that they will commit USD3.5 billion of public finance to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD).“We welcome these new commitments as they show a desire to reach a global agreement to address climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Unfortunately, the core ingredient that remains on the shelf is a solid proposal for reliable long-term finance. This is one key element that is needed to break down the wall between developed and developing countries.” Japan’s commitment is for USD 15 billion with stipulations that USD 11 billion of that would be from public financing. This represents a clear increase from previous reports estimating Japan’s financing proposal at USD 9.2 billion. “Japan is clearly trying to move the negotiations forward,” added Carstensen. In addition, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced they will commit USD $3.5 billion of public finance over three years to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in developing countries. "The commitment from these industrialized countries to provide $3.5 billion in fast-start public finance is a welcome start to the much bigger effort to reduce and ultimately stop the loss of forests, and it is good to see a broad coalition of countries getting behind it," said Carstensen. “We still need to see, however, exactly how much of the financing from both of these announcements today is new and additional to other development aid already promised.” This falls short of the need identified by the recent informal working group on REDD, which found that nearly USD $9 billion would be needed over the next 3 years. “We urge more countries to come forward with commitments and fill this funding gap,” added Carstensen. "Although fast-start funding is critical to build up capacity, it must not be seen as any substitute for secure, predictable and additional finance for the medium and long term, which is necessary both for mitigation actions, like deforestation, and for critical efforts to help vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change,” said Carstensen. “The need for this long-term money is not negotiable. The deal and the planet depend on it.” ends For further information please contact Jo Sargent, +44 (0) 7867 697519, jsargent@wwf.org.uk Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK tel: +44 (0) 1483 412397 BB: +44 (0) 7900 670282 dchapman@wwf.org.uk " } [19]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(26) "COPENHAGEN: CURE OR CURSE?" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3587" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3067) "Little of substance has been decided in the texts now being passed to ministers and soon to go before Heads of State in Copenhagen, WWF warned today.All night sessions failed to produce a financial framework for assisting developing nations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. The debate on strengthened emission reduction targets for the historically biggest emitters from industrialized countries has not progressed beyond the utterly insufficient offerings made by the developed world before Copenhagen. “In many ways the final sessions have produced more disagreement rather than less on key issues as national negotiators dig in,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global deal. “As the really hard decisions go forward to higher levels, it becomes more likely we will end up with high words on principal and less likely we will get detailed words that will work in tackling climate change." Carstensen said the competitiveness and intransigence of large powers was largely responsible for the mess the talks had become. “At the higher levels, it is lawyers building loopholes for the sake of large interests rather than nations negotiating the moral and effective ways to enact the measures that science says are necessary,” Carstensen said. "The world is currently on track for runaway climate change, with commitments put forward by parties adding up to levels of global warming that may well reach 4 degrees C above pre-industrial levels – a recipe for disaster." “Large nations can bully and spin their way out of effective climate action, but there will be no way to spin or bully our way out of climate change. The world will look back on this conference from a state of climate chaos or from a state of narrowly averted climate crisis. When we look back, will we be talking of the cure of Copenhagen or the curse of Copenhagen.” “Texts in almost all crucial areas of the negotiations - such as technology cooperation, adaptation and forest protection – has been seriously stripped of anything firm over the last 24 hours”, said Carstensen. “Negotiators from the US have been trying to hold the line on too many things big and small and in the process the big picture has been lost – it is time for the moral leadership of US president Barack Obama to assert itself in line with the hopes and expectations of the world,” Carstensen said. “China also has to take a higher moral ground and face the contradiction between it requiring international scrutiny of the greenhouse gas inventories of other nations while declining it for itself.” “Europe could act boldly in line with the scientific imperatives rather than act incrementally on the basis of what others are doing. We have three days left. Our planet can’t afford delay, so leaders have to take over and rescue the process.” For further information: Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK 44 7867 697 519 " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3067) "Little of substance has been decided in the texts now being passed to ministers and soon to go before Heads of State in Copenhagen, WWF warned today.All night sessions failed to produce a financial framework for assisting developing nations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. The debate on strengthened emission reduction targets for the historically biggest emitters from industrialized countries has not progressed beyond the utterly insufficient offerings made by the developed world before Copenhagen. “In many ways the final sessions have produced more disagreement rather than less on key issues as national negotiators dig in,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global deal. “As the really hard decisions go forward to higher levels, it becomes more likely we will end up with high words on principal and less likely we will get detailed words that will work in tackling climate change." Carstensen said the competitiveness and intransigence of large powers was largely responsible for the mess the talks had become. “At the higher levels, it is lawyers building loopholes for the sake of large interests rather than nations negotiating the moral and effective ways to enact the measures that science says are necessary,” Carstensen said. "The world is currently on track for runaway climate change, with commitments put forward by parties adding up to levels of global warming that may well reach 4 degrees C above pre-industrial levels – a recipe for disaster." “Large nations can bully and spin their way out of effective climate action, but there will be no way to spin or bully our way out of climate change. The world will look back on this conference from a state of climate chaos or from a state of narrowly averted climate crisis. When we look back, will we be talking of the cure of Copenhagen or the curse of Copenhagen.” “Texts in almost all crucial areas of the negotiations - such as technology cooperation, adaptation and forest protection – has been seriously stripped of anything firm over the last 24 hours”, said Carstensen. “Negotiators from the US have been trying to hold the line on too many things big and small and in the process the big picture has been lost – it is time for the moral leadership of US president Barack Obama to assert itself in line with the hopes and expectations of the world,” Carstensen said. “China also has to take a higher moral ground and face the contradiction between it requiring international scrutiny of the greenhouse gas inventories of other nations while declining it for itself.” “Europe could act boldly in line with the scientific imperatives rather than act incrementally on the basis of what others are doing. We have three days left. Our planet can’t afford delay, so leaders have to take over and rescue the process.” For further information: Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK 44 7867 697 519 " } } ["channel"]=> array(14) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(31) "Press and media centre RSS feed" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["managingeditor#"]=> int(1) ["managingeditor"]=> string(25) "WWF - no_reply@wwf.org.uk" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(21) "http://www.wwf.org.uk" ["tagline#"]=> int(1) ["tagline"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["subtitle#"]=> int(1) ["subtitle"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["logo#"]=> int(1) ["logo"]=> string(44) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/img/rsschannellogo.jpg" } ["textinput"]=> array(0) { } ["image"]=> array(10) { ["title#"]=> int(1) 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(CentOS)" ["set-cookie"]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(58) "CFID=34291180;expires=Sun, 04-Mar-2040 03:07:38 GMT;path=/" [1]=> string(61) "CFTOKEN=70016682;expires=Sun, 04-Mar-2040 03:07:38 GMT;path=/" } [1]=> string(54) "JSESSIONID=08301bb7d77cb022eab75865487355665b10;path=/" } [1]=> string(20) "CFID=34291180;path=/" } [1]=> string(23) "CFTOKEN=70016682;path=/" } ["connection"]=> string(5) "close" ["content-type"]=> string(23) "text/xml; charset=utf-8" } } } ["feed"]=> object(MagpieRSS)#186 (31) { ["parser"]=> resource(496) of type (Unknown) ["current_item"]=> array(0) { } ["items"]=> array(20) { [0]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(87) "WWF-UK becomes the official charity partner of the Blue Mile - Race for the environment" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3748" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4257) "Sport Environment, the organiser of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment, have today announced an exciting new partnership with the conservation organisation WWF-UK. The announcement by Sport Environment was made together with WWF and round the world sailor, Conrad Humphreys who is founder of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. The event which is open to everyone to take part, aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. Today’s announcement will mean that WWF will become the Official Charity Partner of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment and will be working with Sport Environment to raise awareness of the threats facing our world’s oceans and the need to protect our seas. Monica Dolan, Sponsored Events Manager at WWF-UK says: “The Blue Mile is a fantastic opportunity to educate and inspire people to value our marine environment. The UK is blessed with 20,000km of coastline, and diverse marine life and habitats ranging from deep sea corals to harbour porpoises. However our seas are facing increasing pressures, and now, with the threat of climate change, it is more important than ever that we protect our marine biodiversity. By completing a Blue Mile, businesses, schools, and individuals can show they care about our oceans and help raise crucial funding to support WWF’s conservation projects.” Conrad Humphreys, founder of the Blue Mile said: “It is often said that sport is intimately connected to nature and for some athletes it is the relationship with the environment that inspires and motivates them. One of the key aims of the Blue Mile is to encourage an active community who can respond and find ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Our relationship with WWF will provide opportunities for everyone to form stronger links with our marine and natural environment. Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-11" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4257) "Sport Environment, the organiser of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment, have today announced an exciting new partnership with the conservation organisation WWF-UK. The announcement by Sport Environment was made together with WWF and round the world sailor, Conrad Humphreys who is founder of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. The event which is open to everyone to take part, aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. Today’s announcement will mean that WWF will become the Official Charity Partner of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment and will be working with Sport Environment to raise awareness of the threats facing our world’s oceans and the need to protect our seas. Monica Dolan, Sponsored Events Manager at WWF-UK says: “The Blue Mile is a fantastic opportunity to educate and inspire people to value our marine environment. The UK is blessed with 20,000km of coastline, and diverse marine life and habitats ranging from deep sea corals to harbour porpoises. However our seas are facing increasing pressures, and now, with the threat of climate change, it is more important than ever that we protect our marine biodiversity. By completing a Blue Mile, businesses, schools, and individuals can show they care about our oceans and help raise crucial funding to support WWF’s conservation projects.” Conrad Humphreys, founder of the Blue Mile said: “It is often said that sport is intimately connected to nature and for some athletes it is the relationship with the environment that inspires and motivates them. One of the key aims of the Blue Mile is to encourage an active community who can respond and find ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Our relationship with WWF will provide opportunities for everyone to form stronger links with our marine and natural environment. Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. " } [1]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(71) "Post-Copenhagen opportunity to accelerate efforts to slow deforestation" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3746" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(1777) "An initiative bringing together key forest and donor countries today (11th March) provides a critical opportunity to fast track action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), WWF said.Broad agreement has already been reached on principles and safeguards of REDD+, despite no formal decision on these coming out of last year’s United Nations conference on climate change. The REDD+ Partnership, hosted by Norway and France, which holds its first meeting today, now provides an important chance to mobilize early action and financing for national REDD+ programmes. Emily Brickell, WWF-UK climate and forests officer, said: “With funding already flowing for REDD+, it is vital that benefits for people and biodiversity are a fundamental part of this effort to integrate forests into the climate change solution. REDD+ is not only about the carbon stored in forests and so we must ensure there are positive social and environmental impacts as REDD+ becomes a reality. “Slowing deforestation would help the world significantly cut global emissions and that’s an opportunity we simply cannot ignore as any delay in reducing emissions only makes it more difficult to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C. The REDD+ Partnership must build real momentum for countries to move ahead with REDD+. It is important this remains an open and inclusive process.” Countries have signalled their commitment to REDD+, with many developing countries, including Brazil and Indonesia, announcing targets for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In Copenhagen, $3.5 billion was pledged for REDD+ by Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and the US. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-10" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(1777) "An initiative bringing together key forest and donor countries today (11th March) provides a critical opportunity to fast track action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), WWF said.Broad agreement has already been reached on principles and safeguards of REDD+, despite no formal decision on these coming out of last year’s United Nations conference on climate change. The REDD+ Partnership, hosted by Norway and France, which holds its first meeting today, now provides an important chance to mobilize early action and financing for national REDD+ programmes. Emily Brickell, WWF-UK climate and forests officer, said: “With funding already flowing for REDD+, it is vital that benefits for people and biodiversity are a fundamental part of this effort to integrate forests into the climate change solution. REDD+ is not only about the carbon stored in forests and so we must ensure there are positive social and environmental impacts as REDD+ becomes a reality. “Slowing deforestation would help the world significantly cut global emissions and that’s an opportunity we simply cannot ignore as any delay in reducing emissions only makes it more difficult to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C. The REDD+ Partnership must build real momentum for countries to move ahead with REDD+. It is important this remains an open and inclusive process.” Countries have signalled their commitment to REDD+, with many developing countries, including Brazil and Indonesia, announcing targets for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In Copenhagen, $3.5 billion was pledged for REDD+ by Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the UK and the US. " } [2]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(46) "WWF’s Earth Hour heads into record territory" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3744" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3569) "With just over two weeks to go before WWF’s Earth Hour takes place, the global initiative has become bigger than ever, surpassing all previous years’ events.  From Australia to America and Europe to Asia on Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, over 1,100 cities and towns across the globe will switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about climate change. Last year 88 countries got involved in the initiative and with 2010 seeing more than 91 countries taking part, a ripple will cross the Earth as landmarks in 25 time zones switch off.  Many of the world’s most iconic landmarks are on board including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas strip, Table Mountain and the Burj Khalifa tower- the tallest building in the world. UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour.  Other famous buildings pledging to plunge into darkness for an hour include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.  Companies supporting the event include M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea. Countries and regions involved for the first time include the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean. “This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people”, said Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK.  “By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.” For further information or to sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour please visit: <a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour">www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour</a> - ends - Editor's notes About Earth Hour <a href="http://www.earthhour.org">www.earthhour.org</a> Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative.  Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.  The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour. WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, t: 01483 412383, e: <a href="mailto:khulbert@wwf.org.uk">khulbert@wwf.org.uk</a>  " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3569) "With just over two weeks to go before WWF’s Earth Hour takes place, the global initiative has become bigger than ever, surpassing all previous years’ events.  From Australia to America and Europe to Asia on Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, over 1,100 cities and towns across the globe will switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about climate change. Last year 88 countries got involved in the initiative and with 2010 seeing more than 91 countries taking part, a ripple will cross the Earth as landmarks in 25 time zones switch off.  Many of the world’s most iconic landmarks are on board including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas strip, Table Mountain and the Burj Khalifa tower- the tallest building in the world. UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour.  Other famous buildings pledging to plunge into darkness for an hour include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.  Companies supporting the event include M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea. Countries and regions involved for the first time include the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean. “This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people”, said Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK.  “By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.” For further information or to sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour please visit: <a href="http://www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour">www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour</a> - ends - Editor's notes About Earth Hour <a href="http://www.earthhour.org">www.earthhour.org</a> Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative.  Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.  The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour. WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, t: 01483 412383, e: <a href="mailto:khulbert@wwf.org.uk">khulbert@wwf.org.uk</a>  " } [3]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(60) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3743" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3926) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL Embargoed until GMT 00.01, 10 March 2010Tokyo, Japan: Japan is at risk of undermining its own recent commitments on carbon emissions reductions during its debate on forthcoming climate legislation, WWF said today. WWF is calling on Thursday’s Cabinet Member Committee meeting to uphold the existing absolute emissions reductions of 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 agreed under the Copenhagen Accord framework, with the ‘cap and trade’ scheme outlined as a key mechanism for achieving the target. The climate bill, to be presented to the full cabinet including Prime Minister Hatoyama on Friday, is being lobbied against by heavy industry labour unions for possible job loss, ignoring the potential for new sustainable jobs in clean energy and other industrial sectors. At the same time, some government ministries are promoting a carbon intensity framework, rather than necessary absolute targets, for their national emissions reduction commitment. An intensity-based emissions trading scheme would seriously undermine the environmental integrity of the bill - absolute emissions would increase with production even if intensity-based targets are achieved. "If the bill includes 'intensity-based' emissions trading schemes then it ignores the emissions cap that the Japanese government has promised to the Japanese people during the elections and to the world following the Copenhagen Accord," said Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change. "For the scheme to be called a 'cap and trade' scheme, it needs to have a real emissions cap" Japanese civil groups are also calling on the government to drop the conditionality clauses in the new bill that threaten to tie Japanese action on climate change to a successful international agreement which includes all the major economies. "Japan should not send wrong signals by making its action conditional on an international agreement," said Yamagishi. "It will not only jeopardize the credibility of the Japanese target internationally but will also slow down domestic actions. There is no time to waste, and Japan needs to avoid locking itself further into development using environmentally and socially unsustainable technologies. The current language in the bill could be interpreted as Japan doing nothing to reduce emissions if there is no comprehensive international agreement." "Japan's 25% target is one of the strongest that any country has committed to so far," said Keith Allott, WWF-UK's Head of Climate Change. "It should remain as an example to others; Japan should not chase everyone else in a race to the bottom, and to the disastrous climate impacts that will result." Japan's existing pledge to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 is one of the most ambitious in the world. For further information contact: Benjamin Ward, WWF-UK, bward@wwf.org.uk +44 7837 134 193, Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change, yamagishi@wwf.or.jp +81-3-3769-3509 (office) / +81-90-6471-1432 (mobile); Ashwini Prabha, Communications Manager, WWF International, aprabha@wwfint.org, +41798741682 About WWF WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.wwf.org.uk www.wwf.or.jp/activity/climate " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3926) "CARBON CAP AND TRADE AT RISK AS JAPAN CONSIDERS CLIMATE BILL Embargoed until GMT 00.01, 10 March 2010Tokyo, Japan: Japan is at risk of undermining its own recent commitments on carbon emissions reductions during its debate on forthcoming climate legislation, WWF said today. WWF is calling on Thursday’s Cabinet Member Committee meeting to uphold the existing absolute emissions reductions of 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 agreed under the Copenhagen Accord framework, with the ‘cap and trade’ scheme outlined as a key mechanism for achieving the target. The climate bill, to be presented to the full cabinet including Prime Minister Hatoyama on Friday, is being lobbied against by heavy industry labour unions for possible job loss, ignoring the potential for new sustainable jobs in clean energy and other industrial sectors. At the same time, some government ministries are promoting a carbon intensity framework, rather than necessary absolute targets, for their national emissions reduction commitment. An intensity-based emissions trading scheme would seriously undermine the environmental integrity of the bill - absolute emissions would increase with production even if intensity-based targets are achieved. "If the bill includes 'intensity-based' emissions trading schemes then it ignores the emissions cap that the Japanese government has promised to the Japanese people during the elections and to the world following the Copenhagen Accord," said Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change. "For the scheme to be called a 'cap and trade' scheme, it needs to have a real emissions cap" Japanese civil groups are also calling on the government to drop the conditionality clauses in the new bill that threaten to tie Japanese action on climate change to a successful international agreement which includes all the major economies. "Japan should not send wrong signals by making its action conditional on an international agreement," said Yamagishi. "It will not only jeopardize the credibility of the Japanese target internationally but will also slow down domestic actions. There is no time to waste, and Japan needs to avoid locking itself further into development using environmentally and socially unsustainable technologies. The current language in the bill could be interpreted as Japan doing nothing to reduce emissions if there is no comprehensive international agreement." "Japan's 25% target is one of the strongest that any country has committed to so far," said Keith Allott, WWF-UK's Head of Climate Change. "It should remain as an example to others; Japan should not chase everyone else in a race to the bottom, and to the disastrous climate impacts that will result." Japan's existing pledge to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 is one of the most ambitious in the world. For further information contact: Benjamin Ward, WWF-UK, bward@wwf.org.uk +44 7837 134 193, Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF-Japan's Head of Climate Change, yamagishi@wwf.or.jp +81-3-3769-3509 (office) / +81-90-6471-1432 (mobile); Ashwini Prabha, Communications Manager, WWF International, aprabha@wwfint.org, +41798741682 About WWF WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.wwf.org.uk www.wwf.or.jp/activity/climate " } [4]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(66) "CITES can help save bluefin tuna and stem wildlife poaching crisis" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3742" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4869) "Governments meeting on 13th March for the largest wildlife trade convention will have a unique opportunity to preserve the world’s oceans and simultaneously stem a worldwide poaching crisis. At the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15), Parties will consider an unprecedented six proposals for commercially exploited marine species. This is unusual because in the past CITES has focused more on terrestrial species. Notably, the governments will consider putting Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention – the highest level of protection under its appendix system, which would ban all international commercial trade. WWF will encourage Parties to accept this proposal, as well as asking for commitments to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa.  2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar; there is no better time to ensure an end to all tiger trade. Heather Sohl, WWF-UK, wildlife trade officer, said: "Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are at an all-time low following overfishing and illegal fishing to feed a rapidly expanding market in recent years for sushi and sashimi, mainly in Japan, but also increasingly in the United States and Europe. "Insatiable demand has left the Atlantic bluefin tuna on the brink of extinction. This is the meeting where governments have an opportunity to stop pandering to the short-term interests of a bloated high-tech fishing industry and make a stand. If they don't we face losing an important species forever." Overall, Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have declined by over 85 per cent compared to maximum historical stock levels. Other marine species up for increased protection under CITES include red and pink coral – being harvested out of existence to make jewelry and decorative items – and four shark species.   Proposals to put these four shark species on CITES Appendix II, which would ensure stricter trade controls, will be considered at the meeting. These sharks currently are overfished because of demand for their fins and meat. In addition, government delegations also will consider steps they can take to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa. Tigers, in particular, are in the spotlight during this Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar.  All 13 tiger range states are signatories to the CITES convention. Heather Sohl added: “Poaching and illegal trade are the biggest threat to the survival of the tiger, and the CoP countries have the chance to vote on measures that, if properly enforced, can end all illegal tiger trade for good. With as few as 3,200 wild tigers left, it’s critical that steps are taken now to ensure a future with tigers still in the wild.” Rhino poaching worldwide is at a 15-year high and exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high-calibre weapons to kill rhinos. There is also a marked increase in demand in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, fueled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer. “Not only has rhino poaching in southern Africa increased but elephant poaching in central Africa and tiger poaching in Asia has risen as well and is seriously threatening these species,” said Steve Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC International. “At the CITES CoP, governments will have a chance to take a collective, big-picture look at what is driving poaching and illegal trade and seek common solutions.” For further information:   David Burrows, WWF-UK press office, <a href="mailto:dburrows@wwf.org.uk">dburrows@wwf.org.uk</a>, 01483 412388 Notes to Editors WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN.  " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-09" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4869) "Governments meeting on 13th March for the largest wildlife trade convention will have a unique opportunity to preserve the world’s oceans and simultaneously stem a worldwide poaching crisis. At the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15), Parties will consider an unprecedented six proposals for commercially exploited marine species. This is unusual because in the past CITES has focused more on terrestrial species. Notably, the governments will consider putting Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention – the highest level of protection under its appendix system, which would ban all international commercial trade. WWF will encourage Parties to accept this proposal, as well as asking for commitments to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa.  2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar; there is no better time to ensure an end to all tiger trade. Heather Sohl, WWF-UK, wildlife trade officer, said: "Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are at an all-time low following overfishing and illegal fishing to feed a rapidly expanding market in recent years for sushi and sashimi, mainly in Japan, but also increasingly in the United States and Europe. "Insatiable demand has left the Atlantic bluefin tuna on the brink of extinction. This is the meeting where governments have an opportunity to stop pandering to the short-term interests of a bloated high-tech fishing industry and make a stand. If they don't we face losing an important species forever." Overall, Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have declined by over 85 per cent compared to maximum historical stock levels. Other marine species up for increased protection under CITES include red and pink coral – being harvested out of existence to make jewelry and decorative items – and four shark species.   Proposals to put these four shark species on CITES Appendix II, which would ensure stricter trade controls, will be considered at the meeting. These sharks currently are overfished because of demand for their fins and meat. In addition, government delegations also will consider steps they can take to help stem a worldwide poaching crisis destroying tiger, rhino and elephant populations in Asia and Africa. Tigers, in particular, are in the spotlight during this Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar.  All 13 tiger range states are signatories to the CITES convention. Heather Sohl added: “Poaching and illegal trade are the biggest threat to the survival of the tiger, and the CoP countries have the chance to vote on measures that, if properly enforced, can end all illegal tiger trade for good. With as few as 3,200 wild tigers left, it’s critical that steps are taken now to ensure a future with tigers still in the wild.” Rhino poaching worldwide is at a 15-year high and exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high-calibre weapons to kill rhinos. There is also a marked increase in demand in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, fueled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer. “Not only has rhino poaching in southern Africa increased but elephant poaching in central Africa and tiger poaching in Asia has risen as well and is seriously threatening these species,” said Steve Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC International. “At the CITES CoP, governments will have a chance to take a collective, big-picture look at what is driving poaching and illegal trade and seek common solutions.” For further information:   David Burrows, WWF-UK press office, <a href="mailto:dburrows@wwf.org.uk">dburrows@wwf.org.uk</a>, 01483 412388 Notes to Editors WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN.  " } [5]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(78) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failures" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3725" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4387) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failuresThe release of six alleged rhino poachers from custody two weeks before a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention is emblematic of the chronic lack of political will to enact enforcement efforts required to save this endangered species. A Zimbabwean court last week granted bail to six men arrested at Bubye Valley Conservancy, home to Zimbabwe’s largest remaining rhino population, in connection with rhino poaching. Charges included illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of a rhino horn. The incident, part of a surge in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe and South Africa, is made worse by a lack of enforcement support in Zimbabwe in particular. As 175 countries prepare for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15) in Doha, starting on March 13, the increased poaching of rhinos and trade in rhino horns—compounded by failed enforcement efforts—is threatening to undermine conservation successes to date. Most rhinos are listed in the Convention’s Appendix I, which bans international trade in their parts for commercial purposes. Countries participating in the CITES convention have been tasked with combating illegal trade in rhino horn. “Zimbabwe’s failure to live up to its obligations to CITES is unacceptable and has caused its already endangered rhino population to decline,” said Heather Sohl, Wildlife Trade Officer, WWF-UK. “The time has come for the CITES Parties collectively to decide how to address this failure.” This incident, coming so soon after Zimbabwe was specifically urged by the CITES Secretariat to tighten up its law enforcement to protect rhinos, will reduce Zimbabwe's ability to defend its wildlife management policies at the forthcoming CITES conference. Last year, rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high due to increased demand for rhino horn. A recent report by TRAFFIC and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The report also showed that the conviction rate for rhino crimes in Zimbabwe is only three percent. WWF and TRAFFIC urge Zimbabwe, South Africa and all CITES Parties to uphold the commitments they have made as signatories to the Convention and dramatically improve law enforcement, including investigation of poaching incidents and prosecution of rhino crimes. “Rhino poachers are currently operating in an environment where they are allowed to break the law without appropriate consequences,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC. “This kind of ineffective law enforcement increasingly undermines the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhinoceros populations in southern Africa back up to healthy levels.” Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam,where demand has escalated in recent years. - ends - Editor's notes WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker Press Officer WWF-UK tel: 01483 412387 rwalker@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-02" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4387) "WWF/TRAFFIC: Release of rhino poachers exposes widespread enforcement failuresThe release of six alleged rhino poachers from custody two weeks before a meeting of the largest wildlife trade convention is emblematic of the chronic lack of political will to enact enforcement efforts required to save this endangered species. A Zimbabwean court last week granted bail to six men arrested at Bubye Valley Conservancy, home to Zimbabwe’s largest remaining rhino population, in connection with rhino poaching. Charges included illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of a rhino horn. The incident, part of a surge in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe and South Africa, is made worse by a lack of enforcement support in Zimbabwe in particular. As 175 countries prepare for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 15) in Doha, starting on March 13, the increased poaching of rhinos and trade in rhino horns—compounded by failed enforcement efforts—is threatening to undermine conservation successes to date. Most rhinos are listed in the Convention’s Appendix I, which bans international trade in their parts for commercial purposes. Countries participating in the CITES convention have been tasked with combating illegal trade in rhino horn. “Zimbabwe’s failure to live up to its obligations to CITES is unacceptable and has caused its already endangered rhino population to decline,” said Heather Sohl, Wildlife Trade Officer, WWF-UK. “The time has come for the CITES Parties collectively to decide how to address this failure.” This incident, coming so soon after Zimbabwe was specifically urged by the CITES Secretariat to tighten up its law enforcement to protect rhinos, will reduce Zimbabwe's ability to defend its wildlife management policies at the forthcoming CITES conference. Last year, rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high due to increased demand for rhino horn. A recent report by TRAFFIC and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The report also showed that the conviction rate for rhino crimes in Zimbabwe is only three percent. WWF and TRAFFIC urge Zimbabwe, South Africa and all CITES Parties to uphold the commitments they have made as signatories to the Convention and dramatically improve law enforcement, including investigation of poaching incidents and prosecution of rhino crimes. “Rhino poachers are currently operating in an environment where they are allowed to break the law without appropriate consequences,” said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC. “This kind of ineffective law enforcement increasingly undermines the success of more than a decade's work of bringing rhinoceros populations in southern Africa back up to healthy levels.” Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam,where demand has escalated in recent years. - ends - Editor's notes WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint conservation programme of WWF and IUCN. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker Press Officer WWF-UK tel: 01483 412387 rwalker@wwf.org.uk " } [6]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(70) "Government’s Household Energy Strategy: Time to get the builders in." ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3724" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(5115) "Household Energy Management Strategy: Time to get the builders in.This week the Government will announce their long-awaited Household Energy Management Strategy, introducing a plan to reduce emissions from our existing housing stock, and help the UK on its way to meeting its domestic climate change targets. A new finance scheme to enable more homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties is on the cards, along with new plans to tackle the millions of older properties that require ‘solid wall insulation’. However WWF-UK is concerned that the strategy may not include enough substance to bring about the national-scale transformation of our homes that is so desperately needed to reduce emissions and create new jobs. Zoe Leader, Sustainable Homes Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “A private finance scheme that enables homeowners to take out loans to increase their home’s energy efficiency is welcome, but is pointless if it is not accompanied by a strong financial commitment from the Government. We have been waiting a long time to see the details of how a ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme will be rolled out to all homeowners, and we expect to see adequate funding and policies in place.” “Household Energy Management Strategy must include the significant level of investment to treat the eight million homes in the UK that require a ‘whole house retrofit’. The government needs to look beyond the easy wins of loft and wall insulation and urgently initiate a nationwide ‘whole home’ retrofit programme. This is where the real financial and carbon savings can be made, and with the right plan of action, such a scheme could create over 100,000 new jobs per year, providing a huge boost to the green economy.” WWF-UK is the current chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, a group of key players in the housing and construction sector that recently set out a manifesto, calling for each home to be given a ‘whole house makeover’ by 2030. The Alliance laid down a figure of £6bn a year as a minimum investment for retrofitting the UK’s existing stock. According to a new report by WWF, over 100,000 new jobs per year could be created through a nationwide retrofit programme, but this will require homeowners taking appropriate action to upgrade their homes. WWF is therefore calling for Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, and support and advice programmes that will encourage homeowners to address energy efficiency in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties. Leader adds: “The Government’s emphasis on tackling the energy efficiency of our homes is a positive step forward in the battle against climate change, but we need to see some real substance in the Household Energy Management Strategy to ensure we reduce emissions from the housing sector. Alongside financial investment we need a defined marketing strategy for communicating the benefits of upgrading our homes. The success of any Pay as You Save scheme relies upon homeowners taking up the opportunity to transform their homes.” ends - Editor's notes As part of the move to a low-carbon economy, it is vital that the UK slashes emissions from the domestic housing sector by at least 80 per cent by 2050. The UK’s housing stock is currently responsible for 26 per cent of our total carbon emissions, and the average household in Britain emits over six tonnes of CO2 every year. Under a proposed ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme, homeowners will get funding to help them with the costs of green refurbishment on their property and will pay this money back through the savings on their energy bills. As part of the Grand Designs Great British Refurb Campaign, WWF is working with the 10:10 campaign to give a Bristol home a ‘whole house’ makeover. Further information on this project and images of the refurbishment in process are available on request. www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker, Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel: 01483 412387, email: rwalker@wwf.org.uk Benjamin Ward, 01483 412378, email: bward@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-03-01" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(5115) "Household Energy Management Strategy: Time to get the builders in.This week the Government will announce their long-awaited Household Energy Management Strategy, introducing a plan to reduce emissions from our existing housing stock, and help the UK on its way to meeting its domestic climate change targets. A new finance scheme to enable more homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties is on the cards, along with new plans to tackle the millions of older properties that require ‘solid wall insulation’. However WWF-UK is concerned that the strategy may not include enough substance to bring about the national-scale transformation of our homes that is so desperately needed to reduce emissions and create new jobs. Zoe Leader, Sustainable Homes Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “A private finance scheme that enables homeowners to take out loans to increase their home’s energy efficiency is welcome, but is pointless if it is not accompanied by a strong financial commitment from the Government. We have been waiting a long time to see the details of how a ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme will be rolled out to all homeowners, and we expect to see adequate funding and policies in place.” “Household Energy Management Strategy must include the significant level of investment to treat the eight million homes in the UK that require a ‘whole house retrofit’. The government needs to look beyond the easy wins of loft and wall insulation and urgently initiate a nationwide ‘whole home’ retrofit programme. This is where the real financial and carbon savings can be made, and with the right plan of action, such a scheme could create over 100,000 new jobs per year, providing a huge boost to the green economy.” WWF-UK is the current chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, a group of key players in the housing and construction sector that recently set out a manifesto, calling for each home to be given a ‘whole house makeover’ by 2030. The Alliance laid down a figure of £6bn a year as a minimum investment for retrofitting the UK’s existing stock. According to a new report by WWF, over 100,000 new jobs per year could be created through a nationwide retrofit programme, but this will require homeowners taking appropriate action to upgrade their homes. WWF is therefore calling for Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, and support and advice programmes that will encourage homeowners to address energy efficiency in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties. Leader adds: “The Government’s emphasis on tackling the energy efficiency of our homes is a positive step forward in the battle against climate change, but we need to see some real substance in the Household Energy Management Strategy to ensure we reduce emissions from the housing sector. Alongside financial investment we need a defined marketing strategy for communicating the benefits of upgrading our homes. The success of any Pay as You Save scheme relies upon homeowners taking up the opportunity to transform their homes.” ends - Editor's notes As part of the move to a low-carbon economy, it is vital that the UK slashes emissions from the domestic housing sector by at least 80 per cent by 2050. The UK’s housing stock is currently responsible for 26 per cent of our total carbon emissions, and the average household in Britain emits over six tonnes of CO2 every year. Under a proposed ‘Pay as You Save’ scheme, homeowners will get funding to help them with the costs of green refurbishment on their property and will pay this money back through the savings on their energy bills. As part of the Grand Designs Great British Refurb Campaign, WWF is working with the 10:10 campaign to give a Bristol home a ‘whole house’ makeover. Further information on this project and images of the refurbishment in process are available on request. www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Rowan Walker, Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel: 01483 412387, email: rwalker@wwf.org.uk Benjamin Ward, 01483 412378, email: bward@wwf.org.uk " } [7]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(95) "WWF: Cautious welcome to European Commission’s conditional support for bluefin tuna trade ban" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3718" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3889) "WWF cautiously welcomes the EU Commission’s recommendation today that the 27 European Union member countries vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, through a listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), at next month’s meeting in Doha, Qatar.But WWF is concerned about the Commission’s proposal that entry into force of the ban be conditional on new analysis, a procedure which is neither scientifically justified nor allowed under the CITES rules. WWF believe that the only real choice is to support full implementation of the ban as soon as possible to ensure the species has a chance to recover. “WWF is highly concerned by any conditions which might delay or even derail the process”, said Heather Sohl, Species Policy Officer at WWF-UK. “The best available data of barely four months ago already demonstrates clearly that stock levels are under 15 per cent of historical levels. The international trade ban must be voted in at the CITES meeting in Doha and implementation must begin immediately if we are to save tuna stocks. The time for action is now, and that action must be clear and unambiguous if the fish and the industry are to be saved,” said Heather Sohl. After today’s recommendation in Brussels by the newly appointed European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, and Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the last remaining step to galvanise a formal EU bloc voting position in Doha will be at a European Council meeting between representatives of all 27 EU member state governments. This could happen as late as 15 March – after the opening of the CITES event – but is expected to closely reflect today’s recommendation from the Commission. WWF calls on European representatives to drop the conditional implementation proposal and urgently engage the support of the global community for the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I, which to be adopted requires the backing of two thirds of the 175 CITES member countries present. “If the biggest Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing nation in the world, France, and the EU – whose fishing industry has the highest stakes in this fishery, holding more than 50 per cent of total catch quota – can decide to support a CITES Appendix I listing for the sake of preserving the fishery and the tuna, Europe should be able to convince the rest of the international community to follow. WWF calls on EU leadership to this end,” said Heather Sohl. Others to have made public their support for Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of CITES include the European Parliament and the secretariat of CITES itself. At the end of 2009 both the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization expert panel and the scientific committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body in charge of managing the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, released analyses showing that the species amply fits requirements for an Appendix I listing. Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF’s tuna expert said, “A CITES Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin will exclusively control international trade – so there will be no stepping on ICCAT’s toes. The international trade ban will rather help the fisheries management body to do its job by tackling the main obstacle to sustainable and science-based fisheries management – international trade on luxury seafood markets – while allowing artisanal and coastal fishermen to fish as usual and trade their tuna domestically.” For more information contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, Tel: 01483 412383, Email: khulbert@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-23" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3889) "WWF cautiously welcomes the EU Commission’s recommendation today that the 27 European Union member countries vote for a ban on international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, through a listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), at next month’s meeting in Doha, Qatar.But WWF is concerned about the Commission’s proposal that entry into force of the ban be conditional on new analysis, a procedure which is neither scientifically justified nor allowed under the CITES rules. WWF believe that the only real choice is to support full implementation of the ban as soon as possible to ensure the species has a chance to recover. “WWF is highly concerned by any conditions which might delay or even derail the process”, said Heather Sohl, Species Policy Officer at WWF-UK. “The best available data of barely four months ago already demonstrates clearly that stock levels are under 15 per cent of historical levels. The international trade ban must be voted in at the CITES meeting in Doha and implementation must begin immediately if we are to save tuna stocks. The time for action is now, and that action must be clear and unambiguous if the fish and the industry are to be saved,” said Heather Sohl. After today’s recommendation in Brussels by the newly appointed European Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, and Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the last remaining step to galvanise a formal EU bloc voting position in Doha will be at a European Council meeting between representatives of all 27 EU member state governments. This could happen as late as 15 March – after the opening of the CITES event – but is expected to closely reflect today’s recommendation from the Commission. WWF calls on European representatives to drop the conditional implementation proposal and urgently engage the support of the global community for the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I, which to be adopted requires the backing of two thirds of the 175 CITES member countries present. “If the biggest Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing nation in the world, France, and the EU – whose fishing industry has the highest stakes in this fishery, holding more than 50 per cent of total catch quota – can decide to support a CITES Appendix I listing for the sake of preserving the fishery and the tuna, Europe should be able to convince the rest of the international community to follow. WWF calls on EU leadership to this end,” said Heather Sohl. Others to have made public their support for Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of CITES include the European Parliament and the secretariat of CITES itself. At the end of 2009 both the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization expert panel and the scientific committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body in charge of managing the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, released analyses showing that the species amply fits requirements for an Appendix I listing. Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF’s tuna expert said, “A CITES Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin will exclusively control international trade – so there will be no stepping on ICCAT’s toes. The international trade ban will rather help the fisheries management body to do its job by tackling the main obstacle to sustainable and science-based fisheries management – international trade on luxury seafood markets – while allowing artisanal and coastal fishermen to fish as usual and trade their tuna domestically.” For more information contact: Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK, Tel: 01483 412383, Email: khulbert@wwf.org.uk " } [8]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(43) "Year of the Tiger - Big Cats in Big Trouble" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3702" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(7839) "WWF today outlined the current top 10 trouble spots for tigers, in an interactive map that provides a unique overview of threats faced by wild tigers. <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The interactive map has been released in advance of WWF's Year of the Tiger campaign, which launches on Sunday to coincide with the start of Chinese year of the tiger. The campaign aims to build critical momentum to ensure the protection of the species, working with world leaders towards the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 - the next Year of the Tiger. A global tiger summit to be held in Vladivostok in September, attended by Heads of Government from the tiger range countries, will be a focal point of the campaign.  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Since the last year of the tiger in 1998, tigers have lost 40 per cent of their habitat.  They now occupy only 7 per cent of their historic range,” said Diane Walkington, Head of Species at WWF-UK. “Already, three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. WWF is committed to ensuring the remaining populations receive the protection they so desperately need.”</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, and if left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022. WWF’s map highlights the increasing threats faced by the species, including habitat loss, illegal trade and climate change</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The threats to wild tigers highlighted in the map include:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <ul> <li>·        Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to critical tiger populations;</li> <li>·        Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat;</li> <li>·        Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds continued demand in East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere;</li> <li>·        More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. state of Texas than are left in the wild - and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market;</li> <li>·        Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers;</li> <li>·        Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink;</li> <li>·        Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent.</li> </ul> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Tigers are being persecuted across the globe. They are being poisoned, trapped, snared, shot and squeezed out of their homes,” said Diane Walkington. “But there is now real hope that this trend can be reversed. With 13 countries where wild tigers survive now pledging that they will work towards doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, there has never been such an ambitious, high-level of commitment from governments to work to save this iconic species.”  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">*MATERIALS AVAILABLE*</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">To view and/or download the map, please visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldwildlife.org%2ftigertroublespots">http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots</a> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Camera trap photos, captured this September, of a tigress and one of her cubs are also available. These were obtained from a selectively logged forest in Malaysia.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> The photo shows the tigress checking out a WWF camera trap with one of her two cubs. Researchers from WWF-Malaysia working in the area have caught the same female tiger on camera several times during the last several years, but this was the first time they saw that she had become a mother.   For the photo of the tigress and her cub, B-roll, a media album of high-res photos, background information on Year of the Tiger, and other media resources related to tigers, please visit <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.panda.org%2ftigers%2fmedia">www.panda.org/tigers/media</a></div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information, high resolution image or interviews, please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 375 Mob: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-11" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(7839) "WWF today outlined the current top 10 trouble spots for tigers, in an interactive map that provides a unique overview of threats faced by wild tigers. <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The interactive map has been released in advance of WWF's Year of the Tiger campaign, which launches on Sunday to coincide with the start of Chinese year of the tiger. The campaign aims to build critical momentum to ensure the protection of the species, working with world leaders towards the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 - the next Year of the Tiger. A global tiger summit to be held in Vladivostok in September, attended by Heads of Government from the tiger range countries, will be a focal point of the campaign.  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Since the last year of the tiger in 1998, tigers have lost 40 per cent of their habitat.  They now occupy only 7 per cent of their historic range,” said Diane Walkington, Head of Species at WWF-UK. “Already, three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. WWF is committed to ensuring the remaining populations receive the protection they so desperately need.”</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The global wild tiger population is believed to be as low as 3,200 at present, down from 100,000 at the start of the 20th century, and if left unchecked there is a chance that numbers will drop beyond a point of no return within many areas of Asia by 2022. WWF’s map highlights the increasing threats faced by the species, including habitat loss, illegal trade and climate change</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The threats to wild tigers highlighted in the map include:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <ul> <li>·        Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to critical tiger populations;</li> <li>·        Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat;</li> <li>·        Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds continued demand in East, Southeast Asia and elsewhere;</li> <li>·        More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. state of Texas than are left in the wild - and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market;</li> <li>·        Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers;</li> <li>·        Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink;</li> <li>·        Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent.</li> </ul> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Tigers are being persecuted across the globe. They are being poisoned, trapped, snared, shot and squeezed out of their homes,” said Diane Walkington. “But there is now real hope that this trend can be reversed. With 13 countries where wild tigers survive now pledging that they will work towards doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022, there has never been such an ambitious, high-level of commitment from governments to work to save this iconic species.”  </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">*MATERIALS AVAILABLE*</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">To view and/or download the map, please visit: <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.worldwildlife.org%2ftigertroublespots">http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigertroublespots</a> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Camera trap photos, captured this September, of a tigress and one of her cubs are also available. These were obtained from a selectively logged forest in Malaysia.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> The photo shows the tigress checking out a WWF camera trap with one of her two cubs. Researchers from WWF-Malaysia working in the area have caught the same female tiger on camera several times during the last several years, but this was the first time they saw that she had become a mother.   For the photo of the tigress and her cub, B-roll, a media album of high-res photos, background information on Year of the Tiger, and other media resources related to tigers, please visit <a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=ed986294b206471f88e6c07ebd6fef13&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.panda.org%2ftigers%2fmedia">www.panda.org/tigers/media</a></div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information, high resolution image or interviews, please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 375 Mob: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div>" } [9]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(76) "UK urged to follow France in support of international bluefin tuna trade ban" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3692" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(2558) "WWF-UK is calling on the UK Government to add its support for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. This follows an announcement yesterday by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo that France supports the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).The support for a CITES Appendix I listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna by a major European fishing country may free up the deadlock across EU member states and the European Commission, whose fisheries and environment commissioners have been at loggerheads for weeks in a failure to agree on the formal EC position. The pressure is also mounting on Spain, who hold the EU presidency to follow suit. Italy already voiced its support for the Appendix I listing last week, along with suggesting a three-year suspension of industrial fishing. Now WWF is urging the UK Government to step up to the table and ensure this endangered species is given the immediate protection it needs from overfishing. France’s call for an international trade ban on endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna is a strong political commitment, but WWF is concerned that the French Government is asking for an 18-month delayed implementation of the ban pending new scientific analysis of tuna stocks. Heather Sohl, Species Trade & Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “The scientific case for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I is already clear. The trade ban must take immediate effect and be implemented without condition if it is to be of conservation and economic value.” “It now falls to EU Presidency holder Spain, other EU countries, the European Commission and all governments that are members of CITES to follow France’s lead and throw their support behind an Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin.” The proposed listing on CITES Appendix I was originally tabled by the Principality of Monaco. Fisheries experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the scientific committee of the management commission for this fishery (ICCAT) have both confirmed that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for listing on CITES Appendix I. The 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next meet on 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar, where Atlantic bluefin tuna will be the headline marine species. - ends - " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-04" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(2558) "WWF-UK is calling on the UK Government to add its support for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. This follows an announcement yesterday by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo that France supports the listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).The support for a CITES Appendix I listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna by a major European fishing country may free up the deadlock across EU member states and the European Commission, whose fisheries and environment commissioners have been at loggerheads for weeks in a failure to agree on the formal EC position. The pressure is also mounting on Spain, who hold the EU presidency to follow suit. Italy already voiced its support for the Appendix I listing last week, along with suggesting a three-year suspension of industrial fishing. Now WWF is urging the UK Government to step up to the table and ensure this endangered species is given the immediate protection it needs from overfishing. France’s call for an international trade ban on endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna is a strong political commitment, but WWF is concerned that the French Government is asking for an 18-month delayed implementation of the ban pending new scientific analysis of tuna stocks. Heather Sohl, Species Trade & Policy Officer at WWF-UK says: “The scientific case for listing Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I is already clear. The trade ban must take immediate effect and be implemented without condition if it is to be of conservation and economic value.” “It now falls to EU Presidency holder Spain, other EU countries, the European Commission and all governments that are members of CITES to follow France’s lead and throw their support behind an Appendix I listing for Atlantic bluefin.” The proposed listing on CITES Appendix I was originally tabled by the Principality of Monaco. Fisheries experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and the scientific committee of the management commission for this fishery (ICCAT) have both confirmed that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for listing on CITES Appendix I. The 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next meet on 13-25 March in Doha, Qatar, where Atlantic bluefin tuna will be the headline marine species. - ends - " } [10]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(83) "Existing Homes Alliance make rallying call to tackle inefficient, old housing stock" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3685" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(2483) "Key players in the housing and construction sector have joined together to outline a plan of action for upgrading the UK’s woefully outdated housing stock. The Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) 2010 Manifesto seeks commitment from the Government to deliver a national retrofit programme, essential for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. The need for action is pressing. Emissions from UK households are not falling, and are 5 per cent higher than ten years ago.Key demands in the manifesto include: • All homes to have a whole house retrofit by 2030 • £6bn a year should be invested in retrofitting the UK’s existing stock • A 2010 to 2030 roadmap to set out minimum regulatory standards and voluntary aspirational standards for the energy performance of homes • Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, to ensure that energy efficiency standards are reflected in house prices • A range of financing mechanisms are made available to homeowners to cover the upfront costs of retrofitting • Greater investment in a support and advice programme that will engage homeowners to use less energy in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties The Existing Homes Alliance assert that such a programme of updating the housing stock will benefit the economy by creating new jobs and reducing levels of fuel poverty. It will also provide certainty for businesses investing in low carbon measures for homes. Colin Butfield, Chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “It is a sad fact that in the UK the majority of our homes are underperforming leaving many of us out of pocket, out in the cold and wastefully emitting carbon emissions. This manifesto outlines what we see as the solutions to our housing crisis. It is now essential that the Government establishes a national retrofit programme with some urgency so that we can meet the UK’s carbon budget targets.” Ends Notes to Editors ExHA is comprised of expert organisations working with all sectors including financial institutions, builders and installers, energy utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, social housing managers, homeowners, landlords, local authorities and with government, to develop a programme of radical low carbon refurbishment. For further information visit www.existinghomesalliance.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-02-01" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(2483) "Key players in the housing and construction sector have joined together to outline a plan of action for upgrading the UK’s woefully outdated housing stock. The Existing Homes Alliance (ExHA) 2010 Manifesto seeks commitment from the Government to deliver a national retrofit programme, essential for moving the UK towards a low carbon economy. The need for action is pressing. Emissions from UK households are not falling, and are 5 per cent higher than ten years ago.Key demands in the manifesto include: • All homes to have a whole house retrofit by 2030 • £6bn a year should be invested in retrofitting the UK’s existing stock • A 2010 to 2030 roadmap to set out minimum regulatory standards and voluntary aspirational standards for the energy performance of homes • Energy Performance Certificates to gain greater prominence in the marketing of homes, to ensure that energy efficiency standards are reflected in house prices • A range of financing mechanisms are made available to homeowners to cover the upfront costs of retrofitting • Greater investment in a support and advice programme that will engage homeowners to use less energy in their homes and seek higher EPC rated properties The Existing Homes Alliance assert that such a programme of updating the housing stock will benefit the economy by creating new jobs and reducing levels of fuel poverty. It will also provide certainty for businesses investing in low carbon measures for homes. Colin Butfield, Chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “It is a sad fact that in the UK the majority of our homes are underperforming leaving many of us out of pocket, out in the cold and wastefully emitting carbon emissions. This manifesto outlines what we see as the solutions to our housing crisis. It is now essential that the Government establishes a national retrofit programme with some urgency so that we can meet the UK’s carbon budget targets.” Ends Notes to Editors ExHA is comprised of expert organisations working with all sectors including financial institutions, builders and installers, energy utilities, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, social housing managers, homeowners, landlords, local authorities and with government, to develop a programme of radical low carbon refurbishment. For further information visit www.existinghomesalliance.org.uk " } [11]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(34) "WWF, the Amazon and climate change" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3684" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3970) "A WWF/IUCN Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) has been the subject of comment in media regarding its use as a source for the IPCC and questioning the credibility of some of its claims. Some commentators have concluded that potential climate impacts on the Amazon are overstated and unsupported. WWF refutes this conclusion and stands by the credibility of its report.WWF-UK would like to clarify the following details: • The Global Review of Forest Fires says that “up to 40% of the Brazilian forest is extremely sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” WWF's source for this statement was Fire in the Amazon, a 1999 overview of Amazon fire issues from the respected Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM – Amazon Environmental Research Institute). The source quotation from Fire in the Amazon reads “Probably 30 to 40% of the forests of the Brazilian Amazon are sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” Our report does NOT say that 40% of the Amazon forest is at risk from climate change. • WWF acknowledges that a reference to Fire in the Amazon as the source of the 40% claim outlined above was mistakenly omitted during the editing process of the Global Review of Forest Fires report. • The essential point made in the report (and referred to by the IPCC) is that reduced rainfall increases fire risk and that a drying of the “normally fire-resistant Amazon forest” could impact the hydrologic cycle with implications for regional and global climate. • WWF has since published a further, more detailed report that looks at this subject in further depth: Nepstad, Daniel C, The Amazon’s Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse - Ecological and Climatic Tipping Points of the World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest, and Practical Preventive Measures, (WWF 2007). This report was supported by The Woods Hole Research Centre, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and independently reviewed by Prof Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at Oxford University. • What is not in contention is that the Amazon is at risk from factors which include and are complicated by climate change. Climate change is widely predicted to pose a significant risk to Amazon forest cover and type. A number of recent peer-reviewed studies support this. • WWF cannot answer for the use of our 2000 report by other institutions. The overwhelming majority of scientists from all relevant fields stand by the basic conclusion of climate science that human-induced changes in the composition of the atmosphere are resulting in warming which is driving damaging and possibly catastrophic climate change. This finding is supported by theory, modelling and more and more extensively by measurement over more than 20 years of what has become the largest international scientific collaboration ever mounted. Recent controversies have largely concerned scientific standards employed in the assessment of projected impacts of climate change in a very small proportion of regions and cases studied. These incidents have no bearing on the overwhelming mass of findings on the reality and causes of climate change. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public meets high standards of accuracy. WWF practice is to research any errors we are alerted to and make corrections where relevant. For further comment please call Benjamin Ward (+44 7837 134 193) or Phil Dickie (+41 7970 31952). Benjamin Ward Head of Press & Media Relations WWF-UK +44 (0) 1483 412 378 +44 (0) 7837 134 193 bward@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-31" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3970) "A WWF/IUCN Global Review of Forest Fires (2000) has been the subject of comment in media regarding its use as a source for the IPCC and questioning the credibility of some of its claims. Some commentators have concluded that potential climate impacts on the Amazon are overstated and unsupported. WWF refutes this conclusion and stands by the credibility of its report.WWF-UK would like to clarify the following details: • The Global Review of Forest Fires says that “up to 40% of the Brazilian forest is extremely sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” WWF's source for this statement was Fire in the Amazon, a 1999 overview of Amazon fire issues from the respected Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM – Amazon Environmental Research Institute). The source quotation from Fire in the Amazon reads “Probably 30 to 40% of the forests of the Brazilian Amazon are sensitive to small reductions in the amount of rainfall.” Our report does NOT say that 40% of the Amazon forest is at risk from climate change. • WWF acknowledges that a reference to Fire in the Amazon as the source of the 40% claim outlined above was mistakenly omitted during the editing process of the Global Review of Forest Fires report. • The essential point made in the report (and referred to by the IPCC) is that reduced rainfall increases fire risk and that a drying of the “normally fire-resistant Amazon forest” could impact the hydrologic cycle with implications for regional and global climate. • WWF has since published a further, more detailed report that looks at this subject in further depth: Nepstad, Daniel C, The Amazon’s Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse - Ecological and Climatic Tipping Points of the World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest, and Practical Preventive Measures, (WWF 2007). This report was supported by The Woods Hole Research Centre, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and independently reviewed by Prof Yadvinder Malhi, Professor of Ecosystem Science at Oxford University. • What is not in contention is that the Amazon is at risk from factors which include and are complicated by climate change. Climate change is widely predicted to pose a significant risk to Amazon forest cover and type. A number of recent peer-reviewed studies support this. • WWF cannot answer for the use of our 2000 report by other institutions. The overwhelming majority of scientists from all relevant fields stand by the basic conclusion of climate science that human-induced changes in the composition of the atmosphere are resulting in warming which is driving damaging and possibly catastrophic climate change. This finding is supported by theory, modelling and more and more extensively by measurement over more than 20 years of what has become the largest international scientific collaboration ever mounted. Recent controversies have largely concerned scientific standards employed in the assessment of projected impacts of climate change in a very small proportion of regions and cases studied. These incidents have no bearing on the overwhelming mass of findings on the reality and causes of climate change. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public meets high standards of accuracy. WWF practice is to research any errors we are alerted to and make corrections where relevant. For further comment please call Benjamin Ward (+44 7837 134 193) or Phil Dickie (+41 7970 31952). Benjamin Ward Head of Press & Media Relations WWF-UK +44 (0) 1483 412 378 +44 (0) 7837 134 193 bward@wwf.org.uk " } [12]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(51) "Countries must show commitment to Copenhagen Accord" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3696" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(6002) "  Nations which pushed for the Copenhagen Accord on climate change last December must heed the 31st January deadline for pledging their targets and details of emission reduction programs, WWF said today.<div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Currently, the Copenhagen Accord sets out one agreed goal – keeping the world below the two degrees Celsius danger threshold for global warming,” said Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK.  “Sunday is the self-imposed deadline for countries to lay out what they are actually going to do to keep the world out of the danger zone. For the great majority of nations, this would imply a considerable increase on their commitments so far.”</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“Emissions reductions on the table at Copenhagen were clearly setting us up for a world that would be at least three degrees warmer, even without taking account of several large loopholes which allow dubious emissions reductions claims or double counting of reductions. The impacts of three degrees warming would be devastating for people and nature around the world,” Keith Allott said.</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">WWF today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">The conservation organisation is calling for targets from developed countries which approach the upper end of a 25-40 per cent range of emissions reductions below 1990 levels, by 2020. Of the targets on the table in Copenhagen, only Norway, which has a 40 per cent reduction target, met this level of ambition. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“We fear that there is still a gross mismatch between the goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps that the developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord forward, are actually prepared to take to achieve this goal,” Allott said.  </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">Last weekend major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China –  announced that they intended to meet the January 31 deadline by providing more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans meet this ambition. It is time the developed world made a similar commitment regarding their emissions reductions targets,” Allott said. “There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen but climate change is not a problem that will go away. The issue will get  ever more costly to tackle, and the impacts ever harder to cope with, the longer we wait to take effective action.”</div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 383</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Mobile: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone?  can be downloaded from:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=6c5bffa74bdb4ba1918927fc8e96c01f&URL=http%3a%2f%2fassets.panda.org%2fdownloads%2fthe_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf">http://assets.panda.org/downloads/the_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf</a></div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> </div>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-29" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(6002) "  Nations which pushed for the Copenhagen Accord on climate change last December must heed the 31st January deadline for pledging their targets and details of emission reduction programs, WWF said today.<div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">“Currently, the Copenhagen Accord sets out one agreed goal – keeping the world below the two degrees Celsius danger threshold for global warming,” said Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK.  “Sunday is the self-imposed deadline for countries to lay out what they are actually going to do to keep the world out of the danger zone. For the great majority of nations, this would imply a considerable increase on their commitments so far.”</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“Emissions reductions on the table at Copenhagen were clearly setting us up for a world that would be at least three degrees warmer, even without taking account of several large loopholes which allow dubious emissions reductions claims or double counting of reductions. The impacts of three degrees warming would be devastating for people and nature around the world,” Keith Allott said.</div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">WWF today released The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone analysing how the world might begin the journey from the political agreement of the Copenhagen Accord to an internationally binding climate treaty in Mexico City in December. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">The conservation organisation is calling for targets from developed countries which approach the upper end of a 25-40 per cent range of emissions reductions below 1990 levels, by 2020. Of the targets on the table in Copenhagen, only Norway, which has a 40 per cent reduction target, met this level of ambition. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“We fear that there is still a gross mismatch between the goal of keeping the world out of climate danger and the steps that the developed nations, who did the most to push the Copenhagen Accord forward, are actually prepared to take to achieve this goal,” Allott said.  </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">Last weekend major emerging economies – the BASIC Group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China –  announced that they intended to meet the January 31 deadline by providing more detail on voluntary mitigation programmes under the accord. </div> <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 14pt; line-height: normal" align="left">“This is a very helpful move from this group of major developing countries. We expect they will announce high levels of ambition and follow up urgently with clear national action plans meet this ambition. It is time the developed world made a similar commitment regarding their emissions reductions targets,” Allott said. “There is a general awareness that the world failed to do what it needed to do in Copenhagen but climate change is not a problem that will go away. The issue will get  ever more costly to tackle, and the impacts ever harder to cope with, the longer we wait to take effective action.”</div> <div style="margin: 14pt 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal" align="left">For further information please contact:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Tel: 01483 412 383</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">Mobile: 07867 697 519</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">The Copenhagen Accord: A Stepping Stone?  can be downloaded from:</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"><a target="_blank" href="https://webmail.wwf.org.uk/owa/redir.aspx?C=6c5bffa74bdb4ba1918927fc8e96c01f&URL=http%3a%2f%2fassets.panda.org%2fdownloads%2fthe_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf">http://assets.panda.org/downloads/the_stepping_stone_final_280110.pdf</a></div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">About WWF</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left">WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 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.</div> <div style="line-height: normal" align="left"> </div> </div>" } [13]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(35) "WWF Statement on Himalayan Glaciers" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3671" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(1197) "WWF recently became aware that a 2005 report contained erroneous information about the rate at which glaciers are melting in the HimalayasThe WWF report, An Overview of Glaciers, Glacier Retreat, and Subsequent Impacts in Nepal, India and China, quoted an article published in 1999 which predicted a high likelihood of Himalayan glaciers disappearing entirely by 2035 due to climate change. Although scientists remain deeply concerned about glacier retreat in that region, this particular prediction has subsequently proved to be incorrect. At the time the WWF report was issued, we believed the source of the statement to be reliable and accurate. We regret any confusion caused by our role in repeating the erroneous quote in the 2005 report and in subsequent publications and statements. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is strongly committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public is thoroughly reviewed to meet the highest standards of accuracy. Our offices around the world are taking action to correct this information in WWF publications and websites." ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-20" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(1197) "WWF recently became aware that a 2005 report contained erroneous information about the rate at which glaciers are melting in the HimalayasThe WWF report, An Overview of Glaciers, Glacier Retreat, and Subsequent Impacts in Nepal, India and China, quoted an article published in 1999 which predicted a high likelihood of Himalayan glaciers disappearing entirely by 2035 due to climate change. Although scientists remain deeply concerned about glacier retreat in that region, this particular prediction has subsequently proved to be incorrect. At the time the WWF report was issued, we believed the source of the statement to be reliable and accurate. We regret any confusion caused by our role in repeating the erroneous quote in the 2005 report and in subsequent publications and statements. As the world’s leading science-based conservation organisation, WWF is strongly committed to ensuring the information we provide to the public is thoroughly reviewed to meet the highest standards of accuracy. Our offices around the world are taking action to correct this information in WWF publications and websites." } [14]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(55) "Seafood ecolabels under the spotlight in new WWF report" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3667" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(4552) "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) comes out on top in a new report commissioned by WWF that reveals poor performance among other assessed seafood ecolabelling schemes and calls for improvements across the board to strengthen their effectiveness.Accenture’s non-profit practice, Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) compared and ranked seven fishery certification schemes that use ecolabels on seafood products against a set of WWF criteria that focus on the schemes’ effectiveness in addressing the health of fisheries and oceans. The MSC is ranked the highest in the ADP report, Assessment of On-Pack, Wild-Capture Seafood Sustainability Certification Programmes and Seafood Ecolabels, with a score of just over 95 percent compliance to the assessment’s criteria requirements. The report finds that except for the MSC, the other assessed schemes - Naturland, Friend of the Sea, Krav, AIDCP, Mel-Japan and Southern Rocklobster - do not evaluate fisheries across all criteria to the extent required to support sustainable fishing and healthy oceans. “The findings of this assessment reveal serious inadequacies in a number of ecolabels and cast doubt on their overall contribution to effective fisheries management and sustainability.” said Miguel Jorge, Director of WWF International’s Marine Programme. “While the assessment shows the MSC comes out best in class using the most rigorous programme out there, it is not perfect. Improvements are needed across the board to ensure all seafood ecolabels deliver on their promise.” The criteria used in the assessment reflect best practices for fisheries ecolabelling certification schemes with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2005 guidelines for ecolabelling forming the basis for the criteria. Standards developed by the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and elements from WWF’s framework for ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries were added. The assessment points to significant differences in transparency, information availability, structure and accuracy of claims made by each scheme. Aside from the MSC, all other schemes assessed have substantial shortcomings in the area of transparency and information provision. “The growth of seafood ecolabels over the last ten years attests to the strong demand from consumers and seafood companies who want seafood from better fisheries.” added Jorge. “But with the proliferation of ecolabels and the variability of these schemes there is a real risk of confusion, or worse still a lack of confidence in seafood ecolabelling among buyers and consumers.” As part of WWF’s efforts to implement sustainable fishing practices globally to protect marine life and ocean habitats, the conservation organization works with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources and assess their current supply chain. The report is intended to address confusion expressed by this group and inform their choices. The most credible ecolabelling schemes accepted in international fora are voluntary, third party, operated independently and involving interested parties. In addition to fisheries certification scheme efforts to address sustainable fishing, other issues including carbon footprint, animal welfare and social issues such as worker’s rights are growing in public consciousness. WWF calls on the seafood ecolabelling community to develop internationally agreed criteria for these priority issues and establish evaluation mechanisms. “We recommend the assessed schemes reflect on their contribution to marine conservation and use the report as a guide to how best to assess and evaluate fisheries seeking their ecolabel.” added Jorge. For further information: Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, 01493 412397, 07900 670282, <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(100,99,104,97,112,109,97,110,64,119,119,102,46,111,114,103,46,117,107)+'?'">dchapman@wwf.org.uk</a> Sarah Bladen, Conservation Communications, t+41 22 364 9019, m+41 79 415 0220, e <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(115,98,108,97,100,101,110,64,119,119,119,102,105,110,116,46,111,114,103)+'?'">sbladen@wwwfint.org</a>" ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-19" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(4552) "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) comes out on top in a new report commissioned by WWF that reveals poor performance among other assessed seafood ecolabelling schemes and calls for improvements across the board to strengthen their effectiveness.Accenture’s non-profit practice, Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) compared and ranked seven fishery certification schemes that use ecolabels on seafood products against a set of WWF criteria that focus on the schemes’ effectiveness in addressing the health of fisheries and oceans. The MSC is ranked the highest in the ADP report, Assessment of On-Pack, Wild-Capture Seafood Sustainability Certification Programmes and Seafood Ecolabels, with a score of just over 95 percent compliance to the assessment’s criteria requirements. The report finds that except for the MSC, the other assessed schemes - Naturland, Friend of the Sea, Krav, AIDCP, Mel-Japan and Southern Rocklobster - do not evaluate fisheries across all criteria to the extent required to support sustainable fishing and healthy oceans. “The findings of this assessment reveal serious inadequacies in a number of ecolabels and cast doubt on their overall contribution to effective fisheries management and sustainability.” said Miguel Jorge, Director of WWF International’s Marine Programme. “While the assessment shows the MSC comes out best in class using the most rigorous programme out there, it is not perfect. Improvements are needed across the board to ensure all seafood ecolabels deliver on their promise.” The criteria used in the assessment reflect best practices for fisheries ecolabelling certification schemes with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2005 guidelines for ecolabelling forming the basis for the criteria. Standards developed by the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and elements from WWF’s framework for ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries were added. The assessment points to significant differences in transparency, information availability, structure and accuracy of claims made by each scheme. Aside from the MSC, all other schemes assessed have substantial shortcomings in the area of transparency and information provision. “The growth of seafood ecolabels over the last ten years attests to the strong demand from consumers and seafood companies who want seafood from better fisheries.” added Jorge. “But with the proliferation of ecolabels and the variability of these schemes there is a real risk of confusion, or worse still a lack of confidence in seafood ecolabelling among buyers and consumers.” As part of WWF’s efforts to implement sustainable fishing practices globally to protect marine life and ocean habitats, the conservation organization works with major seafood buyers to use their purchasing power to secure seafood from sustainable sources and assess their current supply chain. The report is intended to address confusion expressed by this group and inform their choices. The most credible ecolabelling schemes accepted in international fora are voluntary, third party, operated independently and involving interested parties. In addition to fisheries certification scheme efforts to address sustainable fishing, other issues including carbon footprint, animal welfare and social issues such as worker’s rights are growing in public consciousness. WWF calls on the seafood ecolabelling community to develop internationally agreed criteria for these priority issues and establish evaluation mechanisms. “We recommend the assessed schemes reflect on their contribution to marine conservation and use the report as a guide to how best to assess and evaluate fisheries seeking their ecolabel.” added Jorge. For further information: Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, 01493 412397, 07900 670282, <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(100,99,104,97,112,109,97,110,64,119,119,102,46,111,114,103,46,117,107)+'?'">dchapman@wwf.org.uk</a> Sarah Bladen, Conservation Communications, t+41 22 364 9019, m+41 79 415 0220, e <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(115,98,108,97,100,101,110,64,119,119,119,102,105,110,116,46,111,114,103)+'?'">sbladen@wwwfint.org</a>" } [15]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(56) "Emissions from UK food industry far higher than believed" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3665" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(7366) "*New report finds technology and behavioural changes required to cut emissions from food*The food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network. Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20%, but this study is the first to incorporate land use change overseas, increasing the estimate of emissions attributed to food consumption in this country from 152MtCO2 to 253MtCO2. Land use change, mainly deforestation, is a major source of climate changing emissions. Each year world-wide, an area of forest equivalent to half of England is lost. The expansion of the food system is the biggest driver behind this as land is cleared to grow crops and rear animals. Given the extent of food consumption on the UK’s overall emissions, WWF-UK and the FCRN are calling for a radical change to the country’s food system to help stop deforestation and reduce the scale of emissions from the food chain. The new report – How Low Can We Go: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – assessed various scenarios that explored what these changes might look like. Both technological and behavioural initiatives were tested, including decarbonisation of the energy used in the food chain, improved efficiencies and changes in consumption of meat and dairy products. If the food industry is to play its part in keeping temperature rises below two degrees, emissions need to be cut by at least 70% by 2050. The report concludes that no one solution alone can reduce emissions to this extent. WWF-UK and FCRN are urging Government and industry decision-makers to recognise that a focus on technology alone is not enough – food consumption patterns need to change too. Mark Driscoll, head of WWF-UK’s One Planet Food programme said: “The full impact of our diets on climate change is astonishingly high – this report shows that. This makes the target to cut emissions by at least 70% by 2050 a daunting task, but not an impossible one. We must stop chewing over some of the issues and start making change happen – both in terms of technology and behaviour.” Tara Garnett, head of the FCRN said: “We now know enough to conclude that the food system contributes very substantially to the problem of climate change. We also know enough about where and how the impacts arise to start doing something about them. Business as usual – and even business as usual ‘lite’ – is no longer an option.” In terms of the impacts of food consumption the report found: • The food chain’s contribution to overall UK consumption-related emissions is 20%. However, when land use change is included this increases to 30%. • All stages of the UK food chain give rise to emissions, with the breakdown as follows: production and initial processing (34%); manufacturing, distribution, retail and cooking (26%) and agriculturally-induced land use change (40%). • Livestock farming accounts for 57% of agricultural emissions and is also responsible for three quarters of land use change emissions. Solutions-wise, the report concluded that there is no silver bullet to achieve such reductions – a combination of activities and changes will be required. These include: • increasing production efficiency, including improved crop yields and changes to animal feeds to reduce methane emissions • a significant switch to non-carbon fuels and increased energy use efficiency • changes in the types of food we consume The idea of collaboration – between producers, processors, retailers, NGOs and Government – is highlighted in the Government’s recently published Food 2030 document, which sets out a vision for UK food. This should be applauded. The role of sustainable diets and a commitment to defining them will also be an important step. Dietary changes will also ease land pressures, in terms of reducing the amount of land needed to produce the food we consume. While this study did not consider the impact of diet on land use change in detail, nor deal with the issue of land quality, and its potential to produce different types of food, these ideas will be dealt with in a follow-up study tackling the question of how changing consumption will affect land use. For more details and to receive an embargoed copy of the summary and report, contact David Burrows: dburrows@wwf.org.uk 07917 831640 Notes to editors • This report – How low can we go: An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – forms part of WWF-UK’s wider One Planet Food programme. This programme incorporates the whole food chain, from the production of commodities (like palm oil and soya) through processing and on to consumption and disposal. The goals of the programme are to radically improve the key environmental impacts of the food that is eaten in the UK, including our impact on the parts of the world richest in biodiversity. This is a complex task, and since 2008 WWF has been working in collaboration with scientists and key actors in the food system – businesses, policy makers, consumer organisations and other non-governmental organisations – to understand the impacts of the food consumed in the UK, whether grown here or imported from abroad. • The way we live is leading to environmental threats such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, water shortages and the collapse of fisheries. WWF’s One Planet Future Campaign is working to help people live a good quality of life within the earth’s capacity. For more information visit www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet<http://www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet> • The Food Climate Research Network www.fcrn.org.uk is a UK research council-funded initiative based at the University of Surrey. Its aim is to understand how the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and to research and promote ways of reducing them. Its focus is broad, encompassing technological options, behaviour change and the policy dimension. • In 2008, the Food Climate Research Network published Cookng up a Storm (http://www.fcrn.org.uk/fcrnPubs/index.php?id=6 ), which estimated that our consumption of food in the UK, from agriculture through to consumption, accounts for 19% of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated through the goods and services we consume. It also argued that a reduction of up to 70% should be possible if we deployed a mix of technological improvements and changes in consumption. The report recommended that Government should commit to reducing emissions by this amount, by 2050, and should set out a road map for how it intends to do so, stating what proportion would be achieved through technological and managerial improvements; and what from changes in the balance of what people eat. This recommendation and WWF-UK’s desire to understand what approaches are needed to reduce GHG emissions from food by 70% provided the impetus for WWF-UK and the FCRN to join forces in commissioning this new report. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2010-01-18" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(7366) "*New report finds technology and behavioural changes required to cut emissions from food*The food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint, according to a new report published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network. Previous estimates put the figure closer to 20%, but this study is the first to incorporate land use change overseas, increasing the estimate of emissions attributed to food consumption in this country from 152MtCO2 to 253MtCO2. Land use change, mainly deforestation, is a major source of climate changing emissions. Each year world-wide, an area of forest equivalent to half of England is lost. The expansion of the food system is the biggest driver behind this as land is cleared to grow crops and rear animals. Given the extent of food consumption on the UK’s overall emissions, WWF-UK and the FCRN are calling for a radical change to the country’s food system to help stop deforestation and reduce the scale of emissions from the food chain. The new report – How Low Can We Go: an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – assessed various scenarios that explored what these changes might look like. Both technological and behavioural initiatives were tested, including decarbonisation of the energy used in the food chain, improved efficiencies and changes in consumption of meat and dairy products. If the food industry is to play its part in keeping temperature rises below two degrees, emissions need to be cut by at least 70% by 2050. The report concludes that no one solution alone can reduce emissions to this extent. WWF-UK and FCRN are urging Government and industry decision-makers to recognise that a focus on technology alone is not enough – food consumption patterns need to change too. Mark Driscoll, head of WWF-UK’s One Planet Food programme said: “The full impact of our diets on climate change is astonishingly high – this report shows that. This makes the target to cut emissions by at least 70% by 2050 a daunting task, but not an impossible one. We must stop chewing over some of the issues and start making change happen – both in terms of technology and behaviour.” Tara Garnett, head of the FCRN said: “We now know enough to conclude that the food system contributes very substantially to the problem of climate change. We also know enough about where and how the impacts arise to start doing something about them. Business as usual – and even business as usual ‘lite’ – is no longer an option.” In terms of the impacts of food consumption the report found: • The food chain’s contribution to overall UK consumption-related emissions is 20%. However, when land use change is included this increases to 30%. • All stages of the UK food chain give rise to emissions, with the breakdown as follows: production and initial processing (34%); manufacturing, distribution, retail and cooking (26%) and agriculturally-induced land use change (40%). • Livestock farming accounts for 57% of agricultural emissions and is also responsible for three quarters of land use change emissions. Solutions-wise, the report concluded that there is no silver bullet to achieve such reductions – a combination of activities and changes will be required. These include: • increasing production efficiency, including improved crop yields and changes to animal feeds to reduce methane emissions • a significant switch to non-carbon fuels and increased energy use efficiency • changes in the types of food we consume The idea of collaboration – between producers, processors, retailers, NGOs and Government – is highlighted in the Government’s recently published Food 2030 document, which sets out a vision for UK food. This should be applauded. The role of sustainable diets and a commitment to defining them will also be an important step. Dietary changes will also ease land pressures, in terms of reducing the amount of land needed to produce the food we consume. While this study did not consider the impact of diet on land use change in detail, nor deal with the issue of land quality, and its potential to produce different types of food, these ideas will be dealt with in a follow-up study tackling the question of how changing consumption will affect land use. For more details and to receive an embargoed copy of the summary and report, contact David Burrows: dburrows@wwf.org.uk 07917 831640 Notes to editors • This report – How low can we go: An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050 – forms part of WWF-UK’s wider One Planet Food programme. This programme incorporates the whole food chain, from the production of commodities (like palm oil and soya) through processing and on to consumption and disposal. The goals of the programme are to radically improve the key environmental impacts of the food that is eaten in the UK, including our impact on the parts of the world richest in biodiversity. This is a complex task, and since 2008 WWF has been working in collaboration with scientists and key actors in the food system – businesses, policy makers, consumer organisations and other non-governmental organisations – to understand the impacts of the food consumed in the UK, whether grown here or imported from abroad. • The way we live is leading to environmental threats such as climate change, species extinction, deforestation, water shortages and the collapse of fisheries. WWF’s One Planet Future Campaign is working to help people live a good quality of life within the earth’s capacity. For more information visit www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet<http://www.wwf.org.uk/oneplanet> • The Food Climate Research Network www.fcrn.org.uk is a UK research council-funded initiative based at the University of Surrey. Its aim is to understand how the food system contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and to research and promote ways of reducing them. Its focus is broad, encompassing technological options, behaviour change and the policy dimension. • In 2008, the Food Climate Research Network published Cookng up a Storm (http://www.fcrn.org.uk/fcrnPubs/index.php?id=6 ), which estimated that our consumption of food in the UK, from agriculture through to consumption, accounts for 19% of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated through the goods and services we consume. It also argued that a reduction of up to 70% should be possible if we deployed a mix of technological improvements and changes in consumption. The report recommended that Government should commit to reducing emissions by this amount, by 2050, and should set out a road map for how it intends to do so, stating what proportion would be achieved through technological and managerial improvements; and what from changes in the balance of what people eat. This recommendation and WWF-UK’s desire to understand what approaches are needed to reduce GHG emissions from food by 70% provided the impetus for WWF-UK and the FCRN to join forces in commissioning this new report. " } [16]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(64) "Lacklustre Government river plans let big polluters off the hook" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3611" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(5346) "Plans published today for the future of rivers in England and Wales will let the big polluters off the hook, say campaigners.Today sees the publication of the Environment Agency’s ten River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). These set out how the river network in each region will be cared for over the next five years to meet targets for wildlife set by the European Water Framework Directive. But the Our Rivers campaign – a coalition formed by the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts – have criticised the plans saying they lack ambition and fail to lay the cost of cleaning up our rivers on those most responsible. Although two of the main causes of environmental problems on rivers in England and Wales are agricultural pollution and badly planned urban development, the farming industry and local planning authorities are bearing a tiny fraction of the costs of repairing the damage. 85 per cent of the costs are to be paid for by water companies – a cost that will eventually be passed on to the consumer. Because the plans fail to tackle major polluters, the rivers that people and wildlife rely on will take decades to improve. The Our Rivers campaign is calling for better targeting of farm subsidies to tackle diffuse pollution, measures to treat run off from roads and car parks and, where incentives fail to improve our rivers quickly enough, a clear commitment from government to use tougher regulation to force action. Rob Cunningham, head of Water Policy at the RSPB, said: “Three quarters of our rivers are failing European targets that are meant to ensure our rivers, lakes and coasts are thriving with wildlife. These plans will only bring an extra five per cent up to standard. They are facing threats like polluted run off, over abstraction and invasive species which are putting native river wildlife under increasing pressure. “It’s great that the Environment Agency has made a commitment to carry out over 8,500 investigations to try and fill the gaps in the plans, but after ten years of working on this directive the scale of improvement they are committing to by 2015 is very disappointing.” Rose Timlett, WWF-UK freshwater policy officer, said: "The plans clearly show governmental failure to protect and restore the majority of English and Welsh rivers, much loved by millions of people across the country. "This is not only bad news for our rivers, lakes and wetlands but also the unique diversity of wildlife that depend on them. WWF has been working on the Water Framework Directive for a decade and to us it is clear that government has missed a unique opportunity to implement the most significant piece of environmental legislation ever to come from Europe." -Ends- Notes to editors: The Defra press release on the publication of the River Basin Management Plans can be found here - http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409833&SubjectId=2 A recent Environment Agency assessment listed 26 per cent of rivers in England and Wales as ‘Good’ status. This means 74% of rivers are failing – including 117 rivers (2%) which are classified as ‘Bad’ making them among the worst in Europe. The EU Water Framework Directive requires the UK to bring all of its rivers up to ‘Good’ status or above by 2015. Current draft plans mean the UK will fail to reach this target. Since the Our Rivers campaign launched at the end of April, 217 regional river action groups and more than a thousand individuals have adopted local rivers and have been providing information during the consultation phase on the pressures they face. The campaign has also been backed by eight Parliamentarians who are concerned about the state of the water courses in their constituencies. For more information visit the campaign website - www.ourrivers.org.uk Feedback from supporters of the Our Rivers campaign during its first six months indicate that the three biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales are chemical and sediment pollution from agriculture, over abstraction by water companies, and run-off water from urban areas. Our Rivers is supported as part of the HSBC Climate Partnership (HCP). The HCP is a US$100 million, five-year partnership funded by HSBC, working with the Climate Group, the Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. Launched in May 2007, the HCP will: Help to protect four of the world’s major rivers – the Amazon, Ganges, Thames, and Yangtze – from the impacts of climate change, benefitting the 450 million people who rely on them. Make some of the world’s great cities – Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai – cleaner and greener, which the partners will promote as models for the world; Create ‘climate champions’ worldwide who will undertake field research and bring back valuable knowledge and experience to their communities; Conduct the largest ever field experiment on the world’s forests to measure carbon and the effects of climate change. For more information, please visit www.hsbc.com/committochange " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-22" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(5346) "Plans published today for the future of rivers in England and Wales will let the big polluters off the hook, say campaigners.Today sees the publication of the Environment Agency’s ten River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). These set out how the river network in each region will be cared for over the next five years to meet targets for wildlife set by the European Water Framework Directive. But the Our Rivers campaign – a coalition formed by the RSPB, WWF-UK, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts – have criticised the plans saying they lack ambition and fail to lay the cost of cleaning up our rivers on those most responsible. Although two of the main causes of environmental problems on rivers in England and Wales are agricultural pollution and badly planned urban development, the farming industry and local planning authorities are bearing a tiny fraction of the costs of repairing the damage. 85 per cent of the costs are to be paid for by water companies – a cost that will eventually be passed on to the consumer. Because the plans fail to tackle major polluters, the rivers that people and wildlife rely on will take decades to improve. The Our Rivers campaign is calling for better targeting of farm subsidies to tackle diffuse pollution, measures to treat run off from roads and car parks and, where incentives fail to improve our rivers quickly enough, a clear commitment from government to use tougher regulation to force action. Rob Cunningham, head of Water Policy at the RSPB, said: “Three quarters of our rivers are failing European targets that are meant to ensure our rivers, lakes and coasts are thriving with wildlife. These plans will only bring an extra five per cent up to standard. They are facing threats like polluted run off, over abstraction and invasive species which are putting native river wildlife under increasing pressure. “It’s great that the Environment Agency has made a commitment to carry out over 8,500 investigations to try and fill the gaps in the plans, but after ten years of working on this directive the scale of improvement they are committing to by 2015 is very disappointing.” Rose Timlett, WWF-UK freshwater policy officer, said: "The plans clearly show governmental failure to protect and restore the majority of English and Welsh rivers, much loved by millions of people across the country. "This is not only bad news for our rivers, lakes and wetlands but also the unique diversity of wildlife that depend on them. WWF has been working on the Water Framework Directive for a decade and to us it is clear that government has missed a unique opportunity to implement the most significant piece of environmental legislation ever to come from Europe." -Ends- Notes to editors: The Defra press release on the publication of the River Basin Management Plans can be found here - http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409833&SubjectId=2 A recent Environment Agency assessment listed 26 per cent of rivers in England and Wales as ‘Good’ status. This means 74% of rivers are failing – including 117 rivers (2%) which are classified as ‘Bad’ making them among the worst in Europe. The EU Water Framework Directive requires the UK to bring all of its rivers up to ‘Good’ status or above by 2015. Current draft plans mean the UK will fail to reach this target. Since the Our Rivers campaign launched at the end of April, 217 regional river action groups and more than a thousand individuals have adopted local rivers and have been providing information during the consultation phase on the pressures they face. The campaign has also been backed by eight Parliamentarians who are concerned about the state of the water courses in their constituencies. For more information visit the campaign website - www.ourrivers.org.uk Feedback from supporters of the Our Rivers campaign during its first six months indicate that the three biggest threats to rivers in England and Wales are chemical and sediment pollution from agriculture, over abstraction by water companies, and run-off water from urban areas. Our Rivers is supported as part of the HSBC Climate Partnership (HCP). The HCP is a US$100 million, five-year partnership funded by HSBC, working with the Climate Group, the Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF. Launched in May 2007, the HCP will: Help to protect four of the world’s major rivers – the Amazon, Ganges, Thames, and Yangtze – from the impacts of climate change, benefitting the 450 million people who rely on them. Make some of the world’s great cities – Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai – cleaner and greener, which the partners will promote as models for the world; Create ‘climate champions’ worldwide who will undertake field research and bring back valuable knowledge and experience to their communities; Conduct the largest ever field experiment on the world’s forests to measure carbon and the effects of climate change. For more information, please visit www.hsbc.com/committochange " } [17]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(57) "Ski area plans threaten Europe’s last untouched forests" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3591" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(10046) "Plans for new skiing areas in the region around the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans threaten to harm major protected areas that house some of Europe’s last remaining untouched wilderness. New developments and expansion plans for existing facilities for downhill skiing are in the works across many parts of the region, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine. In theory, potential conflicts between nature conservation and development – including for ski tourism – should be mediated by procedures such as Environmental Impact Assessments and the European Union’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, which provide a system for evaluating potential impacts on nature and identifying solutions and measures to mitigate negative impacts. In practice, however, these safeguards are of limited effect, and in the face of intense pressure from economic and political forces, nature conservation is often given short shrift. The Carpathian Mountains are Europe’s last great wilderness area – a bastion for large carnivores, with some two-thirds of the continent’s populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx. They are also home to the greatest remaining reserves of old growth forests outside of Russia. Meanwhile, the Balkan Mountains and the Rila-Rodope Mountain Range in Bulgaria contain outstanding natural features that are of global importance, including the Rila and Pirin National Parks, which have been recognised, respectively, as a certified PAN Parks wilderness area and a UNESCO World Heritage Park. “It is striking how little climate change and sustainability appear to be entering calculations for many of the new ski area,” said Andreas Beckman, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Already, rising temperatures and decreased precipitation and snow cover is causing problems for many facilities, with some poor recent ski seasons.” A glance at the Alps should raise questions about the wisdom of pouring investments into ski areas in the Carpathians. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as many as two-thirds of Alpine ski areas could go out of business according to current projections for climate change, while Alpine areas lower than 1,500 m are facing a very uncertain future. In fact, a 2004 report concludes that alpine ski regions in Slovakia at 1,150-1,500 meters above sea level may be uneconomic by 2030. Ski resorts being developed across the Carpathians and Bulgarian mountain ranges are already including adaptation measures to climate change in the form of snow cannons. But ironically, through their huge consumption of energy snow cannons only contribute to accelerating the rise in temperatures. The estimated 3,100 snow cannons in Europe consume per year and hectare roughly 1 million litres of water and 260,000 kWh of electricity – i.e. roughly as much energy per year as a city of 150,000 inhabitants and as much water as a city the size of Hamburg. Construction of ski facilities of course can have very significant impact on habitats and species, not only due to removal of forest cover and other vegetation to make way for ski runs, access roads and infrastructure, but also due to fragmentation of habitats and wildlife avoidance. Secondary effects such as the abstraction of water for artificial snow production and deterioration of environmental conditions due to heavy tourist flow concentration can also have heavy impacts for biodiversity and nature values. “EU support must not be given for any problematic developments, including those that clearly contravene EU and national legislation as well as projects that are likely to be unviable over the medium-term, e.g. as the result of climate change,” Beckmann said. “In addition relevant authorities must be pressured to fully apply EU legislation in their countries, including especially Strategic and Environmental Impacts Assessments as well as the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives, for projects at the planning stage.” “Ski developments must not be permitted in protected areas, especially in national parks and core areas of any other protected area, in High Conservation Value Forests and High Nature Value Farmlands,” said Erika Stanciu, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, Forest and Protected Areas Team Leader. Careful consideration should be given to valuable natural and traditional landscapes. Developments in Natura 2000 sites must respect provisions of EU’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive.” “In the meantime we can all avoid ski areas that do not comply with basic criteria for environmental safeguards and legislation”, she adds. For example, Bansko, in the heart of Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, is a popular ski destination that has become infamous for being the first of a series of illegal ski developments in Bulgarian protected areas. The project received approval from authorities in 2000 and was built in subsequent years. Half of the ski runs in Bansko have no environmental permits, while those ski runs which do have permits have violated each requirement of the Environmental Impact Assessment decision. These violations include for example the width of ski runs - instead of the permitted 30 m they actually are 60 to 100 m wide. The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko. The development has caused significant environmental problems, including landslides in Pirin National Park, but has also had social and economic implications. Bansko was once a popular summer resort, but visitor numbers have dropped in recent years due to higher prices and over-development of the once picturesque town. And as if this is not enough, earlier this year the Consultative Council of Pirin National Park submitted to the Ministry of the Environment a proposal to alter the park management plan in order to permit the construction of two huge new ski zones inside the park. The epidemic nature of the problem is also in Slovakia where authorities have essentially opened the Tatras National Park to development – a marked change as the area has been relatively strictly protected for the past thirty years. As a result, the country’s flagship protected area is facing intense pressure. Five ski areas are being developed around the park, including development of ski runs and expansion of tourist facilities, with little if any state control or proper assessments. As a result, the area could lose its international recognition as a national park by IUCN, the world conservation union. The European Commission has also begun investigating impacts of the developments on Natura 2000 protected areas. Despite international recommendations and pressure, Slovak authorities have yet to adopt clear zoning and management plans for communities in the area. Zoning and planning could guide development and management of the area, ensuring opportunities for development while maintaining the natural values that are the area’s chief attraction. The lack of any planning or guidelines, together with the hands-off attitude of relevant authorities, has essentially given developers free rein to develop the area. In Ukraine, one of the 20 largest ski areas in the world has been stamped out of the ground in the Ukrainian Carpathians, not far from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Development of the Bukovel area is continuing, with total investment in the area reportedly planned eventually to reach €3 billion. A total of 66 lifts, 400 km of ski runs, and 100,000 beds, an airport and 15 million annual visitors are planned overall. The development counts on significant artificial snow production, including 500 snow production sites, 300 snow lances, 40 mobile propeller snow cannon and a 100,000 m3 artificial lake to provide water for snow production. The Ukrainian government weighed in behind the project as a site to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, although in the end it did not make the bid. Unfortunately, many of the existing and planned ski developments in Romania are also in areas of high natural value, including within existing protected areas and often in areas included in the Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites. Many of these areas are of outstanding natural value, not only of national, but also EU and even global importance. Some 40 percent of the 45 areas with proposed ski facilities that have been identified in a Romanian country study are inside or next to proposed Natura 2000 sites and 17.8 percent will be located in the strictly protected areas from nature and national parks.The most striking examples are the planned ski resorts Pestera Padina, in the Bucegi Nature Park and Padis – 12 km of ski pistes in the strictly protected area of Apuseni Nature Park. The parks are not only flagship parks for Romania and indeed Europe, but also contain key Natura 2000 areas. These projects enjoy very considerable public sector support, both in terms of legislation and approvals as well as direct support for investment. Development of ski tourism is given priority in many planning documents for regional and local development. Many of the projects in EU countries, e.g. Slovakia and Romania, expect to receive very significant support from the EU, especially through co-financing from regional development funds. The €772 million in EU Structural Funds that Slovakia will receive in the period 2007-13 for supporting “Competitiveness and Economic Growth” will include substantial investment in constructing, modernizing and extending ski centres. But for many of the projects, the long-term profitability and public interest is questionable. " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(10046) "Plans for new skiing areas in the region around the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans threaten to harm major protected areas that house some of Europe’s last remaining untouched wilderness. New developments and expansion plans for existing facilities for downhill skiing are in the works across many parts of the region, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine. In theory, potential conflicts between nature conservation and development – including for ski tourism – should be mediated by procedures such as Environmental Impact Assessments and the European Union’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, which provide a system for evaluating potential impacts on nature and identifying solutions and measures to mitigate negative impacts. In practice, however, these safeguards are of limited effect, and in the face of intense pressure from economic and political forces, nature conservation is often given short shrift. The Carpathian Mountains are Europe’s last great wilderness area – a bastion for large carnivores, with some two-thirds of the continent’s populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx. They are also home to the greatest remaining reserves of old growth forests outside of Russia. Meanwhile, the Balkan Mountains and the Rila-Rodope Mountain Range in Bulgaria contain outstanding natural features that are of global importance, including the Rila and Pirin National Parks, which have been recognised, respectively, as a certified PAN Parks wilderness area and a UNESCO World Heritage Park. “It is striking how little climate change and sustainability appear to be entering calculations for many of the new ski area,” said Andreas Beckman, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Already, rising temperatures and decreased precipitation and snow cover is causing problems for many facilities, with some poor recent ski seasons.” A glance at the Alps should raise questions about the wisdom of pouring investments into ski areas in the Carpathians. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as many as two-thirds of Alpine ski areas could go out of business according to current projections for climate change, while Alpine areas lower than 1,500 m are facing a very uncertain future. In fact, a 2004 report concludes that alpine ski regions in Slovakia at 1,150-1,500 meters above sea level may be uneconomic by 2030. Ski resorts being developed across the Carpathians and Bulgarian mountain ranges are already including adaptation measures to climate change in the form of snow cannons. But ironically, through their huge consumption of energy snow cannons only contribute to accelerating the rise in temperatures. The estimated 3,100 snow cannons in Europe consume per year and hectare roughly 1 million litres of water and 260,000 kWh of electricity – i.e. roughly as much energy per year as a city of 150,000 inhabitants and as much water as a city the size of Hamburg. Construction of ski facilities of course can have very significant impact on habitats and species, not only due to removal of forest cover and other vegetation to make way for ski runs, access roads and infrastructure, but also due to fragmentation of habitats and wildlife avoidance. Secondary effects such as the abstraction of water for artificial snow production and deterioration of environmental conditions due to heavy tourist flow concentration can also have heavy impacts for biodiversity and nature values. “EU support must not be given for any problematic developments, including those that clearly contravene EU and national legislation as well as projects that are likely to be unviable over the medium-term, e.g. as the result of climate change,” Beckmann said. “In addition relevant authorities must be pressured to fully apply EU legislation in their countries, including especially Strategic and Environmental Impacts Assessments as well as the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives, for projects at the planning stage.” “Ski developments must not be permitted in protected areas, especially in national parks and core areas of any other protected area, in High Conservation Value Forests and High Nature Value Farmlands,” said Erika Stanciu, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, Forest and Protected Areas Team Leader. Careful consideration should be given to valuable natural and traditional landscapes. Developments in Natura 2000 sites must respect provisions of EU’s Article 6 of the Habitats Directive.” “In the meantime we can all avoid ski areas that do not comply with basic criteria for environmental safeguards and legislation”, she adds. For example, Bansko, in the heart of Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, is a popular ski destination that has become infamous for being the first of a series of illegal ski developments in Bulgarian protected areas. The project received approval from authorities in 2000 and was built in subsequent years. Half of the ski runs in Bansko have no environmental permits, while those ski runs which do have permits have violated each requirement of the Environmental Impact Assessment decision. These violations include for example the width of ski runs - instead of the permitted 30 m they actually are 60 to 100 m wide. The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko. The development has caused significant environmental problems, including landslides in Pirin National Park, but has also had social and economic implications. Bansko was once a popular summer resort, but visitor numbers have dropped in recent years due to higher prices and over-development of the once picturesque town. And as if this is not enough, earlier this year the Consultative Council of Pirin National Park submitted to the Ministry of the Environment a proposal to alter the park management plan in order to permit the construction of two huge new ski zones inside the park. The epidemic nature of the problem is also in Slovakia where authorities have essentially opened the Tatras National Park to development – a marked change as the area has been relatively strictly protected for the past thirty years. As a result, the country’s flagship protected area is facing intense pressure. Five ski areas are being developed around the park, including development of ski runs and expansion of tourist facilities, with little if any state control or proper assessments. As a result, the area could lose its international recognition as a national park by IUCN, the world conservation union. The European Commission has also begun investigating impacts of the developments on Natura 2000 protected areas. Despite international recommendations and pressure, Slovak authorities have yet to adopt clear zoning and management plans for communities in the area. Zoning and planning could guide development and management of the area, ensuring opportunities for development while maintaining the natural values that are the area’s chief attraction. The lack of any planning or guidelines, together with the hands-off attitude of relevant authorities, has essentially given developers free rein to develop the area. In Ukraine, one of the 20 largest ski areas in the world has been stamped out of the ground in the Ukrainian Carpathians, not far from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Development of the Bukovel area is continuing, with total investment in the area reportedly planned eventually to reach €3 billion. A total of 66 lifts, 400 km of ski runs, and 100,000 beds, an airport and 15 million annual visitors are planned overall. The development counts on significant artificial snow production, including 500 snow production sites, 300 snow lances, 40 mobile propeller snow cannon and a 100,000 m3 artificial lake to provide water for snow production. The Ukrainian government weighed in behind the project as a site to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, although in the end it did not make the bid. Unfortunately, many of the existing and planned ski developments in Romania are also in areas of high natural value, including within existing protected areas and often in areas included in the Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites. Many of these areas are of outstanding natural value, not only of national, but also EU and even global importance. Some 40 percent of the 45 areas with proposed ski facilities that have been identified in a Romanian country study are inside or next to proposed Natura 2000 sites and 17.8 percent will be located in the strictly protected areas from nature and national parks.The most striking examples are the planned ski resorts Pestera Padina, in the Bucegi Nature Park and Padis – 12 km of ski pistes in the strictly protected area of Apuseni Nature Park. The parks are not only flagship parks for Romania and indeed Europe, but also contain key Natura 2000 areas. These projects enjoy very considerable public sector support, both in terms of legislation and approvals as well as direct support for investment. Development of ski tourism is given priority in many planning documents for regional and local development. Many of the projects in EU countries, e.g. Slovakia and Romania, expect to receive very significant support from the EU, especially through co-financing from regional development funds. The €772 million in EU Structural Funds that Slovakia will receive in the period 2007-13 for supporting “Competitiveness and Economic Growth” will include substantial investment in constructing, modernizing and extending ski centres. But for many of the projects, the long-term profitability and public interest is questionable. " } [18]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(71) "WWF welcomes new financing proposals but long term finance still needed" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3588" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3131) "As talks heat up in Copenhagen, several countries put forward additional fast-start financing proposals to help broker a deal, but the important missing component remains long-term finance. Today, Japanese Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa announced USD15 billion for fast start funding by 2012, under the Hatoyama Initiative. Earlier in the day, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced that they will commit USD3.5 billion of public finance to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD).“We welcome these new commitments as they show a desire to reach a global agreement to address climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Unfortunately, the core ingredient that remains on the shelf is a solid proposal for reliable long-term finance. This is one key element that is needed to break down the wall between developed and developing countries.” Japan’s commitment is for USD 15 billion with stipulations that USD 11 billion of that would be from public financing. This represents a clear increase from previous reports estimating Japan’s financing proposal at USD 9.2 billion. “Japan is clearly trying to move the negotiations forward,” added Carstensen. In addition, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced they will commit USD $3.5 billion of public finance over three years to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in developing countries. "The commitment from these industrialized countries to provide $3.5 billion in fast-start public finance is a welcome start to the much bigger effort to reduce and ultimately stop the loss of forests, and it is good to see a broad coalition of countries getting behind it," said Carstensen. “We still need to see, however, exactly how much of the financing from both of these announcements today is new and additional to other development aid already promised.” This falls short of the need identified by the recent informal working group on REDD, which found that nearly USD $9 billion would be needed over the next 3 years. “We urge more countries to come forward with commitments and fill this funding gap,” added Carstensen. "Although fast-start funding is critical to build up capacity, it must not be seen as any substitute for secure, predictable and additional finance for the medium and long term, which is necessary both for mitigation actions, like deforestation, and for critical efforts to help vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change,” said Carstensen. “The need for this long-term money is not negotiable. The deal and the planet depend on it.” ends For further information please contact Jo Sargent, +44 (0) 7867 697519, jsargent@wwf.org.uk Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK tel: +44 (0) 1483 412397 BB: +44 (0) 7900 670282 dchapman@wwf.org.uk " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3131) "As talks heat up in Copenhagen, several countries put forward additional fast-start financing proposals to help broker a deal, but the important missing component remains long-term finance. Today, Japanese Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa announced USD15 billion for fast start funding by 2012, under the Hatoyama Initiative. Earlier in the day, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced that they will commit USD3.5 billion of public finance to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD).“We welcome these new commitments as they show a desire to reach a global agreement to address climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Unfortunately, the core ingredient that remains on the shelf is a solid proposal for reliable long-term finance. This is one key element that is needed to break down the wall between developed and developing countries.” Japan’s commitment is for USD 15 billion with stipulations that USD 11 billion of that would be from public financing. This represents a clear increase from previous reports estimating Japan’s financing proposal at USD 9.2 billion. “Japan is clearly trying to move the negotiations forward,” added Carstensen. In addition, Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States announced they will commit USD $3.5 billion of public finance over three years to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in developing countries. "The commitment from these industrialized countries to provide $3.5 billion in fast-start public finance is a welcome start to the much bigger effort to reduce and ultimately stop the loss of forests, and it is good to see a broad coalition of countries getting behind it," said Carstensen. “We still need to see, however, exactly how much of the financing from both of these announcements today is new and additional to other development aid already promised.” This falls short of the need identified by the recent informal working group on REDD, which found that nearly USD $9 billion would be needed over the next 3 years. “We urge more countries to come forward with commitments and fill this funding gap,” added Carstensen. "Although fast-start funding is critical to build up capacity, it must not be seen as any substitute for secure, predictable and additional finance for the medium and long term, which is necessary both for mitigation actions, like deforestation, and for critical efforts to help vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous impacts of climate change,” said Carstensen. “The need for this long-term money is not negotiable. The deal and the planet depend on it.” ends For further information please contact Jo Sargent, +44 (0) 7867 697519, jsargent@wwf.org.uk Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK tel: +44 (0) 1483 412397 BB: +44 (0) 7900 670282 dchapman@wwf.org.uk " } [19]=> array(9) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(26) "COPENHAGEN: CURE OR CURSE?" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(59) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=3587" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(3067) "Little of substance has been decided in the texts now being passed to ministers and soon to go before Heads of State in Copenhagen, WWF warned today.All night sessions failed to produce a financial framework for assisting developing nations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. The debate on strengthened emission reduction targets for the historically biggest emitters from industrialized countries has not progressed beyond the utterly insufficient offerings made by the developed world before Copenhagen. “In many ways the final sessions have produced more disagreement rather than less on key issues as national negotiators dig in,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global deal. “As the really hard decisions go forward to higher levels, it becomes more likely we will end up with high words on principal and less likely we will get detailed words that will work in tackling climate change." Carstensen said the competitiveness and intransigence of large powers was largely responsible for the mess the talks had become. “At the higher levels, it is lawyers building loopholes for the sake of large interests rather than nations negotiating the moral and effective ways to enact the measures that science says are necessary,” Carstensen said. "The world is currently on track for runaway climate change, with commitments put forward by parties adding up to levels of global warming that may well reach 4 degrees C above pre-industrial levels – a recipe for disaster." “Large nations can bully and spin their way out of effective climate action, but there will be no way to spin or bully our way out of climate change. The world will look back on this conference from a state of climate chaos or from a state of narrowly averted climate crisis. When we look back, will we be talking of the cure of Copenhagen or the curse of Copenhagen.” “Texts in almost all crucial areas of the negotiations - such as technology cooperation, adaptation and forest protection – has been seriously stripped of anything firm over the last 24 hours”, said Carstensen. “Negotiators from the US have been trying to hold the line on too many things big and small and in the process the big picture has been lost – it is time for the moral leadership of US president Barack Obama to assert itself in line with the hopes and expectations of the world,” Carstensen said. “China also has to take a higher moral ground and face the contradiction between it requiring international scrutiny of the greenhouse gas inventories of other nations while declining it for itself.” “Europe could act boldly in line with the scientific imperatives rather than act incrementally on the basis of what others are doing. We have three days left. Our planet can’t afford delay, so leaders have to take over and rescue the process.” For further information: Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK 44 7867 697 519 " ["dc"]=> array(2) { ["date#"]=> int(1) ["date"]=> string(10) "2009-12-17" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(3067) "Little of substance has been decided in the texts now being passed to ministers and soon to go before Heads of State in Copenhagen, WWF warned today.All night sessions failed to produce a financial framework for assisting developing nations to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. The debate on strengthened emission reduction targets for the historically biggest emitters from industrialized countries has not progressed beyond the utterly insufficient offerings made by the developed world before Copenhagen. “In many ways the final sessions have produced more disagreement rather than less on key issues as national negotiators dig in,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF’s global deal. “As the really hard decisions go forward to higher levels, it becomes more likely we will end up with high words on principal and less likely we will get detailed words that will work in tackling climate change." Carstensen said the competitiveness and intransigence of large powers was largely responsible for the mess the talks had become. “At the higher levels, it is lawyers building loopholes for the sake of large interests rather than nations negotiating the moral and effective ways to enact the measures that science says are necessary,” Carstensen said. "The world is currently on track for runaway climate change, with commitments put forward by parties adding up to levels of global warming that may well reach 4 degrees C above pre-industrial levels – a recipe for disaster." “Large nations can bully and spin their way out of effective climate action, but there will be no way to spin or bully our way out of climate change. The world will look back on this conference from a state of climate chaos or from a state of narrowly averted climate crisis. When we look back, will we be talking of the cure of Copenhagen or the curse of Copenhagen.” “Texts in almost all crucial areas of the negotiations - such as technology cooperation, adaptation and forest protection – has been seriously stripped of anything firm over the last 24 hours”, said Carstensen. “Negotiators from the US have been trying to hold the line on too many things big and small and in the process the big picture has been lost – it is time for the moral leadership of US president Barack Obama to assert itself in line with the hopes and expectations of the world,” Carstensen said. “China also has to take a higher moral ground and face the contradiction between it requiring international scrutiny of the greenhouse gas inventories of other nations while declining it for itself.” “Europe could act boldly in line with the scientific imperatives rather than act incrementally on the basis of what others are doing. We have three days left. Our planet can’t afford delay, so leaders have to take over and rescue the process.” For further information: Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK 44 7867 697 519 " } } ["channel"]=> array(14) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(31) "Press and media centre RSS feed" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["managingeditor#"]=> int(1) ["managingeditor"]=> string(25) "WWF - no_reply@wwf.org.uk" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(21) "http://www.wwf.org.uk" ["tagline#"]=> int(1) ["tagline"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["subtitle#"]=> int(1) ["subtitle"]=> string(81) "News, publications and job feeds from WWF - the global conservation organization " ["logo#"]=> int(1) ["logo"]=> string(44) "http://www.wwf.org.uk/img/rsschannellogo.jpg" } ["textinput"]=> array(0) { } ["image"]=> array(10) { ["title#"]=> int(1) 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The announcement by Sport Environment was made together with WWF and round the world sailor, Conrad Humphreys who is founder of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. The event which is open to everyone to take part, aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. Today’s announcement will mean that WWF will become the Official Charity Partner of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment and will be working with Sport Environment to raise awareness of the threats facing our world’s oceans and the need to protect our seas. Monica Dolan, Sponsored Events Manager at WWF-UK says: “The Blue Mile is a fantastic opportunity to educate and inspire people to value our marine environment. The UK is blessed with 20,000km of coastline, and diverse marine life and habitats ranging from deep sea corals to harbour porpoises. However our seas are facing increasing pressures, and now, with the threat of climate change, it is more important than ever that we protect our marine biodiversity. By completing a Blue Mile, businesses, schools, and individuals can show they care about our oceans and help raise crucial funding to support WWF’s conservation projects.” Conrad Humphreys, founder of the Blue Mile said: “It is often said that sport is intimately connected to nature and for some athletes it is the relationship with the environment that inspires and motivates them. One of the key aims of the Blue Mile is to encourage an active community who can respond and find ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Our relationship with WWF will provide opportunities for everyone to form stronger links with our marine and natural environment. Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. " ["post_excerpt"]=> string(4257) "Sport Environment, the organiser of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment, have today announced an exciting new partnership with the conservation organisation WWF-UK. The announcement by Sport Environment was made together with WWF and round the world sailor, Conrad Humphreys who is founder of the Blue Climate and Oceans Project.The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. The event which is open to everyone to take part, aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. Today’s announcement will mean that WWF will become the Official Charity Partner of The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment and will be working with Sport Environment to raise awareness of the threats facing our world’s oceans and the need to protect our seas. Monica Dolan, Sponsored Events Manager at WWF-UK says: “The Blue Mile is a fantastic opportunity to educate and inspire people to value our marine environment. The UK is blessed with 20,000km of coastline, and diverse marine life and habitats ranging from deep sea corals to harbour porpoises. However our seas are facing increasing pressures, and now, with the threat of climate change, it is more important than ever that we protect our marine biodiversity. By completing a Blue Mile, businesses, schools, and individuals can show they care about our oceans and help raise crucial funding to support WWF’s conservation projects.” Conrad Humphreys, founder of the Blue Mile said: “It is often said that sport is intimately connected to nature and for some athletes it is the relationship with the environment that inspires and motivates them. One of the key aims of the Blue Mile is to encourage an active community who can respond and find ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Our relationship with WWF will provide opportunities for everyone to form stronger links with our marine and natural environment. Ends Editor's notes The Blue Mile - Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our blue environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet. For further information and access to high resolution imagery, please contact: Teresa Page Sport Environment Tel: 01752 600111 teresa.page@sportenvironment.com WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now 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. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources. For further information, please contact: Debbie Chapman Senior Press Officer WWF-UK Tel: 01483 412397 dchapman@wwf.org.uk The Blue Mile – Race for the Environment is supported by Environment Agency, University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Natural England, National Marine Aquarium , Peninsula Medical School, Endurancelife, Reactive Watersports and the Mount Batten Centre. 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