WWF-Canada`s Plan For a living Planet 2010-2015
Transcription
WWF-Canada`s Plan For a living Planet 2010-2015
CANADA Canadian leadership, global impact WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 2010-2015 A healthy, diverse, and ultimately sustainable living Earth: this is what WWF-Canada is working to achieve. We are proud of our record of success. We also know that it is time to redouble our efforts. Right now, the world faces some of the greatest challenges in human history, and Canada has an important role to play. As we look to the future, we are turning our attention to three areas where Canadian leadership can have a global impact: climate, water, and people. For decades, we have tackled tough conservation issues in Canada and around the world. We have protected right whales and sea turtles, grizzlies and pandas, caribou and tigers. We have safeguarded important habitats on land, in lakes, and at sea. We have worked with businesses and communities to reduce pollution and advance sustainable economies. This plan describes how we will build on this track record to achieve critical conservation wins. It sets out our commitments, goals, and priority actions for the next five years. The strategies laid out in the document will form the basis for individual annual program plans that keep our work on track and in line with changing circumstances in Canada and around the world. Conservation is a long-term undertaking, and our work would not be possible without the support of our active membership of more than 150,000 Canadians. We will continue to share our plans and ideas with you at wwf.ca. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 1 More than wildlife Over time, our work has expanded from protecting particular wildlife species and habitats to protecting life on Earth – including our own. Today, our work is about: Life, because every project that WWF-Canada undertakes is, at its core, about protecting and restoring ecosystems. We measure our success in the abundance and diversity of wildlife and the healthy functioning of natural places in our world. In turn, healthy ecosystems provide the clean air, clean water, and healthy food webs that are essential to every community and the drivers of every economy. Living, because the choices we make every day decide the future of everyone and everything around us. From what we buy to how we get to work, our actions shape human communities and ecosystems around the world. In all of our work, WWF-Canada looks for ways to live – and make a living – on a healthy living planet. 2 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Who we are: WWF in Canada and around the globe Working in over 100 countries around the world, WWF is one of the world’s most respected, independent conservation organizations. With 5,000 staff and five million supporters, we are collectively working for one thing: A Living Planet. WWF’s global mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’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 • Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption Founded in 1967 by Senator Alan MacNaughton, WWF-Canada is one of the country’s leading conservation organizations, enjoying the active support of more than 150,000 Canadians. We connect the power of a highly respected and effective global network to on-the-ground efforts across Canada, through our operations in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, St. Albert’s, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John’s, and a growing presence in the Arctic. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 3 4 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Guiding principles The unique way in which WWF works in Canada and around the globe drives lasting results. We are: Science-based: we believe good science is the foundation for sound conservation practice and policy. Solutions-oriented: we aim to be at the forefront of thoughtful and pragmatic approaches to tough conservation problems, dare to take risks, try new ideas, and challenge our own and others’ thinking. Focused on lasting results: we design our conservation initiatives to be workable, robust, adaptive, and resilient to changing circumstances. Local to global, and global to local: each project we undertake in Canada draws on – and contributes to – the combined expertise of our international network. Collaborative: we extend our reach and magnify our impact by working with key players in all sectors, including governments, businesses, other NGOs, and academic institutions to solve conservation challenges. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 5 6 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Canadian leadership, global impact Within the WWF network, our role is to drive Canadian leadership on conservation issues for global impact. This means we focus on issues where Canada has a clear leadership role to play to help secure the future of biodiversity and the survival of life on this planet. Our top priorities are Climate, Water and People because: • Climate change creates the world’s biggest conservation challenges, both on land and at sea. Canada has a responsibility – and the opportunity – to help lead the way in mitigation, adaptation, and the creation of a sustainable and prosperous green economy. • Water, the lifeblood of our planet, is the world’s richest source of biodiversity and essential to every human community. Water is also Canada’s biggest global endowment. We have the opportunity now to set new world standards for the care of freshwater and ocean ecosystems. • People, because what we do – as individuals and together – matters to all other species and to the planet. Canada’s diverse citizenship connects us to every corner of the planet. The world matters to Canada and Canada matters to the world. When Canada steps up to take its leadership role, great things can happen. We envision a future in which: • The Arctic is protected and adapting to climate change, supporting communities and Arctic species • Canadians are engaged and taking action for our living planet, in Canada and around the world • Canada’s economy is green, sustainable, and growing • Canada’s fresh water meets the needs of nature and people • Canada’s three oceans are healthy, productive, and sustainable WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 7 8 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Climate The impacts of our changing climate are the single greatest threat to biodiversity, with effects already evident in the Arctic. Climate change is the biggest conservation challenge facing the world today, and Canada emits more carbon dioxide per capita than almost any other country in the world. It is our responsibility to be part of the solution. Now is our chance to put Canadian ingenuity and determination to work: we can develop the innovative solutions we need in order to reduce emissions and adapt to impacts that are already happening. Right now we stand at a crossroads. We can choose to keep doing things the old way, depleting our natural resources for short-term gain, or we can choose to do things better, leading the way to a new green energy economy that will benefit all of us. Every living thing on Earth depends on us to make the right choice. WWF-Canada will help Canada design a better future for our planet by working to decrease our country’s economic reliance on carbon fuels and catalyzing a shift to green energy and greener transport. We certainly have inspiration for action. The world’s first and most tangible impact of climate change is the loss of Arctic sea ice. Northern communities and species are already at risk. Canada’s global leadership role in the Arctic will be our generation’s single most important legacy to the world. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 9 Our goals Arctic Secure an international ice refuge that protects high Arctic habitat for icedependent species and anchors a protected area network that contributes to conserving at least 50 per cent of Arctic ecosystems through innovative governance reforms. We will: • Lead a united conservation effort involving all polar nation members of the WWF network • Secure an international commitment to principles and benchmarks of environmental stewardship in the Arctic • Define and promote Arctic governance reforms needed to enshrine these principles, working with indigenous (Inuit and Dene) people and thought leaders from other communities • Using both western science and traditional knowledge, develop an innovative conservation blueprint to ensure that polar bear, caribou, and narwhal continue to thrive in a resilient Arctic in the face of climate change • Engage leaders from the shipping, fishing, and oil and gas industries to establish and promote responsible practices 10 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Climate Design and demonstrate a Canadian Energy Strategy that includes a long-term plan to meet our energy needs with renewable energy, in order to keep global warming below the danger threshold of a 2°C average rise in temperature. We will: • Develop and advance tools to shift investment to renewable energy • Work with partners to advocate for and demonstrate credible measures to support the more efficient use of energy and the deployment of lowimpact, renewable energy sources • Mobilize partners in support of transportation solutions that promote efficiency and the switch to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy sources • Define key elements of a truly green economy and generate support for these among Canadians A tipping point In order to avert dangerous climate change, we must keep the global average temperature from rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) above what it was in the late 1700s, before the industrial age. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 11 Oceans and carbon Oceans play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide. As the levels of this greenhouse gas increase in the atmosphere, we’re also finding more in the oceans. This is alarming because carbon dioxide changes ocean chemistry, making sea water more acidic. “Acidification,” as scientists call it, threatens many forms of life, particularly creatures like corals, sea urchins, and shellfish whose shells dissolve in an acidic environment. Juvenile fish of many commercial species are also at risk. Scientists and fishermen are already seeing the effects of increasing acidity. Left unchecked, ocean acidification threatens food webs and ecosystems around the world. 12 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Water With three oceans and abundant fresh water, Canada’s water is the lifeblood of our nation and our biggest global endowment. Water. In Canada, it seems to be everywhere. Twenty per cent of the world’s fresh water flows within our borders. We rank among the world’s top nations in terms of renewable water supply. We have three oceans and more coastline than any other country in the world. These are unique global endowments. Such treasures make Canada enviable in an increasingly thirsty and warming world. With this abundance comes responsibility, to Canadians and to the world. Freshwater and ocean ecosystems are the foundation of all life on Earth. This foundation is under increasing stress around the globe. From fishing to agriculture, from industry to homes, from power to transport, water is in increasing demand, and our uses increasingly conflict with nature’s own needs. Canada has an important role to play in developing new global standards and practices for the sustainable management of freshwater and ocean ecosystems that meet the needs of people and nature. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 13 Our goals Fresh water Protect and restore natural flow and water quality to secure healthy waters in ten important and iconic Canadian rivers, using our accomplishments to catalyze lasting change in water policy globally. We will: • Work with Canadian sectors and organizations with the largest water footprint to reduce their impact on priority rivers in Canada and internationally • Develop and demonstrate leadership in freshwater conservation science and practice • Engage in water governance discussions to influence leading-edge water policy planning and management decisions • Encourage public debate and thought leadership to raise awareness of freshwater issues and support for healthy waters 14 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Oceans Catalyze a transition to sustainable seafood, smart oceans management, and sustainable ocean economies to ensure that all three of Canada’s oceans remain ecologically rich and economically prosperous. We will: • Promote sustainable seafood by working with leading retailers and seafood companies to strengthen procurement practices and sourcing policies; advance global efforts to improve fisheries practices; and use these efforts to drive reform of oceans management in Canadian and global waters • Promote smart oceans management by establishing sound, resilient networks of protected ocean areas; implementing a “whole ocean” approach that includes marine spatial planning and rigorous ecosystembased management; restoring degraded ecosystems; and protecting species at risk, including whales and sharks • Build the business case for Canada’s ocean economy that will attract conservation investments for a sustainable future WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 15 16 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet People We can choose a living planet. Today, our species walks heavily upon the Earth. Our choices shape the fate of all other species with whom we share the planet. Right now, Canadians have one of the largest ecological footprints per capita of any nation in the world. It’s up to us to design a better future for all living things. Across the country, Canadians are showing that they are ready to take up this challenge. Canadians of all ages are making the choices that drive large-scale change – one action at a time. Change is the result of our daily choices. We shape the marketplace. We elect and become leaders. We run, work for, and influence businesses. We impart values and practices to our children. Each of us has it in our power to act within our scope of influence to contribute to conservation solutions. For WWF-Canada this includes a special focus on connecting children, our leaders of tomorrow and future generations, to nature. WWF-Canada is committed to galvanizing the power of individuals and business by mobilizing Canadian’s collective desire for change and offering solutions and actions that we all can take – in our jobs, in our homes, and in our lives. In this way we will ensure a living planet, for people and nature. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 17 18 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Our goals Mobilize Mobilize one million Canadian individuals and influential businesses to take action by reducing their footprint, making greener consumer and business choices, speaking out for the environment, or providing financial support for our work. We will: • Help Canadians, especially young Canadians, take meaningful actions for the environment • Support local organizations that help children connect to nature • Provide Canadians with reliable information on conservation issues • Tell compelling and relevant stories, both local and global, to engage Canada’s diverse population and broaden our base of support and influence • Work with leading companies to secure conservation commitments that raise the bar on best practices and, in doing so, shift markets and supply chains • Develop our capacity to work – and celebrate success – in more of Canada’s many languages - building bilingual capacity in key campaigns and staff WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 19 Organizational Everyone at WWF-Canada is committed to a living planet for people and nature, to providing value to our generous donors, and to doing what we say we will. We have a great team, and we intend to keep it that way. Conservation is a long-term commitment, and we are working in a very fast-paced, high-demand world. To attract and retain the best possible talent, we will provide our staff and volunteers the best possible tools, training, encouragement, and work environment. As for inspiration: that comes from the planet. 20 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Our goals Talent Attract and retain staff and key contributors aligned with our guiding principles and goals. Learning Encourage a culture of learning and development. Technology Support all staff with effective technology and information systems. We will: • Continue to build a talented team whose interests and skills match WWF-Canada priorities and guiding principles • Develop our network of skilled contributors from outside the organization – including governments, academic institutions, and business – to make sure we have access to the right talent at the right time • Develop and implement strategies and policies to support a dynamic and effective organization • Promote growth through career-building philosophy and a successionplanning framework for pivotal and senior positions • Design systems to support collaboration among our staff and colleagues, from local to global scales WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 21 WWF-Canada and WWF-International Like many Canadians, WWF-Canada is part of a family that reaches around the world. Being part of the strong, well-known, respected, and effective international WWF Network helps WWF-Canada achieve our goals. In the same way, our effective, respected, and national presence here in Canada helps strengthen WWF’s work around the world. Working together, we tackle the world’s toughest conservation challenges and look for solutions that extend from local to global and back again. Nowhere is that more relevant than here in Canada, home to some of the greatest natural endowments as well as one of the most diverse and globally connected citizenry on Earth. Our work to protect polar bears in Canada can help guide tiger protection in India. What we learn about water flows in the Mackenzie River Basin we can apply in the Ganges. Models of integrated ecosystem management in Gwaii Haanas and the boreal forest will have lessons for the Galapagos, the Amazon, and the Green Heart of Africa. Everywhere we go, we link our direct experience on the ground with the most advanced conservation science in the world. As we pursue Canadian leadership and global impact, we also will strengthen our relationships with diverse communities from coast to coast. We will build on the diversity of the knowledge, experience, and commitment of Canadian families to sustain our work here and abroad. 22 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Network initiatives Integrated with our work here in Canada, WWF-Canada provides Canadian leadership for global impact on several network-wide initiatives. We will: • Lead WWF’s global Arctic efforts through the Arctic Initiative • Help direct the global Smart Fishing Initiative • Provide financial support for projects like the Tiger Initiative • Contribute to the Market Transformation Initiative through our work with business • Collaborate with our colleagues on global solutions to climate change WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 23 Traffic program TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint program of WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). TRAFFIC‘s goal is to ensure that buying and selling wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Established in 1976, TRAFFIC has developed into a global network. TRAFFIC is research-driven and action-oriented, committed to delivering practical conservation solutions based on the latest research and information. From elephants to tigers, from corals to the Kaiser’s spotted newt, TRAFFIC is working around the globe on critical issues of wildlife trade. 24 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Life and living For 50 years, WWF has been working to build a future where humans live in harmony with nature. This is our mission – a mission driven by our concern for all living things, including plants, animals, and people. We are troubled by the fact that many of the Earth’s flora and fauna are disappearing fast, mostly as a result of human activity. Unless we reverse this trend, our children and grandchildren will inherit a planet diminished by this loss. We are very worried about what this loss tells us about the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on. These ecosystems provide us with food, water, and air, as well as the natural resources that support our economy. Their future is our future. For this reason, while we work on complex policy issues such as energy strategies, water flow regimes, and ecosystem management, our attention is always on the plants and animals with which we share our planet. So when we say “oceans,” we mean sharks, whales, coral, kelp, and cod. When we say “fresh water,” we mean trout, cattails, songbirds, cedar, and frogs. When we say “Arctic,” we mean polar bears, willows, narwhals, Arctic foxes and walruses. When we say “climate,” we mean all of that, and more. We mean all of us. At WWF we believe deeply in the power of human ingenuity, and the scale of achievement that is possible when we turn our collective will to a task. The future is ours to create. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 25 26 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Making it possible We achieve conservation wins only because of the support of the donors and partners who make our work possible. Sometimes success comes only as the result of a sustained effort over many years. We are fortunate to have patient and steadfast supporters who share our commitment to tackling these complex and important issues. For these reasons and more, we are very grateful for the generosity and vision of Canadian individuals, families, businesses, and governments who see the value of investing in our common future. When we say Canadian leaders, we mean you. Our five-year plan is a direct invitation to all Canadians to get involved. What we do – as individuals and together – matters. Join the discussion. Take action. Support our efforts. WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 27 “Nowhere in the world are so many natural treasures governed by so few people. Canadians have a special responsibility to steward them well.” Gerald Butts | President & CEO, WWF-Canada 28 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet Captions and Credits Front & back cover: Footprints and turtle hatchlings, Sri Lanka © National Geographic Stock/Jason Edwards/ WWF-Canada; Inside front cover & page 1: Old growth temperate rain forest, Clayoquot Sound, BC, Canada © Garth Lenz/WWF-Canada; Page 2: Spring ice on Great Slave Lake, NT, Canada © Tessa Macintosh/WWFCanada; Page 3: Loon, Algonquin Provincial Park, ON, Canada © Frank Parhizgar/WWF-Canada; Page 4: Hawksbill turtle, Red Sea, Egypt © Nils Aukan/WWF-Canon; Page 6: Celebrating Earth Hour 2010, Canada © Jeremiah Armstrong/WWF-Canada; Page 8: Melting ice, Khumbu Glacier, Nepal © Steve Morgan/ WWF-Canon; Page 10: left Peary caribou, Canada © Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock/WWF-Canada, right Climate Witness program interview, NU, Canada © WWF-Canada; Page 11: left Wind energy in AB, Canada © Garry Broeckling/WWF-Canada, right Girl using solar energy, USA © National Geographic Stock/John Burcham/WWF; Page 12: Male American or Northern lobster in Atlantic waters, NS, Canada © Gilbert Van Ryckevorsel/WWFCanada; Page 14: left Child drinking from water fountain © Brian Scantlebury/iStockphoto, right Shangri La Falls, ON, Canada © Greg Stott/WWF-Canada; Page 15: Atlantic cod, NL, Canada © Gilbert Van Ryckevorsel/WWFCanada; Page 16: Celebrating Earth Hour 2010, Canada © Jeremiah Armstrong/WWF-Canada; Page 18: Climate Business Action Day, Copenhagen © Richard Stonehouse/WWF-Canon; Page 19: left Pedestrian and cycling signs, BC, Canada © iStockphoto.com/WWF-Canada, right Lobster fishermen, NS, Canada © Damian Lidgard/ WWF-Canada; Page 20: top United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen © Richard Stonehouse/ WWF-Canon, bottom Whale watching, NS, Canada © Damian Lidgard/WWF-Canada; Page 21: left Great white pelican, Kenya © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon, right Mountain climbers © iStockphoto; Page 22: left Kermode bear, Great Bear Rainforest, BC, Canada © Tim Stewart/WWF-Canada, right WWF flag in Barcelona © Miguel Murcia Navarro/WWF-Spain; Page 23: top Amur or Siberian tiger © Vladimir Filonov/WWF-Canon, bottom Children playing during the events for the release of the Black-footed ferret at Grasslands National Park, SK, Canada © Troy Fleece/WWF; Page 24: Chironepthya, Fiji © Cat Holloway/WWF-Canon; Page 25: left Indian tiger, two month old cub © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon, middle Bowhead whale, NU, Canada © Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock/WWF-Canada, right Southern white rhinoceros © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon; Page 26: Polar bear trying to cross an ice floe, Spitsbergen, Norway © Steve Morello/WWF-Canon; Page 28: Lake Superior National Marine Protected Area, ON, Canada © GaryAndJoanieMcGuffin.com/WWF-Canada. Published (July 2010) by WWF-Canada, Toronto, Canada. © 1986 Panda symbol WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly known as World Wildlife Fund) ® “WWF” and “living planet” are WWF Registered Trademarks. WWF is the planet’s leading conservation organization registered in Canada as a charity (no. 11930 4954 RR0001). Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copyright owner. © text (2010) WWF-Canada. • Plan for a Living Planet 2010-2015 can WWF.ca WWF-Canada 410-245 Eglinton Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M4P 3J1 416.489.8800 1.800.267.2632 wwf.ca