August 2009

Success Story: Environmental Conservation

This summer, WWF launched an initiative with Fundación Carlos Slim, the Mexican federal government and other partners to establish Mexico as a global model for conservation. This program aims to protect Mexico's rich natural heritage and promote sustainable development within six priority regions that collectively represent 30 percent of the country. Our strategy will include efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, develop comprehensive water management policies, strengthen civil society, develop innovative financial mechanisms and invest in local sustainable economies.

On the marine conservation front, we saw great success this May: the presidents and prime ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste adopted one of the most comprehensive and specific plans ever for ocean conservation. The 10-year plan sets time-bound steps to address growing threats to the Coral Triangle's reefs, fisheries, mangroves, threatened species and other marine and coastal areas. The plan's adoption sets an important example before the upcoming international climate negotiations in December, when world leaders will gather to agree on a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

- Carter S. Roberts