Publications
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The Playbook for Nature-Positive Infrastructure Development is a strategic guide jointly developed by WWF, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), and AECOM, a leading global consulting engineering firm. It addresses the critical role of infrastructure in sustainable growth and poverty reduction while highlighting the potential environmental harm caused by poorly planned projects. With the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework emphasizing the importance of conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, integrating nature-based solutions into infrastructure design becomes imperative. This playbook equips engineers and conservationists with essential tools and practical examples to seamlessly incorporate environmental considerations and sustainability principles into their projects, aligning with the global mission to protect and restore natural ecosystems.
Please see here for the added section on procurement . This chapter aims to help users understand the impact of their supply chain and start to establish clear goals and objectives for active engagement with their key suppliers and service providers.
In June 2024, the playbook won an Environment Analyst‚'s Sustainability Delivery Award in the Nature Positive category.
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WWF is dedicated to supporting small-scale fisheries and implementing cold-chain solutions to enhance resilience and protect livelihoods. WWF executed a cross-functional exploration of cold-chain interventions within the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) region. Organized by WWF‚'s Climate, Oceans, and Food practices, this study focused on an integrated approach to fisheries management in the Southwest Indian Ocean region highlighted challenges like overexploitation and food loss due to inadequate cold-chain infrastructure.
Read a summary of this report.
Contact: Pete Pearson, Senior Director, Food Waste
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Despite what we‚'ve been told, plastic is not cheap. Its production and disposal‚ – and the pollution it causes come with high social, environmental, and economic costs, borne primarily by communities and governments.
Moreover, there are disparities in the distribution of these costs within and between countries. A WWF-commissioned report developed by Dalberg reveals for the first time the scale of these disparities. It estimates that the true full lifetime cost of plastic is eight times higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. For low-income countries in particular, the full lifetime cost of plastic rises to 10 times that of high-income countries.
In the absence of global regulation and standards, communities across low- and middle-income countries are being exposed to the most harmful effects of plastic production and pollution, including air pollution, increased risk of flooding, the spread of infectious diseases, threats to livelihoods, and unsafe working conditions.
These exposures and risks at a local and global level reflect important structural inequities across the entire plastic value chain. Despite national and voluntary efforts, plastic pollution has only got worse and it‚'s set to triple by 2040 unless urgent action is taken. A comprehensive approach featuring jointly developed global rules, accompanied by effective means of implementation, would empower low- and middle-income countries with more control over the plastics in their markets, increase the value of end-of-use plastics, and remove the most harmful and problematic plastics that are most costly to manage and which damage human health and pollute the environment. The negotiations of a global treaty to end plastic pollution which commenced in March 2022 present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the plastic pollution crisis once and for all.
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World Wildlife Fund and the Boston Consulting Group have completed an analysis to improve our understanding of the risks and impacts associated with the rapid transition to renewable energy and propose a framework for policymakers to achieve an energy transition that avoids and minimizes impacts on communities and nature and facilitates a nature-positive future. This report sheds light on the impacts on nature if we do not take action on the climate crisis versus rapidly scaling up renewable infrastructure in order to have a more sustainable, livable climate future. The results of the analysis emphasize that a rapid transition is dramatically better for nature and society in key areas including mining, air quality, water quality, ecosystems and biodiversity, human well-being, and land area footprint. Renewables can and should be scaled up more aggressively but scaled up thoughtfully and responsibly. This includes making sure decision-makers have access to the tools and resources required to make evidence-based decisions to mitigate and/or minimize harm to nature when planning and installing renewable energy infrastructure.
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The lack of effective refrigeration is the leading cause of food loss and waste, which resulted in the loss of 12% of global food production in 2017. Moreover, cold-chain technologies and food loss and waste are responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As part of a systems-based approach to transforming entire fishery supply chains to make them more resilient and sustainable, cold-chains solutions must be delivered alongside strong governance mechanisms to ensure sustainable fisheries practices. The current report presents the findings of research conducted by WWF and Open Capital Advisors for scaling cold-chain solutions across the Southwest Indian Ocean region.
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Sustainable Financing Mechanisms Feasibility Assessment: Expression of Interest
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WWF‚'s 2023 Plowprint Report analyzes the rate of grasslands plow-up across the US, and Canadian portions of the Great Plains.
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The world is off track to protect and restore forests by 2030. Fortunately, there‚'s still time to get back on course and meet global goals. WWF‚'s Forest Pathways report shows how the scale of failed action on the world‚'s forests is leading to an alarming increase in deforestation. It also shows it‚'s possible to halt deforestation, sustainably manage forests, and restore them in ways that benefit humanity and nature.
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The KAZA Elephant Survey 2022 Fact Sheet provides an outline of high-level findings from the survey along with the rationale for the work, including the need for a synchronized and coordinated approach and an outline of the survey techniques employed.
The KAZA Elephant Survey was conducted from August to October 2022 to estimate the number and distribution of Africa‚'s largest savanna elephant population. It was the first time that all five KAZA partner states‚ – Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe‚ – collaboratively undertook a standardized survey of the region‚'s entire elephant population in a single coordinated exercise. The primary objective was to obtain a relatively precise and accurate estimate of the number of live elephants, elephant carcasses, and other large herbivores in the region in order to inform future conservation plans and opportunities to enhance human-wildlife coexistence. The survey was coordinated by the KAZA Secretariat, with support from WWF, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and others, as well as international and US governmental agencies like US Fish and Wildlife Service and USAID.
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The KAZA Elephant Survey was conducted from August to October 2022 to estimate the number and distribution of Africa‚'s largest savanna elephant population. It was the first time that all five KAZA partner states‚ – Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe‚ – collaboratively undertook a standardized survey of the region‚'s entire elephant population in a single coordinated exercise. The primary objective was to obtain a relatively precise and accurate estimate of the number of live elephants, elephant carcasses, and other large herbivores in the region in order to inform future conservation plans and opportunities to enhance human-wildlife coexistence. The survey was coordinated by the KAZA Secretariat, with support from WWF, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and others, as well as international and US governmental agencies like US Fish and Wildlife Service and USAID.
