Dubai, Dec. 8, 2023 – The following statement was released by Monica Medina, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society on reflection of Nature Day which will be recognized on December 9 at the UN Climate Conference, COP28. “The world won’t address the climate crisis without safeguarding and investing in nature—technological solutions simply won’t be enough. Forests, our ocean, wetlands, and mangroves help sequester an immense amount of the carbon tha...

DUBAI, December 8th, 2023 – The formation of a new Jurisdictional REDD+ Technical Assistance Partnership, JTAP, was announced today at COP28. The initial group of partner organizations, Conservation International, Climate Law and Policy, Environmental Defense Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Winrock International’s Ecosystem Services Unit, are actively seeking to engage additional partners including forest country governments and local organizations to further stren...

Dubai, UAE,  Dec. 7, 2023 – The Honduran government has unveiled a transformative initiative this week at COP28 in Dubai to rescue and conserve the country’s largest forest, the Moskitia, which is one of Mesoamerica’s Five Great Forests and Central America’s second largest rainforest. The new initiative aims, in part, to put an end to deforestation and illegal cattle ranching in the Moskitia forest. “Putting a stop to illegal cattle ranching driving deforest...

Washington, DC, Dec. 5, 2023 – The following statement was issued today by the Wildlife Conservation Society on the introduction of the FOREST Act (Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade Act of 2023) in the US Senate and US House of Representatives. Said John Calvelli, WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs: “The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds Senators Brian Schatz and Mike Braun and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Brian Fitzpatr...

Dubai, Dec. 4, 2023 -- Recognizing the importance of ecological integrity to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, including climate regulation, the Government of the Republic of Congo, represented by the Ministry of Forest Economy, and WCS have initiated a new program to attract investment in the conservation of high-integrity tropical forests. This joint commitment to developing pilot investment projects in high-integrity forests is demonstrated by the signing of a Memorandum of...

Dubai, Dec. 3, 2023– The following statement was issued by Sushil Raj of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Myrna Cunningham Kain of the Pawanka Fund, and Roberto Múkaro Agüeibaná Borrero of the Inclusive Conservation Academy: “We come from nature, depend on nature, and return to nature. Nature is central to our collective humanity, various cultures, identity, and future as human beings. Many Indigenous Peoples reflect this clearly through their ways of life, knowledge, and be...

Dubai, Dec. 3, 2023 – The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds Ghana, Costa Rica and LEAF Coalition members for signing landmark agreements for high-integrity jurisdictional REDD+ carbon credits. As the first forest governments to reach Emissions Reductions Purchase Agreements (ERPAs) for the sale of high-integrity jurisdictional REDD+ emissions reductions and removals credits to major corporate buyers in the LEAF Coalition, Ghana and Costa Rica will receive over $60m for national eff...

Dubai, Dec. 2, 2023 – The following statement was issued by WCS President and CEO Monica Medina concerning the US Administration’s announcement today of a new $3 Billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund, the largest fund supporting climate action in developing countries: “Today’s announcement at COP28 by Vice President Kamala Harris that the Biden-Harris Administration will pledge an additional $3 billion in funding to the Green Climate Fund is an important step to hel...

Dubai, Dec. 2, 2023 – The following statement was issued today by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Executive Director of Global Health Dr. Chris Walzer:   “The COP28 UAE Presidency in collaboration with the World Health Organization and other partners is holding the first ever Health Day and climate-health ministerial. The dedicated health day is expected to lift the political profile of the climate-health nexus, and finally, mainstream health in ...

Dubai, Dec. 1, 2023 – High integrity tropical rainforests comprise 40 percent of the world’s remaining tropical forests and are the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. These are the least degraded tropical forests and harbor over half of known plant and animal species. They sustain the livelihoods of millions of Indigenous Peoples and other traditional communities. Tropical rainforests form a critical part of nature’s climate infrastructure, by storing and remov...