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56-507: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species , also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book , founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species . A series of Regional Red Lists , which assess the risk of extinction to species within a political management unit, are also produced by countries and organizations. The goals of

112-492: A Red Data Book for a nonspecialist public came in 1969 with The Red Book: Wildlife in Danger . This book covered varies groups but was predominantly about mammals and birds, with smaller sections on reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and plants. The 2006 Red List, released on 4 May 2006 evaluated 40,168 species as a whole, plus an additional 2,160 subspecies , varieties , aquatic stocks , and subpopulations . On 12 September 2007,

168-681: A bigger say in operations. In 1991, IUCN (together with UNEP and WWF) published Caring for the Earth , a successor to the World Conservation Strategy. Social aspects of conservation were now integrated in IUCN's work; at the General Assembly in 1994 the IUCN mission was redrafted to its current wording to include the equitable and ecologically use of natural resources. Closer to business: 2000 to present day Since

224-630: A multi-year MOU ( Memorandum of understanding ) with WBCSD in December 2015. In 1996, after decades of seeking to address specific business issues, IUCN's Members asked for a comprehensive approach to engaging the business sector. Resolution 1.81 of the IUCN World Conservation Congress held that year "urged IUCN Members and the Director General, based on the need to influence private sector policies in support of

280-653: A new status for NGOs . Resolution 1296, adopted in 1968, granted 'consultative' status to NGOs. IUCN itself was eventually accredited with six UN organizations. IUCN was one of the few environmental organisations formally involved in the preparations of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972). The Stockholm Conference eventually led to three new international conventions, with IUCN involved in their drafting and implementation: IUCN entered into an agreement with

336-416: A phase of closer cooperation with WWF, but the close ties between IUCN and WWF were severed in 1985 when WWF decided to take control of its own field projects, which so far had been run by IUCN. Sustainable development and regionalisation: 1985 to present day In 1982, IUCN set up a Conservation for Development Centre within its secretariat. The Centre undertook projects to ensure that nature conservation

392-485: A range of disciplines. They 'assess the state of the world's natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues'. Russ Mittermeier Russell A. Mittermeier is Chief Conservation Officer of Re:wild (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation). He served as President of Conservation International from 1989 to 2014, then Executive Vice-Chair from 2014 to 2017. He specialises in

448-691: A salary during his period in office. To establish a stable financial basis for its work, IUCN participated in setting up the World Wildlife Fund (1961) (now the World Wide Fund for Nature WWF) to work on fundraising to cover part of the operational costs of IUCN. Also in 1961, the IUCN headquarters moved from Belgium to Morges in Switzerland. During the 1960s, IUCN lobbied the UN General Assembly to create

504-486: Is Mittermeier's saki, Pithecia mittermeieri , a monkey from the Brazilian Amazon. The lizard, Anolis williamsmittermeierorum , is named in honor of Mittermeier and American herpetologist Ernest E. Williams . Mittermeier has also been a leader in promoting species-focused ecotourism, particularly primate-watching and primate life-listing, and more recently turtle-watching and turtle life-listing, following

560-576: Is best known to the wider public for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide. IUCN has a membership of over 1,400 governmental and non-governmental organizations from over 170 countries. Some 16,000 scientists and experts participate in the work of IUCN commissions on a voluntary basis. It employs over 900 full-time staff in more than 50 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland , Switzerland. Every four years, IUCN convenes for

616-602: Is done in a peer reviewed manner through IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Groups (SSC), which are Red List Authorities (RLA) responsible for a species, group of species or specific geographic area, or in the case of BirdLife International, an entire class ( Aves ). The red list unit works with staff from the IUCN Global Species Programme as well as current program partners to recommend new partners or networks to join as new Red List Authorities. The number of species which have been assessed for

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672-543: Is to expand the global network of national parks and other protected areas and promote good management of such areas. In particular, it focuses on greater protection of the oceans and marine habitats . IUCN has a growing program of partnerships with the corporate sector on a regional, national and international level to promote sustainable use of natural resources. On the national level, IUCN helps governments prepare national biodiversity policies. Internationally, IUCN provides advice to environmental conventions such as

728-676: Is used by Birdlife International , the Red List Authority for birds for the IUCN Red List. BirdLife International has recommended PE become an official tag for Critically Endangered species, and this has now been adopted, along with a "Possibly Extinct in the Wild" tag for species with populations surviving in captivity but likely to be extinct in the wild. There have been a number of versions, dating from 1991, including: All new IUCN assessments since 2001 have used version 3.1 of

784-1197: The Lemurs of Madagascar released in 2014. His own primate life-list, now totaling more than 350 species, is among the largest in the world. Mittermeier was born in New York City . He received his B.A.( summa cum laude , Phi Beta Kappa ) from Dartmouth college and Ph.D. from Harvard University in biological anthropology for a thesis entitled, "Distribution, Synecology, and Conservation of Suriname Monkeys" in 1977. Mittermeier's awards and honors include: Russell Mittermeier's writing includes 36 books and more than 700 scientific and popular articles. Among his books are The Trilogy Megadiversity (1997), Hotspots (2000) and Wilderness Areas (2002), Wildlife Spectacles (2003), Hotspots Revisited (2004), Transboundary Conservation (2005), Lemurs of Madagascar (1994; 2006; 2010), Pantanal: South America's Wetland Jewel (2005), A Climate for Life (2008), The Wealth of Nature: Ecosystems , Biodiversity and Human Well-Being (2009), Freshwater: The Essence of Life (2010), Oceans: Heart of our Blue Planet (2011) and The Handbook of

840-485: The Caratinga Biological Station . Mittermeier has been particularly interested in the discovery and description of species new to science. He has described a total of 14 new species (three turtles , four lemurs , an African monkey , and six Amazonian monkeys) and has eight species named in his honor (three frogs , a lizard , two lemurs, a monkey, and an ant ). The most recent (2014) of these

896-612: The Convention on Biological Diversity , CITES , and the Framework Convention on Climate Change . It advises UNESCO on natural world heritage . It has a formally accredited permanent observer mission to the United Nations . IUCN has official relations with the multiple other international bodies. As an organization, IUCN has three components: the member organizations, the six scientific commissions and

952-817: The Institute of Zoology (the research division of the Zoological Society of London ), the World Conservation Monitoring Centre , and many Specialist Groups within the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). Collectively, assessments by these organizations and groups account for nearly half the species on the Red List. The IUCN aims to have the category of every species re-evaluated at least every ten years, and every five years if possible. This

1008-668: The Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation since 1996. More recently, he was instrumental in the creation of the 25 million Euro Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund , a new species-focused fund based in Abu Dhabi , and serves as a member of its Advisory Committee. In the late 1970s, Mittermeier undertook one of the first studies of the critically endangered northern muriqui woolly spider monkeys in what would become

1064-790: The World Conservation Strategy (1980). The drafting process, and the discussions with the UN agencies involved, led to an evolution in thinking within IUCN and growing acceptance of the fact that conservation of nature by banning human presence no longer worked. The Strategy was followed in 1982 by the World Charter for Nature , which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly , after preparation by IUCN. In 1980, IUCN and WWF moved into shared new offices in Gland, Switzerland . This marked

1120-682: The World Conservation Union (1990–2008). IUCN was established on 5 October 1948, in Fontainebleau , France, when representatives of governments and conservation organizations spurred by UNESCO signed a formal act constituting the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN). The initiative to set up the new organisation came from UNESCO and especially from its first director general,

1176-682: The World Conservation Union (IUCN) released the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . In this release, they have raised their classification of both the western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ) and the Cross River gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla diehli ) from endangered to critically endangered , which is the last category before extinct in the wild , due to Ebola virus and poaching , along with other factors. Russ Mittermeier , chief of Swiss -based IUCN's Primate Specialist Group, stated that 16,306 species are endangered with extinction, 188 more than in 2006 (total of 41,415 species on

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1232-507: The World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre . In the past, IUCN has been criticized for placing the interests of nature over those of indigenous peoples. In recent years, its closer relations with the business sector have caused controversy. IUCN was established in 1948. It was initially called the International Union for the Protection of Nature (1948–1956) and has also been formerly known as

1288-452: The 1949 Conference on Protection of Nature Lake Success , US and drafted the first list of gravely endangered species. In the early years of its existence IUCN depended almost entirely on UNESCO funding and was forced to temporarily scale down activities when this ended unexpectedly in 1954. IUCN was successful in engaging prominent scientists and identifying important issues such as the harmful effects of pesticides on wildlife but not many of

1344-764: The 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction, and 836 are listed as Data Deficient . The Red List of 2012 was released 19 July 2012 at Rio+20 Earth Summit ; nearly 2,000 species were added, with 4 species to the extinct list, 2 to the rediscovered list. The IUCN assessed a total of 63,837 species which revealed 19,817 are threatened with extinction. 3,947 were described as "critically endangered" and 5,766 as "endangered", while more than 10,000 species are listed as "vulnerable". At threat are 41% of amphibian species, 33% of reef-building corals, 30% of conifers, 25% of mammals, and 13% of birds. The IUCN Red List has listed 132 species of plants and animals from India as "Critically Endangered". Species are classified by

1400-563: The British biologist Julian Huxley . At the time of its founding IUCN was the only international organisation focusing on the entire spectrum of nature conservation (an international organisation for the protection of birds, now BirdLife International , had been established in 1922). IUCN (International Union for conservation of Nature) started out with 65 members in Brussels and was closely associated to UNESCO. They jointly organized

1456-466: The Business and Biodiversity Program is the five-year collaboration IUCN started with the energy company Shell International in 2007. IUCN has been involved in minimum energy consumption and zero-carbon construction since 2005 by integrating energy-saving materials, developed by Jean-Luc Sandoz in the footsteps of Julius Natterer . Today, the Business and Biodiversity Programme continues to set

1512-400: The IUCN Red List into nine groups, specified through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation. There is an emphasis on the acceptability of applying any criteria in the absence of high quality data including suspicion and potential future threats, "so long as these can reasonably be supported". In

1568-430: The IUCN Red List, " threatened " embraces the categories of Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable. The older 1994 list has only a single "Lower Risk" category which contained three subcategories: In the 2001 framework, Near Threatened and Least Concern became their own categories, while Conservation Dependent was removed and its contents merged into Near Threatened . The tag of "possibly extinct" (PE)

1624-602: The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, IUCN Members agreed on a definition of nature-based solutions. Members also called for governments to include nature-based solutions in strategies to combat climate change . Some key dates in the growth and development of IUCN: According to its website, IUCN works on the following themes: business, climate change , economics, ecosystems , environmental law , forest conservation , gender , global policy, marine and polar , protected areas , science and knowledge, social policy , species , water, and world heritage . IUCN works on

1680-487: The IUCN World Conservation Congress where IUCN Members set the global conservation agenda by voting on recommendations and guide the secretariat's work by passing resolutions and the IUCN Programme. IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations , and plays a role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity . It was involved in establishing

1736-493: The List. They believe that combining geographical data can significantly increase the number of species that need to be reclassified to a higher risk category. International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources . Founded in 1948, IUCN has become

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1792-524: The Mission of IUCN, to expand dialogue and productive relationships with the private sector and find new ways to interact with members of the business community". The IUCN Global Business and Biodiversity Program (BBP) was established in 2003 to influence and support private partners in addressing environmental and social issues. In 2004, the first IUCN Private Sector Engagement Strategy was developed (in response to Council Decision C/58/41). Most prominent in

1848-530: The NbS concept in environmental sciences and nature conservation contexts came as international organisations, such as IUCN and the World Bank, searched for solutions to work with ecosystems rather than relying on conventional engineering interventions (such as a seawall ), to adapt to and mitigate climate change effects, while improving sustainable livelihoods and protecting natural ecosystems and biodiversity. At

1904-534: The November 2002 issue of Trends in Ecology & Evolution , an article suggested that the IUCN Red List and similar works are prone to misuse by governments and other groups that draw possibly inappropriate conclusions on the state of the environment or to affect exploitation of natural resources . In the November 2016 issue of Science Advances , a research article claims there are serious inconsistencies in

1960-846: The Red Data Book on the conservation status of species, was first published in 1964. IUCN began to play a part in the development of international treaties and conventions, starting with the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources . Africa was the focus of many of the early IUCN conservation field projects. IUCN supported the 'Yellowstone model' of protected area management, which severely restricted human presence and activity in order to protect nature. The IUCN also suffered from restricted financing in its early years. For this reason, Tracy Philipps , secretary-general from 1955 to 1958, did not draw

2016-403: The Red List are to provide scientifically based information on the status of species and subspecies at a global level, to draw attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity, to influence national and international policy and decision-making, and to provide information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity. Major species assessors include BirdLife International ,

2072-679: The Red List has been increasing over time. As of 2023, of 150,388 species surveyed, 42,108 are considered at risk of extinction because of human activity, in particular overfishing , hunting , and land development . The idea for a Red Data Book was suggested by Peter Scott in 1963. Initially the Red Data Lists were designed for specialists and were issued in a loose-leaf format that could be easily changed. The first two volumes of Red Lists were published in 1966 by conservationist Noel Simon, one for mammals and one for birds. The third volume that appeared covered reptiles and amphibians. It

2128-789: The Red List). The Red List includes the Sumatran orangutan ( Pongo abelii ) in the Critically Endangered category and the Bornean orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus ) in the Endangered category. The 2008 Red List was released on 6 October 2008 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona and "confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four [mammals] at risk of disappearing forever". The study shows at least 1,141 of

2184-640: The Species Survival Commission since 1982. Before working for Conservation International, he spent 11 years at the World Wildlife Fund in the United States, starting as Director of their Primate Program and ending up as Vice-President for Science. He also served as an IUCN-World Conservation Union Regional Councillor for the period 2004–2012, was elected as one of IUCN-World Conservation Union's four Vice-Presidents for

2240-544: The United Nations Environment Programme UNEP to provide regular reviews of world conservation. The income this generated, combined with growing revenue via WWF, put the organisation on relatively sound financial footing for the first time since 1948. This period saw the beginning of a gradual change in IUCN's approach to conservation in which it tried to become more appealing to the developing world. In 1975 IUCN started work on

2296-486: The basis of four-year programs, determined by the membership. In the IUCN Programme for 2017–2020 conserving nature and biodiversity is linked to sustainable development and poverty reduction. IUCN states that it aims to have a solid factual base for its work and takes into account the knowledge held by indigenous groups and other traditional users of natural resources. The IUCN Programme 2017–2020 identifies three priority areas: IUCN does not itself aim to directly mobilize

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2352-434: The categories and criteria. In 1997, the IUCN Red List received criticism on the grounds of secrecy (or at least poor documentation) surrounding the sources of its data. These allegations have led to efforts by the IUCN to improve its documentation and data quality, and to include peer reviews of taxa on the Red List. The list is also open to petitions against its classifications, on the basis of documentation or criteria. In

2408-478: The creation of IUCN in 1948, IUCN Members have passed more than 300 resolutions that include or focus on business related activities. The increased attention on sustainable development as a means to protect nature brought IUCN closer to the corporate sector. The members decided against this, but IUCN did forge a partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development . IUCN renewed

2464-640: The fields of primatology, herpetology, biodiversity and conservation of tropical forests. He has undertaken research in more than 30 countries, including Amazonia (particularly Brazil and Suriname ) and Madagascar . Since 1977, Mittermeier has served as Chairman of the IUCN-World Conservation Union Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group, and he has been a member of the Steering Committee of

2520-481: The general public. Education has been part of IUCN's work program since the early days but the focus is on stakeholder involvement and strategic communication rather than mass-campaigns. IUCN runs field projects for habitat and species conservation around the world. It produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems . The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is applicable at local, national, regional, and global levels. IUCN's stated goal

2576-401: The global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It is involved in data gathering and analysis , research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable". Over

2632-490: The ideas it developed were turned into action. This was caused by unwillingness to act on the part of governments, uncertainty about the IUCN mandate and lack of resources. In 1956, IUCN changed its name to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. During this period, the IUCN expanded its relations with UN-agencies and established links with the Council of Europe . IUCN's best known publication,

2688-407: The past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to sustainable development in its projects. IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice and through building partnerships. The organization

2744-604: The period 2009–2012, and then was elected a lifetime Honorary IUCN-World Conservation Union Member in 2012. He also chaired the first World Bank Task Force on Biodiversity in 1988, which was instrumental in introducing the term "biodiversity" to that institution. He became an adjunct professor at the Stony Brook University in 1978, a research associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University for more than two decades, and has been President of

2800-447: The secretariat. IUCN Members are States, government agencies, international nongovernmental organizations, national nongovernmental organizations and indigenous peoples' organisations. In 2017, IUCN had 1400 members. The members can organize themselves in national or regional committees to promote cooperation. In 2016, there were 62 national committees and 7 regional committees. The seven IUCN Commissions involve volunteer experts from

2856-593: The strategic direction, coordinate IUCN's overall approach and provide institutional quality assurance in all business engagements. The Programme ensures that the Business Engagement Strategy is implemented through IUCN's global thematic and regional programmes as well as helps guide the work of IUCN's six Commissions. Nature-based solutions (NbS) use ecosystems and the services they provide to address societal challenges such as climate change, food security or natural disasters. The emergence of

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2912-410: The very successful model of the bird-watching community. To facilitate this, he launched a Tropical Field Guide Series and a Pocket Guide Series focused heavily on primates, but including a number of other species groups as well. More recent publications include The Tropical Field Guide Series are Lemurs of Madagascar, Third Edition (2010) and Primates of West Africa (2011) with a French edition of

2968-401: The way species are classified by the IUCN. The researchers contend that the IUCN's process of categorization is "out-dated, and leaves room for improvement", and further emphasize the importance of readily available and easy-to-include geospatial data, such as satellite and aerial imaging. Their conclusion questioned not only the IUCN's method but also the validity of where certain species fall on

3024-542: The world. This marked a shift within the organisation. Previously, the volunteer Commissions had been very influential, now the secretariat and its staff began to play a more dominant role. In 1989, IUCN moved into a separate building in Gland, close to the offices it had shared with WWF. Initially, the focus of power was still with the Headquarters in Gland but the regional offices and regional members' groups gradually got

3080-405: Was created by René E. Honegger in 1968. In 1970, the IUCN published its fifth volume in this series. This was the first Red Data List which focused on plants ( angiosperms only), compiled by Ronald Melville . The final volume of Red Data List created in the older, loose leaf style was volume 4 on freshwater fishes. This was published in 1979 by Robert Rush Miller . The first attempt to create

3136-426: Was integrated in development aid and in the economic policies of developing countries. Over the years, it supported the development of national conservation strategies in 30 countries. Several European countries began to channel considerable amounts of bilateral aid via IUCN's projects. Management of these projects was primarily done by IUCN staff, often working from the new regional and country offices IUCN set up around

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