Conservation

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES

The unsung hero of the environment turns 60

Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides a vital service to us all. It is the world’s most far-reaching information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species, watching over them with the care of a doting parent. It has an enormous and beneficial impact on the ecosystems of our planet.

“Every morning,” says Dr Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, “I come into work thinking, ‘Okay, what am I going to do to make a difference today?’”

And, I can assure you, every single day he does make a difference – and a massive one at that.

The IUCN Red List is a crucial indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Much more than a mere list of species and their status, it is a potent tool to provide information and galvanise people into taking action, effecting conservation measures and bringing about policy change. It is absolutely pivotal in preserving the natural resources we require to survive. It plays a…

Conservation

Birdwatching in St Lucia

The search for the elusive Jacquot, the emerald island’s national bird

A few months ago I went birdwatching to St Lucia in search of the elusive Jacquot, the island’s national bird, and learnt about biodiversity, endangered species and the power of environmental activism. My wife and I are nearing the end of an eight-hour hike up a vertiginous mountain trail. We are in the heart of […]

Conservation

Nature, wildlife and climate change

A story of peacock spiders, seabirds and koalas

The collective actions of animals over millions of years have shaped the planet’s climate to make it habitable for all. Our addiction to fossil fuels has become a smoke screen for this facet of reality. It’s true that humans are the major cause of climate change. However, the solutions aren’t simply about humans engineering new […]

Conservation

Everland and the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project

Changing the economics of deforestation

In 2019, I visited northern Peru to travel to an area of rainforest that had, at one time, seemed destined to disappear. I was part of a team supporting a successful conservation project in the Amazon, known as the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project, set up in 2008 by Conservation International and Peru’s National Parks Agency. […]

Conservation

Second Lives

Creating circularity and ‘second life’ products

As we are seeing such severe changes in climates across the globe, it is time for us to question our consumer and shopping habits. We should look for brands that are creative, sustainable and committed to be positive agents of change in what concerns the future of our planet. Circularity, commonly known as a lifecycle […]

Conservation

A Buzzing Network

Eco-conscious companies turn to beekeeping

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article on the plight of bees, and one of the questions I asked was what people in metropolitan areas such as London could do to promote this cause, so following a chat with our Editor-in-Chief, we decided to do a follow-up piece focusing on urban and corporate […]

Conservation, Toys

Pay It Forward

Watches for Eco-Friendly Dads

In the last five years or so, environmental concerns have multiplied exponentially in most industries. Watch brands are no different and alignment with sustainability and eco-friendly practises has become an important concern for many of them. There are three main avenues along which watch firms demonstrate their green credentials. First is the co-branding of a […]

Conservation

The Future Is In Our Past

Regenerative farming at Daylesford Organic

At a time when some are starting to believe that the end of life on our planet as we know it is not a matter of if, but of when, a new hope has risen from eliminating technological advances and simply going back to the old ways of doing things – in this case farming. […]

Conservation

Good and Grounded

The heart of ethical eating

“The sheep are here to do a job,” says Tracy “Bill” Betteridge, self-confessed eccentric and owner of Chiltern Lamb, a farm in Medmenham, a rural idyll in South Oxfordshire. Those words define her approach. Matter-of-fact, insightful, brimming with passion. We’re sitting in her log cabin, drinking coffee 15 metres from her “girls”. Beyond the kitchen […]

Conservation

Asking The Right Questions

Franziska A. Gsell on IWC’s green future

Smart, glamorous, and with an enchanting personality, IWC Chief Marketing Officer Franziska A. Gsell has been leading the brand toward a greener future since she was appointed chair of its sustainability committee in 2015. Although IWC started this journey in 2007 when it was certified carbon neutral, Gsell has helped the company accelerate its efforts […]

Conservation

The Buzz About Bees

The tiny guardians of life on our planet

Recent studies have shown that bee populations around the world continue to decline at an alarming rate. According to the latest statistics, more than 25 percent of the world’s bee species are at risk of extinction, and many more are under stress. I don’t think anyone quite comprehends the magnitude of what might happen if […]

Conservation, Fashion

Running Around in Circles

Circular fashion finally catches on

For lovers of fashion, the advent of online shopping, social media and the relentless pace of new collections and exclusive collaborations has found us bombarded with novelty and temptations we can find difficult to resist. But there is a big and depressing downside to this: a shocking 64 percent of the 32 billion garments produced […]