Press releases

IUCN Director General appointed to head UNEP
21.02.2019

IUCN Director General Inger Andersen has been appointed to the post of Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by the United Nations General Assembly.

IUCN study identifies tree species for climate-resilient reforestation
07.02.2019

An IUCN study has identified tree species native to Indonesia’s Kutai National Park that are resilient to climate change and support threatened East Bornean orangutan populations, recommending their use in reforestation efforts. The study was funded by the...

Fin Whale, Mountain Gorilla recovering thanks to conservation action – IUCN Red List
14.11.2018

Gland, Switzerland, 14 November 2018 (IUCN) – Conservation action has brought renewed hope for the Fin Whale and the Mountain Gorilla, according to today’s update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Fin Whale has improved in status from Endangered...

Escalating climate change impacts on species prompt IUCN review of emerging field
11.10.2018

A major IUCN co-authored paper published today reviews the relatively new field of assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change, as experts warn that time is running out for many species. 

IUCN launches global alliance for greener cities
24.09.2018

Edinburgh, Scotland, 24 September 2018 (IUCN/Scottish Wildlife Trust) – IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has launched a global initiative which aims to create greener, more liveable cities that will improve the health, well-being and...

Draft mining regulations insufficient to protect the deep sea – IUCN report
16.07.2018

Regulations under development at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to manage deep-sea mining are insufficient to prevent irrevocable damage to marine ecosystems and a loss of unique species – many yet to be discovered, an IUCN report warns.

Australia’s reptiles threatened by invasive species, climate change – IUCN Red List
05.07.2018

Gland, Switzerland, 5 July 2018 (IUCN) – Australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change, with 7% of them threatened with extinction, reveals the latest update of The IUCN Red List of...

Yemen urged to halt damaging activities in Socotra Archipelago, as advised by IUCN
02.07.2018

Manama, Bahrain – Following IUCN’s advice, the World Heritage Committee has urged Yemen to halt any activity that may negatively impact on the unique wildlife and landscapes of the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage site. The country has been requested to...

Lake Turkana listed as ‘in danger’ due to impacts from dam, as advised by IUCN
28.06.2018

Manama, Bahrain, 28 June 2018 (IUCN) – Lake Turkana National Parks in Kenya has been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger today at UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting, due to impacts from the Gibe III dam. The decision follows the...

Saying ‘no’ to palm oil would likely displace, not halt biodiversity loss – IUCN report
26.06.2018

Paris, 26 June 2018 (IUCN) – Banning palm oil would most likely increase the production of other oil crops to meet demand for oil, displacing rather than halting the significant global biodiversity losses caused by palm oil, warned an IUCN report published...

Second largest reef on Earth off ‘danger list’, following IUCN’s advice
26.06.2018

Manama, Bahrain, 26 June 2018 (IUCN) – The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System – the world’s second largest coral reef system after the Great Barrier Reef – has come off the List of World Heritage in Danger, following the advice of the International Union for...

Southeast Asia's appetite for pet otters supplied online
08.06.2018

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8th June 2018—The online pet trade has emerged as a pressing threat to otters in Southeast Asia with a new TRAFFIC-IUCN Otter Specialist Group (OSG) study revealing hundreds of the animals for sale on Facebook and other websites over a...

France to host IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020
18.05.2018

Marseille, France – The French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, today signed an agreement to jointly organise the next IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held in 2020 in...

Ocean risks a wake-up call for policymakers – IUCN report
08.05.2018

Southampton, Bermuda, 08 May 2018 (XL Catlin/IUCN): A new report by IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, commissioned by the global (re)insurance company XL Catlin, warns of unprecedented changes occurring in the ocean and points to the...

Livelihoods at risk as freshwater species in Africa’s largest lake face extinction – IUCN Report
30.04.2018

Seventy-six percent of freshwater species endemic to the Lake Victoria Basin, including many species important to local livelihoods, are threatened with extinction, a new IUCN-led report has found.