WWF - WWF Switzerland office

Monte Rosa - melting glaciers and changing borders in the Alps

2009-10-28

Monte Rosa, Italy / Switzerland - High alpine areas are feeling the impacts of climate change harder and faster than many other areas.

The Monte Rosa massif, one of the highest montains in Europe which sits between Italy and Switzerland, is seeing it borders beeing thrown into confusion.

There are nine glaciers in the massif, including the Gorner glacier, second largest in the Alps but also the glacier that is shrinking the fastest losing 290 metres during 2007 to 2008.

Glaciers might seem remote, but hundreds of millions of people worldwide depend on them for water supplies.

WWF gives Europe a roadmap to Copenhagen

2009-02-27

Brussels, Belgium: With a series of critical European Union meetings on a new global climate deal about to begin, WWF has set out what Europe needs to do to grow in a green way while contributing to helping the world avoid passing the 2 degree threshold of warming that presents unacceptable risks of catastrophic climate change.

“There is a clear link to be made between ambitious climate policies and a new phase of economic growth,” said Stephan Singer, Director of Energy Programme at WWF International.

“The recent financial bailouts prove that when governments decide to fix a problem, money and regulatory instruments are there. There is no excuse to treat the climate crisis with less support and attention.”

The WWF roadmap to a successful new global agreement in Copenhagen in December would see Europe radically strengthen its announced commitments of cutting emissions by just 20 per cent by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2050.

European environment ministers will consider target developed and undeveloped country emissions to take to Copenhagen at Monday’s EU Environment Council meeting in Brussels.

Commit to zero net emissions

Based on various studies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, WWF says that emissions will have to be reduced by at least 80 percent by 2050 globally to keep warming below 2°C. In compliance with its fair share of responsibility, the EU must commit to net zero emissions by 2050.

The IPCC also said that industrial countries will have to reduce their greenhouse gases by between 25 and 40% by 2020. The current EU target is only 20%, with a possibility to increase to 30% if other developed nations will join an international agreement.

These targets are clearly at the lower end of the IPCC scale, and even lower in reality considering that EU countries are allowed to fulfil up to two thirds of their commitment by way of certificates for projects in developing countries (the so-called CDM credits).

At the forthcoming Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting on Tuesday March 10, European finance ministers will consider both the plan to boost economic recovery in Europe and financing climate protection measures.

WWF said Ecofin must come to grips with the fact that so far EU countries have failed to seriously face the challenge and to see the opportunities created by a greener economy.

Today, the fossil fuel energy sector in the EU-15 countries still receives about €20 billion of subsidies, equal to 0.2% Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Europe imports about 4.8 billion barrels of oil per year, equal to 3% of GDP. Natural gas imports are another 3% of GDP.

According to the European Commission, between 600,000 and 900,000 jobs can be created by renewable energy by 2020, compared to today’s 150,000 jobs. As a comparison, the cement and the steel sectors – some of those crying wolf about strong climate measure – employ about 60,000 and 300,000 people respectively.

With finance to developing countries being touted as a make or break issue at Copenhagen, WWF is calling for European contributions for clean technology and reduced deforestation in developing countries to
amount to €35 billion per year, in addition to the long-time promised 0.7% GDP for development aid.

Funding of climate protection measures (avoidance, adaptation and forest protection) needs to be sustainable, predictable and controlled in a transparent manner by the international community.

The European Commission’s current proposal also fails to address the enormous potential of energy efficiency, with an almost complete lack of concrete proposals for technology co-operation.

WWF says that the EU financing of technology development and research should be increased by a factor of 10 compared to current levels by 2020, particularly for renewable energies, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The EU should also promote the setting up of a technology action programme under the UNFCCC to protect intellectual property rights and promote innovation.

Outcomes from the Ecofin and Environment Council meetings are scheduled to be considered by EU Heads of State at a European Council meeting on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March. Some issues however may carry over to when Sweden assumes the presidency of the EU

Much-maligned waxwing makes return trip to WWF

2009-01-28

Gland, Switzerland - The Bohemian Waxwing, a particularly beautiful bird nevertheless believed by people in Medieval times to be the bearer of bad luck, plague and pestilence, has paid its 2nd visit this century to WWF headquarters after coming to Switzerland only 5 times in substantial numbers throughout the whole of the last century.

A total of 27 of them honoured WWF's garden during their visit last week, and several lucky people had a chance to briefly admire them, perched on a tree near the bikes shelter and feeding on orange berries in the nearby bushes.

The waxwing is a sub-Arctic bird that breeds in coniferous forests throughout the most northern parts of Europe, Asia and western North America. In winter it rarely visits western Europe further south than the Low Countries, but a second trip in 5 years to Switzerland could suggest changing tastes (or changing climate?).

The waxwing was treated with great suspicion in the Middle Ages when invasions would often coincide with bouts of plague, which were of course quite common. People felt the two occurrences were linked but there has never been any scientific evidence to support such superstition.

The name waxwing refers to the bright red bead-like tips of the secondary feathers on its wings, which look like drops of sealing wax but which several hundred years ago were seen as flames from hell carrying all manner of unspeakable epidemics.

To this day the Dutch name for waxwing remains Pest Vogel (Plague Bird). The French name, “Jaseur” meaning gossip or chatterer, is also an anomaly as they are mostly silent in their winter quarters.

With a particularly elegant plumage, the waxwing has a fine peach-coloured crest, bright yellow tips on its tail feathers and a yellow or white stripe along the wing feathers. Under-tail coverts are a deep rust colour.

Because it is not hunted by man it has grown very confident and will come very close in gardens, allowing easy visibility.

The last visit to Switzerland and WWF headquarters in Gland took place in the winter of 2004-2005.
Prior to that major irruptions into Switzerland occurred in the winters of 1903/04, 1941/42, 1963/64, 1965/66 and 1988/89.

The reasons for their occasional trips here are not so much for the mountain air or the spas but a lack of the food they find in their usual haunts such as apples, grapes and berries, in particular those of the Rowan, a member of the rose family with especially juicy berries. This normally follows a particularly severe winter, such as the one we have experienced in Europe this year, or an especially good breeding year, or a combination of both.

Tuna commission comes up with "a disgrace, not a decision"

2008-11-24

Marrakech, Morocco - The commission tasked with preventing a collapse of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery today opted for catch quotas still far higher than its own scientists recommend and leaving industrial fleets free to scoop up tuna at the height of its spawning period.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, for the past week, brushed aside its own review’s description of its management of the bluefin fishery as “an international disgrace” to endorse a total allowable catch (TAC) of 22,000 tonnes for next year.

ICCAT’s own scientists had recommended a TAC ranging 8,500 to 15,000 tonnes per year, warning there were real risks of the fishery collapsing otherwise. The scientists also urged a seasonal closure during the fragile spawning months of May and June, while today’s outcome allows industrial fishing in practice up to 20 June.

“This is not a decision, it is a disgrace which leaves WWF little choice but to look elsewhere to save this fishery from itself,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, head of WWF Mediterranean’s fisheries programme, speaking from Marrakech.

“Any alternative is preferable to an organization which boasts of its respect for science but where in a decade catches have gone from twice to four times the scientific recommendations, with massive legal and illegal overfishing. It is clear that the only thing to slow the fishery with ICCAT at the helm is running out of fish.”

The European Union drove today’s decision, supported by Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Syria and later joined by Japan.

Japan had initially been party to a US, Canada, Mexico, Norway, Iceland and Brazil proposal, supported by a brace of developing nations, to fix the allowed catch at the upper levels recommended by scientists and closing the fishery for the full spawning period.

The debate has been marred by allegations of the European Commission threatening developing state members with trade retaliations should they support lower catch limits and extended closed seasons, with the names of some nations appearing and disappearing from the more scientifically-based proposals.

“ICCAT’s string of successive failures leaves us little option now but to seek effective remedies through trade measures and extending the boycott of retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumers,” Dr Tudela said.
WWF has been urging a suspension of the out-of-control fishery, an option endorsed by the recent World Conservation Congress and recommended by ICCAT’s own internal high-level review.

The world’s largest bluefin tuna trader, Mitsubishi, signalled earlier in November that it would “reassess” its “involvement in this business” should ICCAT continue to be unable to sustainably manage the fishery.

“WWF will also actively push for a listing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the hope that stringent trade controls tied explicitly to the survival of the species will turn around the half-hearted attempt at fisheries management shown here by ICCAT and especially its European contingent.”

CITES next meets in Doha in January 2010 with submissions on listings required by August 2009.
“Today’s outcome is a recipe for economic as well as biological bankruptcy with the European Union squarely to blame,” said Dr Tudela.

“Bluefin consumption in the main consumer market of Japan is expected to drop from 18,000 tonnes due to the economic crisis, with around 30,000 tonnes of frozen bluefin already in Hong Kong and Japan and additional unknown amounts in other Asian countries and in freezer ships.

“Our industry sources also tell us that there are 7,000 tonnes of illegally fished tuna in fattening cages across the Mediterranean that nobody wants to buy.”

The moratorium option, which the scientific panel said would lead to the quickest recovery in bluefin stock and the best future prospects for fulfilling ICCAT’s charter of delivering a long-term sustainable fishery, was not even given consideration by the commission in Marrakech despite increasing support for this option from European fishermen.

Thousands join bluefin tuna boycott

2008-11-20

Marrakech, Morocco: Close to 16,000 citizens from 149 countries have signed up to join numerous restaurants, retailers and chefs in boycotting Mediterranean bluefin tuna – until stocks have recovered and the fishery is properly controlled and managed.

WWF has presented the petition, on behalf of 15,941 concerned individuals, to top fisheries decision-makers today in Marrakech, Morrocco where the 46 Contracting Parties of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) are meeting to decide the future of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean.

“Thousands of consumers from across the world are voting with their wallets by not buying or eating endangered Mediterranean bluefin tuna,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. “WWF hopes ICCAT acts on this strong plea from global citizens.”

As increasing numbers of responsible consumers say no to bluefin, the list of chefs, restaurants and retailers around the world that have stopped serving and selling bluefin is also growing. The trailblazers – Auchan in France, Carrefour in Italy, Coop in Italy and Switzerland, ICA in Norway, Moshi Moshi in the UK, and Memento in Spain – have now been joined by many others in taking bluefin off their menus and shelves.

These are Benoît Delbasserue French chef; Casino French supermarket; Coop Norwegian supermarket; Deutsche See German processor; Elior French restaurant chain; Gottfried Friedrichs German processor; M&J UK seafood supplier; Migros Swiss supermarket; Relais du Parc French restaurant; Sergi Arola, Dario Barrio, Karel Bell – Spanish chefs; and over 50 restaurants in Monaco.

“Bluefin tuna was one of the star items on our menu, but the critical situation of the stocks made me take it off the plates so that diners can keep enjoying it in years to come,” said Sergi Arola, Spanish celebrity chef. “I believe it’s my duty to take care of the sustainability of a dish as well as its taste.”

“ICCAT members are under pressure from numerous countries, international institutions, scientists and even their own review to close this fishery and allow it to recover,” said Dr Tudela. “Now they are also coming under pressure from more and more of their own citizens, their noted chefs, their leading restaurants and their leading marketers.

"It is time for ICCAT to take note of this growing market aversion to the tuna slaughter and to finally follow its so-far hollow boast to act in accordance with the science.”

Dr Tudela noted that should ICCAT fail to act this week in Marrakech, support would grow for moving from attempting to control fishers to using a trade ban to save the species from collapse.

Europe sits on damning bluefin tuna report

2008-11-14

Barcelona, Spain: A European fisheries report demonstrating continuing widespread infringements by bluefin tuna fleets despite increased fleet surveillance in the Mediterranean has been delayed until after the conclusion of next week's key international tuna commission meeting to decide on a new management regime for the fishery.

The existence of the report, revealed today by The Economist, undermines Europe's promise of support for strong action possibly including temporary closure of the fishery at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in Marrakech, Morocco.

It also undermines European claims that it is bringing rampant bluefin overfishing under control, with a summary hurriedly produced after repeated demands from the European Parliament noting that extensive consultations with fishers and improved surveillance and inspections had little effect on the low priority industry gave to ICCAT rules.

“After decades of ignoring the science, ICCAT and member states are now trying to outdo each other in rhetoric about how much the science must matter,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Fisheries director for WWF Mediterranean.

“The information gathered by Europe’s Community Fisheries Control Agency provides unprecedented data on the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery that would have been extremely precious for ICCAT scientists to make appropriate management recommendations.

“Shockingly, this valuable information has been kept hidden from scientists, thus undermining the quality of fisheries management advice – and the European Community, representing all EU Members States at ICCAT, must be held responsible for this.”

Earlier this year, WWF welcomed Europe's promise of vastly improved inspection and surveillance of the bluefin fleet and fattening farms by the CFCA, based in Vigo, Spain.

The Economist claims that a comprehensive CFCA report - the product of a €20 million investment in seeking to reign in the bluefin fishery - went to the European Commission in August and that an abbreviated version only was provided to the European Parliament’s Fisheries Commission earlier this month.

The abbreviated version is alarming enough, noting that “the level of apparent infringements detected in the tugs and the purse seiner fleet is considerable”, “the (illegal) use of spotter planes for searching bluefin tuna concentrations is still wide spread” and “as regards the recording and reporting of bluefin tuna catches . . . the ICCAT rules have not been generally respected”.

European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg has said that the last management rules for this beleaguered fishery – agreed at a previous ICCAT meeting in Dubrovnik in 2006 – would work, as long as there was compliance with the rules.

“This latest evidence of widespread non-compliance, information that has been hidden from ICCAT scientists and decision-makers, should be case enough that the only solution now is to close the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery – pending a complete overhaul of the fiasco,” Dr Tudela said.

Spain, Japan back bluefin tuna ban

2008-10-13

Barcelona, Spain: Key fishing state Spain and key tuna market Japan joined with a majority of other countries to back closing the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna fishery until it can be brought under control and establishing protected areas in the main breeding grounds.

The surprise vote tonight, by government and NGO members of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, also calls for catch quotas to be nearly halved in line with scientific advice and for permanent fishing bans for May and June covering the entire spawning season.

“We didn't know this would pass, let alone pass so overwhelmingly,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries in WWF’s Mediterranean office. “Common sense is now promising to bring an end to the real shame in the international system of fisheries management .

“The message that we need to close the fishery now or have few fish and no fishery into the future is now coming from scientists, from consumers, from communities and from countries.”

The motion adds considerably to the pressure on International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) which decides on the future of the fishery in November, within two months of its own internal expert review labelling the management of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery “an international disgrace”.

It also follows a WWF report earlier this year that the tuna fishing capacity was at twice quota levels and a further report last week that Italy's largely unregulated fleet was in flagrant violation of the fishery rules.

Last month, ICCAT scientists also warned the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna population was on the brink of collapse. A retailers' boycott of Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna, supported by WWF, is spreading throughout Europe.

The tuna motion, initially bitterly opposed by some countries that later voted for it, was put up by WWF, Ecologistas en Acción, GOB, SEO/Birdlife and the Government of the Baleric Islands, which is proposed as one of the bluefin tuna sanctuaries.

“ICCAT needs to heed the claim from the international community to save the Mediterannean Bluefin Tuna,” Dr Tudela said.

“This year's meeting will be the last real chance for ICCAT to show to the world it deserves the mandate given by society to manage this fisheries and avoid the collapse of the species.”

Stronger European climate action could have €25 billion health benefit

2008-10-01

Brussels, Belgium – Health savings of up to €25 billion could be achieved every year in Europe if the European Union immediately opted for stronger climate policies, says a new study published by health and environment NGOs..

The report. The Co-benefits to Health of a Strong EU Climate Change Policy, analyses the health benefits of reduced climate pollution if the EU increased its 2020 target for domestic greenhouse gas emission cuts from 20 to 30 per cent without any delay.

The study was commissioned by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E) and WWF.

The findings show that raising the target to 30 per cent, in line with recommendations of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), would produce savings resulting from better health valued at between €6.5-25 billion per year.

The estimates are based on economic evaluations of loss of life and health, working days lost and hospital costs. The findings show reductions in hospital admissions of 8,000 per year, and two million fewer work days lost per year by moving to the higher 30 per cent target.

These health savings are over and above the benefits of the EU’s existing scenario of a 20 per cent target. The report shows that raising the target to 30 per cent would increase the savings by €25 billion, or 48 per cent, from €51-76 billion.

“Until now the discussion on climate change has been all about costs to industry and the economy, while costs of climate pollution to society have largely been neglected,” said Delia Villagrasa, Senior Advisor to WWF’s European Policy Office.

“It is essential to see that measures to promote cleaner sources of energy and reduce fossil fuel consumption will not only contribute to control climate change but will also cut air pollution and improve quality of life for European citizens.”

Bloated Mediterranean tuna fleet in race for the last bluefin

2008-03-12

Rome, Italy – The most comprehensive analysis yet of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fleet shows it conservatively having twice the fishing capacity of current quotas and more than three and a half times the catch levels recommended by scientists to avoid stock collapse.

The fleet is so bloated that just covering its costs implies that a third of its fishing would be illegal, with the worst over-capacity culprits being Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Libya, France and Spain.

The new WWF report, Race for the last bluefin, "uncovers the absurdity of a system long out of control, where hundreds of hi-tech boats are racing to catch a handful of fish,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

“The failure of international fisheries management has allowed a monster to thrive in the Mediterranean. Decision-makers must be bold if the bluefin is to be saved from a sorry fate – and for any chance of a future for Mediterranean tuna fishermen.”

To keep fishing capacity within the 2008 legal catch limits imposed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Mediterranean fleet would need to shed 229 vessels – almost a third of the current 617-vessel fleet.

Reducing fishing effort to scientifically recommended levels, meanwhile, would require decommissioning 283 vessels, including 58 in European Union Member States.

In Italy – worst culprit among EU countries – the fleet should be reduced by over 30 vessels to respect scientific recommendations, or 17 just to stay within the law. The WWF report indicates that high levels of under-reporting by Italy are also likely, as its reported catches have dramatically decreased since 1997 – yet during the past decade the Italian fleet has increased considerably in size and power. Croatia, Spain and Libya are also under the spotlight for under-reporting.

At a minimum, the report shows Mediterranean fleets would have to fish 42,000 tonnes of tuna just to cover costs – implying some 13,000 tonnes of illegal catch. This calculation considers only the more technically advanced vessels built in the past decade – the full picture will be much worse yet.

“It is crazy – the numerous new fleets are so modern and costly that fishermen are forced to fish illegally just to survive – and worse still they are fishing themselves out of a job,” added Dr Tudela.

WWF is calling on concerned countries to dramatically reduce capacity in this fishery as a matter of urgency ahead of the 2008 fishing season that starts end-April. WWF also urges ICCAT, the body tasked with sustainably managing the fishery, to take a lead in proposing radical solutions. Until the fishery is under control and sustainably managed, WWF continues to advocate a fishing ban – and to applaud responsible retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumer groups who are boycotting Mediterranean bluefin in increasing numbers.

“The fishery is unsustainable in every way – economically, socially, and ecologically. The time to act is now – while there are still bluefin tuna to save in the Mediterranean,” Dr Tudela said.

In spite of the overcapacity of fleets, at least 25 new purse seine vessels were still being constructed at time of going to press.

This time, world should heed OECD call to action on environment

2008-03-05

Paris: The OECD’s Environment Outlook to 2030, issued today, was welcomed by WWF as yet another compelling argument that the costs of inaction on the environment will far exceed the costs of action.

The OECD Outlook is the latest - and at 520 pages one of the weightiest - in a run of reports from prominent economic institutions and commissions calling on governments and international institutions to face up to the seriousness and immediacy of global environmental problems.

“When a body such as the OECD says that on a range of environmental issues we need to act globally and we need to act now, then it is clear that as communities, countries and companies we need to roll up our collective sleeves and get on with it,” said WWF International Director General James Leape.

“It is sobering to think how much better off we would be today if the world, the wealthy world in particular, had heeded OECD's 2001 call to take action on many of these same issues. We should not make the same mistake again.”

James Leape said the OECD outlook should be commended for looking beyond the urgent challenge of climate change to other urgent issues of biodiversity loss, mismanagment of water resources and escalating health threats. WWF also welcomed OECD’s call to prioritise action in the key sectors of energy, transport, agriculture and fisheries.

“The OECD outlook underlines both the magnitude of the largely self-inflicted threats we face and the urgency of acting effectively on them,” said James Leape. “It is rapidly becoming the case that it will be as hard to find a sceptical economist as it is now to find a sceptical scientist."

While generally supporting market liberalisation, the OECD noted that in the absence of “sound environmental policy and institutional frameworks” globalisation “can amplify market and policy failures and intensify environmental pressures”.

The OECD repeated its 2001 call for the removal of subsidies to environmentally harmful activities, with special mention of subsidies to fossil fuel use, agricultural production subsidies, fishing overcapacity subsidies and the subsidy and underpricing of damaging transport modes.

The OECD also repeated that environment policy should not be just a concern of environment ministers, but has to be elevated into being a priority of central and economic policy making in particular.

“There is now no reason not to act," said James Leape. "The OECD outlook is emphatic that the policies and technologies to address urgent environment issues are available and affordable, that taking them will increase efficiencies and reduce costs and that the earlier we take action, the better the cost-benefit equation will be.”

Media release and contact details

A new platform to start changing the world

2008-03-04

Forget Facebook, MySpace or You Tube: here comes connect2earth, a new online community where young people can upload videos, pictures and comments about the environment.

On www.connect2earth.org, users and visitors will be able to write, speak, illustrate and video present their concerns on subjects important to them, and share environmental ideas and solutions.

Each month, users will vote for a winner who will receive a Nokia mobile phone.

“Connect2earth is a truly global space for young people to connect, share, express their concerns and hopes about the environment online – and win some prizes in the process”, said James Leape, Director General of WWF International.

“This new community allows them to tell the world why they care about the environment and why it should be protected.”

Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) said: “We live on an amazing planet – we need to protect it. We want to encourage young people to be involved in environmental issues and take action.”

A panel of prominent conservationists will elect an overall winner who will get the chance to participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona next October.

She or he will have the opportunity to present some ideas directly to leaders from around the world.

“Young people feel increasingly strongly about protecting the environment because, for them, it represents their future”, said Kirsi Sormunen, Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Nokia.

And how do you connect to earth through connect2earth? The site, not surprisingly, is particularly suited to uploading short films, photos and comments from mobile phones.

For further information:

Sarah Halls, IUCN Media Relations Officer, tel. +41 22 999 01 27; sarah.halls@iucn.org
Moira O’Brien-Malone, Head of Media Relations, WWF International, tel. +41 22 364 95 50; mobrien@wwfint.org

HP commits to further GHG emissions reductions in joining WWF Climate Savers

2008-02-13

HP, one of the world's largest IT companies, has pledged to reduce the emissions from its own operations and the use of its products to 6 million tonnes (20%) below 2005 levels by 2010.

Progress towards this goal, a commitment entered into in joining the World Wildlife Fund/WWF Climate Savers program, has been so significant that HP is now looking to define new goals.

In energy terms, HP has now committed itself to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent in its operations from 2005 levels, while achieving a 25 % reduction in the energy used by its products and operations combined below 2005 levels by 2010. Even with an increase in revenues, total energy use was down 19.2 % below 2005 levels by October 2007.

“WWF commends HP for its strong commitment to energy reductions—not only within its own operations, but in placing a strong emphasis on increasing energy efficiency in its products,” said Carter Roberts, WWF-US President and CEO. “HP’s bold actions should serve as a model for other technology companies seeking to transform the way they do business to help protect the planet.”

“HP has been an environmentally-sensitive company for decades; it’s simply part of our culture and DNA,” said Mark Hurd, Chairman and CEO, HP. “We take a leadership role in climate change initiatives like WWF Climate Savers, and we will continue to seek innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint."

HP’s announcement comes as companies from around the world gathered to discuss business strategies to reduce climate change at the Climate Savers Tokyo Summit. During the summit, HP said it will sign the Tokyo Declaration – a call to action and renewed commitment on global warming.

Between 1987 and 2007, HP recycled one billion pounds of its products, representing 900,000 tonnes of avoided greenhouse gas emissions, and it set a new goal to recover another one billion pounds by the end of 2010.

HP made further progress in January 2008 when it announced a commitment to reduce the energy consumption of its volume desktop and notebook PC families by 25 percent by 2010, and today it is working to consolidate its 85 data centers worldwide into six data centers with high-efficiency servers and cooling technology.

Beginning in 2006, HP embarked on a joint initiative with World Wildlife Fund-US to establish an absolute reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions from HP’s operating facilities worldwide, explore efficiency goals for products, educate and inspire others to adopt best practices for climate change initiatives and use HP technology in conservation efforts around the world by 2010.

WWF’s Climate Savers was founded in 1999 and currently comprises 15 major international companies committed to reducing their total emissions by over 10 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

In its first attendance at a WWF Climate Savers Conference - this year starting on 15 January hosted by Sony Corporation in Tokyo - HP is expected to join other leading global brands calling for more concerted action on climate change.

Join retailers’ Mediterranean bluefin tuna boycott, urges WWF

2008-01-28

As more and more major European retailers boycott Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna, WWF used the occasion of the Barcelona Seafood Summit to call on more to join the ban until the imperilled species is out of the danger zone.

France's Auchan group, with a nearly 14 per cent share of the retail fish trade, declared its boycott on 28 December, noting that scientists had advised a 15,000 tonne ceiling on annual catches, while the international tuna management body was allowing a 2008 quota of 29,500 tonnes.

"Moreover, each year, captures greatly exceed the fixed quotas," Auchan said in a statement outlining how the ban had been taken in line with its policy of pursuing a sustainable trade in fish.

“WWF applauds Auchan in France, Carrefour in Italy, Coop in both Italy and Switzerland, and ICA in Norway for their courageous decisions to stop selling Mediterranean bluefin tuna – and we urge other retailers to follow suit,” says Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

“The seafood industry is waking up to its responsibilities, recognising that there is not an endless supply of fish like bluefin tuna. By taking action now, retailers can help give this amazing species a fighting chance of survival, for the benefit of both business and the marine ecosystem.”

Scientists have declared it “probable” that populations of the magnificent bluefin tuna, much prized especially for sushi in Japan, will soon collapse in the Mediterranean – unless action is taken now.

Before retailers started taking matters into their own hands, WWF had suggested to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in November that contracting countries agree on a 3-year ban on bluefin tuna fishing, but this move was rejected.

Following massive demand in recent years – especially from Japan where Atlantic bluefin is prized for Sushi – high-tech fishing fleets have hunted down, often illegally, ever-declining numbers of these migratory ocean giants.

WWF exposed the drastically out-of-control nature of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery in the 2007 season when illegal fishing was again rife – including the use of banned spotter planes, as well as widespread unreporting. According to WWF sources, the Spanish authorities, for example, officially declared only two thirds of the nation’s catch last year.

“Fisheries management has gone completely off the rails – the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery is now a dangerous game in which clearly all sides will lose,” Dr Tudela said. “That’s why WWF is urging retailers to stand up for sustainable fish.”

Gemma Parkes
Communications Officer
WWF Mediterranean Programme Office
Tel: +39 06 844 97 224
Fax: +39 06 841 3866
gparkes@wwfmedpo.org
www.panda.org/mediterranean

Climate Witness: Marco Bomio, Switzerland

2007-08-02

My name is Marco Bomio. I am 54 years old and live in Grindelwald, Switzerland, at the foot of the famous north face of the Eiger. I am married and the father of three grown-up children. I came here because of my wife and my love for nature and endurance sports, which might also explain my career choice – I work as a mountain guide. Besides that I am also a teacher and school principal at the secondary school in Grindelwald.

English | Deutsch
Grindelwald is a well-known destination that attracts many tourists. The resort first became famous for its unique location next to the glaciers. Up until about 20 years ago they were directly visible from the school windows. In those days the glacier tongues were but a half-hour hike away from the village. Today, that’s no longer the case. The climate change has had a profound impact on our region — the glaciers are melting. Today, I walk an hour and a half with my guests before we reach the glaciers’ edges.

Less and less ice
When I talk about local history in my classes, I illustrate this with historic photos. For example, I demonstrate how the glaciers still reached down to the valley floor in the middle of the 19th century. Back then Grindelwald exported the ice and shipped it to places as far away as Paris and Prague. My students are amazed when I show them documents like these.

Having worked as a mountain guide for almost 30 years, I have a strong sense of the glaciers’ recession. The transitions from ice to rock are becoming more difficult. Often, the ground in the melted area is gravelly and unstable. To make the crossing of these zones safe they must be secured with ladders or wire ropes so that the tourists have something to hold on to.

The rock begins to rock
The worst outcome of climate change has been the thawing of permafrost (permafrost is at or below the freezing point of water — 0°C or 32°F — for two or more years). Once the permafrost has melted away, the rock becomes brittle, while rock fall activity increases. Due to the severe recession of glaciers, the pressure of the ice against the rock also dwindles. The rock face too becomes increasingly brittle, which results in rock falls such as the one in 2006 on the Eiger’s east side.

Climate change cannot be held responsible for a single rock fall. But the frequency of such single events is definitely on the rise. Around Grindelwald some of the more problematic hiking trails have been secured by man-made tunnels.

Several well-known high-altitude routes such as the Jungfrau, Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn routes are already threatened. Here, the record warm summer of 2003 had a massive impact on the dwindling snow cover and led to a significant increase in rock fall activity.

Professional challenge
I strongly believe that mountain guides choose their job because of their passion for the mountains and their love of nature and adventure. However, today mountain guides are often dispatched for rock stabilization or clearance projects. This has changed the job description as a whole. Last year, for example, Grindelwald Sports – Grindelwald’s mountaineering school – generated more income from rock clearance activities than from guided mountain tours.

At the beginning of the record warm summer of 2003, conditions were excellent for us as mountain guides. Peaks like the Eiger and the Wetterhorn could be climbed as early as mid-June, which in “normal” summers is not possible until one month later. But I would be more than happy to do without this benefit. Because in such warm weather the 0°C temperature limit moves up to over 4000m above sea level. This means rain instead of snow, excessively warm nights and rock falls.

Capturing opportunities
I live in the Alps, Europe’s major water reservoir. The predicted drop in water levels due to the melting of glaciers worries me deeply. This will also affect electricity production. Switzerland continues to produce sixty per cent of its electricity from hydropower. My grandchildren will not know the same carefree water use we enjoy today.

Economically speaking, tourist destinations such as Grindelwald will need to look for new sources of income. The first steps in this direction have already been taken. Although laughed at initially, winter hiking is growing in popularity. Certainly, the path will lead away from classic, ski-based winter tourism, as artificial snow is only a short- and mid-term solution. In the winter of 2006/07 the production of artificial snow was impossible for a number of weeks because temperatures were too high.

I also see a future in other economic sectors such as education and training for youngsters and adults. Plus, a mounting number of companies, regardless of their geographic location, do business over the Internet. So why not establish a research institute for climate research in our valley? The subjects to study would be right at our doorstep.

Scientific review

Reviewed by: Dr Christophe Lambiel, Institute of Geography (IGUL) University of Lausanne, Switzerland

The story of Marco Bormio is consistent with the impact of climate change on the mountain environment. As everywhere in the Alps, the glaciers are dramatically retreating. This has not only an important impact on the landscape inheritance, but also in the slope stability. It is true that the rock fall that occurred in Eiger’s east flank in 2006 is related to the strong glacier retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age.

In the Grindelwald area, permafrost is predominantly found in the north-oriented rock faces of mountains such as Eiger. Increasing temperatures reduce the frozen rock stability, which can lead to rock fall activity. Such events were numerous during heat waves as that of summer 2003.

Concerning the human activity, it is true that the mountain guide activities have been diversified since a few years, but the first reason is the fact that the alpine territory is more and more occupied. The management of the increasing number of tourists in the Alps is a challenge for the future. New winter offers will have to be proposed to compensate the reduction of the snow cover at mid-altitude.

World glacier monitoring service: http://www.geo.unizh.ch/wgms/
Swiss glacier monitoring network: http://glaciology.ethz.ch/messnetz/?locale=en
Permafrost monitoring Switzerland: www.permos.ch

All articles are subject to scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel.

Record sales for FSC-certified products in Switzerland

2007-04-26

Zurich, Switzerland - Wood products bearing the FSC label are selling better and better in Switzerland, a new analysis of FSC sales data shows.

Sales of products bearing the FSC label increased sharply in 2006 and reached a new record compared to previous years. The 18 partner companies in the WWF Wood Group Switzerland – the Swiss affiliate of the GFTN - attained sales of CHF 179 million in 2006, almost doubling the amount of the year before.

In 2005 the GFTN partner companies achieved about CHF 98 million, and about CHF 93 million in 2004 (see chart FSC sales 1998-2006).

“WWF’s strategy to cooperate with businesses is paying off,” says Simone Stammbach of WWF Switzerland. “Our common support to FSC has now widely been accepted by the consumer. Today, more and more consumers want to be sure to buy timber products that come from controlled and legal wood sources and are not harvested through destructive logging practices.“

One reason for the boost in FSC-certified product sales is Swiss retailer Coop joining the WWF Wood Group in 2006. “With Coop we have gained a major partner committing to FSC’s sustainable forest management practices,” says Simone Stammbach. “But most of the other partners in the do-it-yourself and furniture sector also registered a significant growth in their sales of FSC-certified products.”

“Furthermore, we explain the positive sales’ results of FSC-certified products by Migros’ switch from non-certified hygienic paper (toilet and household paper) to FSC-certified paper.” The large Swiss retailer Migros is a founding member of the WWF Wood Group.

Fore more information:
Simone Stammbach
WWF WOOD GROUP, WWF Switzerland
tel: +41 79 407 35 67
email: simone.stammbach@wwf.ch

Climate Witness: Adrian Brunner, Switzerland

2007-03-25

My name is Adrian Brunner. I am 30 years old and live in Switzerland. I was born and raised in Birchwil near Zurich. I went to school in Winterthur and love spending my spare time in nature since I was a child. Snowboarding and bicycling are my passions.
English | 中国 | 日本語 | Italiano

When I was ten years old, I became an avid mountain biker. At the age of 21, after 12 years of intense training in the Elite Amateur category, I left the mountain bike circuit. I spent half a year on the American West Coast, where I learned to surf.

After returning to Switzerland, I finished a three-year commercial training programme and first worked in a metal company. But spending 11 or 12 hours a day in an office was not my idea of fun.

Move to the mountains
I decided to move to the mountains, more precisely to ski-resort town of Andermatt, where I work three or four days a week and spend the rest of my time doing outdoor activities. Andermatt is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps and lives mainly on tourism, one of Switzerland’s most important economic sectors.

I currently work in a snowboard and mountain bike shop, which I am in the process of taking over. My company sells snowboard and biking products along with the corresponding clothing and offers classes in both sports for visitors.

Like many other mountain resorts in Switzerland, Andermatt has been affected by climate change. I have experienced it first hand — winters begin later, and are milder and dryer, while early snow in the fall is often missing and rockslides are more frequent.

The European Alps are among the regions that warm faster than world average — about 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. This warming leads to less snow that stays for shorter periods of time in lower altitudes. The winter and spring seasons are expected to become wetter. Whether this additional precipitation leads to snow coverage or not will heavily depend on actual weather patterns and change from year to year. Winters with good snow coverage will still occur but become less frequent.

Christmas without snow
My shop generates about 75 per cent of revenue during the winter season, one-third alone over Christmas and New Year’s in December and January. This period is crucial for my business. However, today winter is full of surprises, everything is messed up.

In the past, winter used to start in October or November. Today the low-pressure systems over the Atlantic Ocean are missing, so there is no snowfall. My experience is that heavy snowfall doesn’t arrive until March, April or even May. For example, in November 2006 I was able to bike in shorts at an altitude of 2,000 metres.

When the hills remain green around Christmas time visitors don’t come to Andermatt for their holidays. Because of that I lose most of my annual turnover. Besides, a green Christmas also means that the season is essentially over. After that, visitors don’t arrive anymore because in their minds there won’t be any snow later in the season if there isn’t any for the holidays. Oddly enough, this regular pattern is locked in people’s minds. In a winter such as this year’s this mindset has led to a 50 per cent revenue loss for my hardware business (bindings, snowboards). On the clothing side it looks a little better. There I expect a drop of between 20 and 30 per cent.

Fighting climate change with concrete and synthetic foil
For tourism destinations such as Andermatt the consequences of global warming involve additional expenses:

Crevasses are no longer covered with snow, making the preparation of glacier runs increasingly more difficult.
Infrastructures to protect transportation routes, settlement areas and tourism facilities must be expanded, which requires additional funds.
Ski-lift companies fortify their foundations with concrete because melting permafrost renders their summit stations unstable.
Due to a rockslide, the road to Andermatt was closed for four weeks in the summer of 2006, which lead to a massive decline in visitor numbers.
Since summer 2005, Andermatt has covered the top part of its glacier with synthetic foil to prevent the access ramp to the summit station from melting too quickly. An expensive form of protection indeed. The foil does help in places, but it cannot save the glacier from dying.

Betting on summer
I am convinced that I won’t be able to continue operating my winter business until I retire – my shop won’t be able to cope economically with the predicted climate change. And over the medium term I probably won’t be able to keep my ten employees during the winter season. To survive, I will have to expand my operation’s summer offerings. But to do that, I will have to come up with new ideas first.

I would also like to have a family some day. But the climate change makes me feel unsure and concerns me. What kind of planet will my children and their children have to live on?

Scientific review

Reviewed by: Dr Eric Martin, CNRM-GAME/GMME/MC2, Météo-France, Toulouse, France

Cryospheric changes due to observed climate warming are obvious almost everywhere in the world. The observations of Adrian for Andermatt, in the heart of the European Alps, are fully consistent with peer reviewed literature.

I also observed similar changes in the French Alps. Ten years ago, with colleagues, we digitized climatological archives from an experimental field of my lab. Over the last 40 years, the snow cover duration diminished by one week per decade. This site was the Col de Porte (1320m, near Grenoble in France) and was selected last year as a national indicator of climate change in France.

The climate warming in this region has enhanced since the 1980’s. Winters are becoming milder, with less snow at lower elevations in winter. The permafrost, which strengthens the cliffs are melting and therefore rock slides occur more frequently. The warmer summers enhance glacier melting.

IPCC Report Working Group 1: chap 4: change in snow, ice and frozen ground http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-chapter4.pdf
IPCC report Working group 2 chap 1 : Assessment of observed changes and responses in natural and managed systems (§ 1.3.1, Table 1.2) http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg2/ar4-wg2-chapter12.pdf
Laternser,M. andM. Schneebeli, 2003: Long-termsnowclimate trends of the Swiss Alps (1931-99). Int. J. Climatol., 23, 733-750.
Global Change and Mountain Regions: An Overview of Current Knowledge Series: Advances in Global Change Research , Vol. 23 , Huber, Uli M.; Bugmann, Harald K.M.; Reasoner, Mel A. (Eds.), 2005, 650 p.

All articles are subject to scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel.

Wolves retain protection status in Europe

2006-12-01

Strasbourg, France – It is still illegal to hunt wolves throughout Europe, despite a bid by Switzerland to downgrade the animal's protected status.

For the second year in a row, the Swiss authorities proposed transferring the wolf (Canis lupus) from "strictly protected" to "protected" under the Bern Convention on European wildlife conservation. If the Swiss proposal had been approved, it would have allowed some hunting of the species across Europe.

The European Commission, with support from WWF and others, argued that wolf populations have not recovered in most EU member states, and that a further weakening of protection was seen as unnecessary. Croatia, with up to 170 wolves after a long recovery phase, also did not support the downlisting.

“The proposed amendment was unjustified and unnecessary," said Gerald Dick of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “To add insult to injury, the Swiss authorities have cut back on herd protection measures and are now blaming the wolves.”

The decision comes less than a week after a wolf, reported to have killed around 30 sheep, was shot dead in the Swiss canton of Valais. It was one of only around a half a dozen wolves found in Switzerland.

Legally, the convention allows wildlife to be killed under exceptional circumstances, as Switzerland argued after shooting the wolf in Valais a couple of weeks ago.

WWF is considering pressing criminal charges against the local government for their action.

Wolves first returned to the Alps in 1985. Today, more than 100 wolves live in the French and Italian areas of the western Alps. Wolves are dispersing slowly towards Switzerland and the eastern alpine region.

Switzerland has just 3-4 wolves that live along the border with Italy.

For further information:
Gerald Dick, Programme Development Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
Tel: +43 1 48817 212
Email: gerald.dick@wwf.at

Looking for lynx in the Swiss Alps

2006-10-24

By Mark Schulman*

Here kitty kitty, here kitty kitty.

If you think looking for your cat in some remote corner of your house is a daily challenge, try finding its more elusive distant cousin in a forest.

With only 100 believed to be found in the entire Swiss Alps, tracking down the lynx is no easy task. So hard, that a recent lynx excursion in the picture-perfect Simmental Valley in the Bernese Oberland came with a disclaimer that the chances of seeing the pointy-eared feline in its natural habitat were next to zero. Even stumbling across a paw print or a slight sign of its existence, even its scat, could not be guaranteed.

So why even lead such a trip that offers such low expectations?

“The excursion was never actually about seeing a lynx,” said Joanna Schoenenberger, a large carnivore expert with WWF’s European Alpine Programme who led a group of outdoor enthusiasts from the Swiss capital, Bern, through lynx territory.

“It was about introducing people, particularly from the city, to the kind of wildlife that lives right in their backyard, the Alps, and more importantly, about trying to understand the growing conflicts between wildlife and local communities and farmers.”

Linking the lynx
The lynx, like its fellow European predators the brown bear and wolf, was wiped out of Switzerland’s alpine landscape by the end of the 19th century as a result of human population growth, combined with forest conversion for agriculture and logging that saw their habitat encroached upon and their main prey, roe deer, drastically reduced. They were also persecuted by local farmers who saw them as a threat to their livestock, especially when grazing high in the alpine meadows. It is believed the last lynx in the Swiss Alps was killed in 1894, not too far from where our excursion took place.

Fast forward about a 100 years and the situation has changed. As large-scale deforestation came to an end, forest cover increased and deer populations dramatically recovered, creating the right ecological conditions for the lynx to return, albeit with a little help. According to the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, at least 14 lynx were translocated in the 1970s from the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe to the Swiss Alps, making Switzerland one of the first European countries to endorse the re-introduction of this species, as well as grant it legal protection. Today, there are about 100 individuals in Switzerland, consisting of two main populations — one in the northwest Swiss Alps, which includes the Interlaken area, and the other in the Jura Mountains overlooking Lac Léman (or Lake Geneva) and continuing on to France.

“The two populations are not enough,” stressed Schoenenberger. “They are too small and isolated to be viable, and the lack of contact between the populations can lead to a decrease in the genetic pool. We have already observed several lynx with hip problems, a genetic defect that indicates inbreeding.”

According to WWF, the present lynx distribution does not reflect the potential range of the species in the Alps — only 18,100km², less than 10 per cent of the Alp’s entire 192,000km² range, is permanently occupied.

In order to link the lynx, a WWF-supported project was established in Switzerland by the government (coordinated through the Swiss-based KORA Carnivore Research Centre) to restore the endangered cat species across the whole alpine region, particularly trying to link the two main alpine populations between Switzerland and Slovenia. As part of the project, six lynx were translocated in 2001 from the north-western Swiss Alps to suitable areas on the eastern side.

“Connecting the populations is crucial to their survival,” Schoenenberger added. “It’s the only hope we have.”

Lynching the lynx
But not everyone is looking to connect the populations, let alone endorse the return of this carnivore. Many rural communities in Switzerland still retain the notion that the lynx, as well as a handful of wolves and one bear that crossed from Italy last summer, are ferocious killers and a threat to their livestock and livelihoods (even though a majority of sheep mortalities are a result of dog attacks).

One elderly farmer met along the way expressed concern for the safety of his sheep with lynx in the area, and held the predator directly responsible for the decrease in game that once grazed in the nearby forest.

“I used to see many chamois (wild goat) and deer foraging down here in the valley, but since the lynx came back there is now nothing,” he said, pointing to one of his fields up the hill. “I am not so happy about the lynx, but I guess we’ll have to get used to it.”

Some farmers and hunters, however, openly blame conservationists for its reintroduction. Lynx researchers working the Simmental Valley area have been threatened on many occasions by locals and had their tracking equipment damaged. They, and the species they are trying to study, have not been welcome.

Such hostile attitudes are reflected in a recently published Swiss novel, aptly titled Luchs (or Lynx in German), which depicts the conflict between conservationists and local hunters and sheep farmers through the eyes of a young man from the city doing his civil service with lynx researchers in the field.

“The novel is based on my experience as a research volunteer at a time when several lynx were found shot or poisoned in this very valley,” said author Urs Mannhart, who read passages during the lynx excursion.

“The conflict in the book and the events that happen are not far from the truth,” added Mannhart, who was personally threatened and had his tyres slashed when monitoring the lynx in the winter of 2000. “I wrote the book to show how real the hatred for this animal really was.”

Although a protected species within Switzerland and Europe, illegal lynx killings remain the predominant cause of mortality. Government records confirm that 49 lynx have been poached since the 1970s. With current funding for lynx monitoring down and researchers not as often in the field, determining their status in the wild is getting more difficult.

“The real number of illegal lynx killings is estimated to be at least four times the recorded number, as many go unrecorded or uninvestigated,” said Schoenenberger. “This year the numbers of lynx in several key areas have decreased because of poaching. No poacher has ever been convicted.”

Living with lynx
Not all farmers have a death warrant out for the lynx. Konrad Egger, from Zweisimmen in the Simmental Valley, has lost 140 of his sheep to lynx in the past 13 years, and only one-third of his losses have been compensated by the government. Still he is not bitter.

“Despite my losses I can live with some lynx,” said Egger, who unlike many of his fellow farmers, is open to dialogue and came along on the lynx excursion to share his experience. “One shouldn’t poach the lynx, but at the same time they shouldn’t be re-introduced. If there are too many, something needs to be done. They need to be hunted.”

Farmers aren’t the only ones concerned. One woman on the excursion — an elementary school teacher from the nearby alpine resort town of Gstaad — said she wasn’t necessarily against drastic measures if lynx were proving to be a problem.

“The kids love learning about the lynx,” said the woman, a WWF member for 30 years, “but the parents, many who are against the lynx for their attacks on their sheep, are not so happy. I try to be balanced when teaching and discuss the different sides to the problem, but personally, if there are too many lynx or too many attacks I am not opposed to shooting them.”

The gap between attitudes towards the lynx is still broad. That is why groups like WWF are working on educating and involving local communities, especially when it comes to lynx management.

“The return of large predators to our densely populated region represents a big challenge,” Schoenenberger added. “The only probability of success lies with sensitizing and informing the general population, particularly local communities living within lynx territory.

One method to deal with livestock attacks has been the introduction of guard dogs, a protection technique that disappeared long ago with the disappearance of the lynx, as well as the wolf. In an attempt to bring back the traditional use of guard dogs after many generations in Switzerland, WWF offers advice on how to choose the right animals for protection. Great Pyreneans and Maremmano-Abruzzeses are two breeds that have proven effective. Other changes to farmers’ herding practices, including the use of electric fences, provide additional livestock protection from carnivore predation.

More excursions into lynx country are also part of an ongoing plan to educate people from all walks of Swiss life about their environment, the Alps, and the many species that live there.

“Lynx need support to regain their once lost territory and our tolerance,” Schoenenberger said. “People need to want the lynx if they’re going to survive here.”

“The future of the lynx in the Alps depends on cooperation and on solutions on how to co-exist with large carnivores,” she added. “In the end, natural diversity will depend on cultural diversity.”

* Mark Schulman is Managing Editor at WWF International, based in Gland, Switzerland.

END NOTES:

• The Alps are one of the largest and highest mountain ranges in the world, covering some 192,000km² of land area, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. About 13 million people live in the Alps in over 6,000 communities.

• There are an estimated 8,000 lynx throughout Europe. The lynx population in the Carpathians is estimated at about 2,900 (KORA, 2001), the densest in Europe.

• The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the third largest predator in Europe after the brown bear and the wolf. Adults weigh between 15–28kg, and the body length ranges from 90–110cm. Males are larger than females, and individuals from the species’ northern and eastern geographical range tend to be larger than those from southern and western areas. There are four species of lynx, but one, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), is close to extinction with only 100 left in the wild. The other two species are the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus), which is native to North America.

First ever eco-friendly soy arrives in Switzerland

2006-06-27

Gland, Switzerland – The first ever shipment of environment-friendly soy has arrived at the Swiss port city of Basel on the Rhine River, WWF announced today.

The 1,000 tons of soy pellets have been imported by Fenaco, Switzerland’s largest soy importer. The soy was entirely produced in compliance with the Basel Criteria, a series of guidelines established by WWF and Swiss retailer Coop in 2004 to ensure an ecologically and socially responsible production.

According to WWF, expanding soybean cultivation is likely to destroy nearly 22 million hectares of tropical forests and savannah in South America by 2020 — an area equivalent to five times the size of Switzerland. But soy produced in compliance with the Basel Criteria will not have been grown at the expense of primary vegetation, WWF says.

“This first shipment, although small, is proof that soy can be produced and sourced in a way that respects both people and nature. The soy industry has no more excuse not to act more responsibly,” said Duncan Pollard, Director of WWF’s Global Forest Programme.

“Producers need to move from clearing virgin habitats to more efficient land use and agricultural practices, such as growing soy on existing pastures alternately with cattle ranching.”

Approximately 210 million tons of soy were produced in the world in 2005, mainly to feed pigs, chickens and cattle in order to meet increasing meat consumption worldwide.

In addition to environmental standards, the Basel Criteria also enforce minimum social standards such as living wages and a ban on child or forced labour. According to WWF, the soy industry has been known to offer bad working conditions and even cause social conflicts.

Two major Brazilian suppliers have now been certified according to the Basel Criteria, but WWF and its partner Coop hope that additional companies will follow these examples. They also hope that eventually all suppliers of meat and dairy products in Switzerland and around Europe will demand environment-friendly soy.

With the effort of Fenaco to increase its imports of environment-friendly soy, nearly one-third of all soy needed to feed animals in Switzerland will now meet the Basel Criteria. The importer also committed not to raise the price of certified soy in the near future.

“Since consumers don’t have to pay more for certified soy than for conventional GMO-free soy, it should be an easy decision to make,” said Thomas Vellacott, Programme Director of WWF Switzerland.

“We believe that the Basel Criteria will also encourage soy producers, agents, retailers and meat and dairy producers to commit to environment-friendly soy in the mid-term.”

WWF, Coop and other interested partners have launched an international process, the Roundtable on Responsible Soy, with the goal to develop broad-based criteria for responsible soy production at a worldwide level. The Basel Criteria are an important step in this direction, WWF says.

END NOTES:

1. The Basel Criteria in brief:
• No conversion of primary vegetation and High Conservation Value Areas (HCVA) to agriculture land after 2004; compensatory measures for conversions between 1995 and 2004
• No use of genetically-modified organisms and material
• Maintaining soil and water quality by introducing better management practices
• Enforcing social standards, e.g. living wages and ban on child or forced labour
• Full traceability and independent control throughout the supply chain

2. Key facts and figures in brief:
• Annual soy production worldwide: approx. 210 million tons (2005)
• Annual soy consumption for animal feed in the EU: approx. 25 million tons (2002)
• Annual soy consumption for animal feed for overall food supply in Switzerland (incl. consumption for imported meat, eggs etc.): approx. 460,000 tons
• Annual Swiss soy imports for animal feed production: 225,000 to 250,000 tons
• Agricultural area required for 460,000 tons of soy: 170,000 hectares

3. The following companies and organizations support soy in compliance with Basel Criteria: In Switzerland: Coop (retailer), Fenaco (soy importer, compound feedstuff producer), Baer (dairy product manufacturer), Egli (importer), Swiss Farmers’ Association, Cert-ID (certifier), IQS/TÜV Rheinland (certifier). In Brazil: IMCOPA (producer), Agrenco (producer).

For further information:
Thomas Vellacott, Programme Director
WWF-Switzerland
+41 79 291 95 72
E-mail: thomas.vellacott@wwf.ch

Soh Koon Chng, Communications Manager
WWF Global Forest Programme
Tel: +41 22 364 9018

Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
Tel: +41 22 364 9554

Europe losing species and habitats at a dramatic rate

2006-06-02

Gland, Switzerland – According to a series of surveys carried out by WWF and its partners as part of the European Habitats Forum (EHF), the diversity of Europe’s wildlife and habitats continues to be lost at a dramatic rate.

The case studies, presented in Brussels today in the closing stages of the European Commission’s Green Week, assessed 19 different species and eight habitats across Europe. They show that over 60 per cent of the species and habitats studied have a “bad” conservation status under EU criteria. Another 22 per cent could not be classified due to lack of data.

Among the species surveyed, the conservation status of Eurasian lynx in the Alps and brown bear in Austria was assessed as “bad” and loggerhead turtle as “inadequate”. The small population of bears in central Austria has decreased by about 50 per cent in the last seven years.

These new assessments confirm the European Environment Agency’s previous figures on biodiversity loss — 52 per cent of freshwater fish, 42 per cent of native mammals and 45 per cent of butterflies and reptiles are threatened in Europe.

Populations of butterfly and bird species linked to different habitat types across Europe have declined by between 2 and 37 per cent over the past 30 years.

EHF experts blame direct human influences as the main reason for reported trends. These include the use of pesticides or fertilisers, urbanisation, soil pollution, drainage, modification of cultivation practices, development and infrastructure issues, agriculture and forestry practices, as well as trapping, poisoning and poaching.

WWF says this is an indication that the EU must take immediate action to meet its target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 set in Göteborg, Sweden, in 2001.

“On this evidence, the European heads of state and governments will miss their goal to save nature in Europe,” said Tony Long, Director of WWF’s European Policy Office. “WWF and its partners are revealing the appalling conservation status for many European species and habitats. Only political commitment to put the loss of nature on a par with climate change will be enough to turn these alarming trends around.”

EHF experts urge the EU Member States to properly implement the Birds and Habitats Directives — the cornerstones of European environmental legislation — by designating enough Natura 2000 sites, managing threatened species, and financing measures which are needed for the survival of species.

Natura 2000 is a European-wide network of protected areas. The report shows that the successful and effective implementation of Natura 2000 sites is crucial to safeguard biodiversity in Europe.

“The EU has the necessary legislation to protect threatened species and habitats,” said Gerald Dick of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “But it must close the implementation gap. This means managing these special conservation sites in the right way. Member States must prepare their national financial plans to finance the 2010 target.”

END NOTES:

• The report, Towards European Biodiversity Monitoring, was produced by WWF, IUCN, NABU, Birdlife, RSPB, Plantlife, KORA, Veronica, CVL, The Bat Conservation Trust, The Herpetological Conservation Trust, Countdown 2010 and Daphne.

• The species and habitats surveyed by EHF experts are:

Animals: wolf (Canis lupus); lynx (Lynx lynx); brown bear (Ursus arctos); loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta); bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus); stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus); great white egret (Casmerodius albus); nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus); white tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla); European fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina); yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata); natterjack toad (Bufo calamita); sand lizard (Lacerta agilis); and lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)

Plants: slender green feather-moss (Drepanocladus vernicosus); early gentian (Gentianella anglica); petalwort (Petallophyllum ralfsii); warnstorf's peat moss (Sphagnum warnstorfii); and acute-leaved peat moss (Shpagnum capillifolium)

Habitats: bogs, peat, fens, springs as well as cork oak forests

For further information:
Gerald Dick, European Coordinator
WWF Global Species Programme
Tel: +43 1 488 17 212
E-mail: gerald.dick@wwf.at

Janice Weatherley, IUCN/EHF Secretariat
Tel: +32 2 739 30 03
E-mail: janice.weatherley@iucn.org

Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
Tel: +41 22 364 9554
E-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org