A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

As WWF approaches its 60th anniversary, the challenges facing the planet have never been more serious. The next decade will be crucial in determining the future of the planet and WWF is committed to applying its expertise to ensure the best possible outcome. It is a genuine privilege and honour to become chair of such an outstanding organisation at such a vital moment in the fight for our world. I would like to thank Sir Andrew Cahn for all his hard work during the past six years as my predecessor. His are large shoes to fill but I shall endeavour to carry on all his great work. Those who started WWF saw the mass destruction of animals and their habitats and acted to “harness public opinion and educate the world about the necessity for conservation”. Since those early days, WWF has evolved. In addition to its heartland work of protecting wildlife it is now also focused on tackling the underlying root causes driving nature loss, including fixing food production and a major step change in efforts to combat climate change. WWF’s work is possible thanks to its incredible supporters, but also because of the wonderful people who work for it. I’d like to thank colleagues for how welcoming and generous they have been in introducing me to the workings and capabilities of the organisation. People ask me why I joined WWF and I can now simply point to David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet – Sir David’s moving witness statement, made in collaboration with WWF. The film is a poignant rallying cry for all of us to act now. In it, he makes clear we have just 10 years to make the decisions necessary for the recovery of the natural world. It’s time for us all to make some changes and I want to contribute to those changes actually happening. We know the devastating impact humans have had on both nature and climate. The recent images of fires in the Amazon, California and Australia stand as stark symbols of humanity’s wanton destruction of nature and, twinned with the Covid-19 pandemic, they show just how fragile our world is. The way we live our lives threatens the very survival of all life on Earth. Over the next decade, we face a triple challenge: to meet the needs of a growing human population against a backdrop of a dramatically changing climate and a biodiversity crisis across land and sea. We are two years into an ambitious strategy that aims to meet this challenge by addressing squarely the issues of a sustainable and fair global food and agriculture system; averting dangerous climate change and safeguarding the polar regions; and protecting and restoring threatened habitats and species, while supporting communities and indigenous peoples. WWF has always attracted the very best people to match its ambition. The skills, knowledge and expertise of the teams assembled by Tanya Steele and the executive group are exceptional and best placed to deliver our strategy in difficult times. I’m obviously aware of the strains and pressures of the coronavirus outbreak and wish to pass on my gratitude for the way colleagues have conducted themselves and carried on this great work in recent months. However good our strategy and staff are, we cannot restore nature alone. We need our supporters, and we need to work even better with governments, businesses, other NGOs, the media and the public in greater and bolder collaborations and we need to take a lead to put things right. I know from my career in retail just what huge efforts the sector is putting in to addressing nature loss, but I also know there is so much more to be done. Without increased cross-sector support we will not deliver the huge shifts needed to see a significant upswing in nature’s vital signs by 2030. We must also be better at addressing our failings and things we’ve got wrong. The findings of the independent review launched by WWF International into allegations of abuses in our conservation work (see more information on page 14) will be learned from and any changes to governance processes or safeguarding procedures not already made will be done so swiftly. As an organisation, WWF works in some of the most difficult parts of the world but we must not let these challenges distract us from our commitment that the conservation of nature must be achieved in harmony with people and an unflinching respect for human rights. No words can express the sorrow we feel for those affected. Such actions go against all our values. Good governance is essential for any successful organisation. It drives improvement and impact by allowing considered risk-taking. A clear governance framework empowers teams by providing clarity and assurances so they may achieve true and lasting change.

“I joined WWF to help make a difference; to try to tackle the hardest problem humankind has ever faced. We can all do something, and together we can save the one place we all call home.”

We didn’t wait until receiving the findings of the review to start improvements to our governance practices and protocols (see page 29). And we will not stop until we are sure WWF, the places we work and, most importantly, the people we work with are protected without exception. We have already adopted new values and codes of conduct across all our global offices and have trained all 7,500 members of staff in our network on safeguarding. It is important for everyone connected to WWF, and those who are not, that we uphold the very highest standards in how we operate and how we treat others. Next year is not only a landmark in the history of WWF, it is a vital year for the future of the planet. Sir David Attenborough has lit the touch paper for action, and it is for us all to respond, whether as individuals deciding what to have for dinner, businesses considering new manufacturing methods, or politicians voting on new environmental laws. Next year’s G7 and COP26 are both in the UK, which gives our country a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show leadership and secure deals that will have a positive effect for future generations. It’s an opportunity that cannot be missed. I joined WWF to help make a difference; to try to tackle the hardest problem humankind has ever faced. You can make a difference too. Whether it’s to stop waste as Sir David asks us to, sign our petition calling on the UK government to #StandUpForNature, or join WWF with one of our memberships. We can all do something, and together we can save the one place we all call home.

Dave Lewis

© ANDREW PARSONS / PARSONS MEDIA