Over 40% of coral species face extinction – IUCN Red List

The CITES trade database currently holds 7 million records of trade in wildlife and 50,000 scientific names of taxa listed by CITES. It is managed by UNEP-WCMC on behalf of the CITES Secretariat. Trade data can be searched by year, taxon, purpose, or importing / exporting country. The complete database can be downloaded (version 2023.1).

The CITES Trade Database can be queried using the novice querying route (a step by step by wizard) or the expert query route (for those already familiar with CITES trade data).

A Guide to Interpreting Outputs from the UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database is available.

The RLI monitors trends in extinction risk over time and is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It tracks the conservation status of major species groups, and has been applied so far to birds, mammals, cycads, amphibians, corals. The data can be disaggregated by region, or country.

How to use

For details of the RLI process and to see results: https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/red-list-index

Connectivity conservation is essential for managing healthy ecosystems, conserving biodiversity and adapting to climate change across all biomes and spatial scales. Well-connected ecosystems support a diversity of ecological functions such as migration, hydrology, nutrient cycling, pollination, seed dispersal, food security, climate resilience and disease resistance. These Guidelines are based on the best available science and practice for maintaining, enhancing and restoring ecological connectivity among and between protected areas, other effective areas based conservation measures (OECMs) and other intact ecosystems. For the first time, this publication introduces a common definition and recommends formal recognition of ecological corridors to serve as critical building blocks of ecological networks in conjunction with protected areas and OECMs. Furthermore, these Guidelines also include 25 case studies that demonstrate current approaches to conserving ecological connectivity and ecological networks for different ecosystems and species, and at different spatial and temporal scales.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (the Red List) is the globally recognised standard on assessing extinction risk. Red List assessments are used by the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES, other inter-governmental agreements, national governments, and conservation planners.  The Red List assigns species into one of 8 categories based on 5 criteria, all with quantitative thresholds. The three highest categories of threat – Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable – are collectively considered ‘Threatened’. The Red List process has been formalized to support objectivity and scientific rigour. Red List assessments are carried out by SSC Red List Authorities, Red List Partners, IUCN staff, and regional and national agencies. In addition, Red List assessments provide a compendium of information on species, (taxonomy, geographic range, population, habitat and ecology, threats, conservation actions). The Red List operates at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for application at national or regional levels have been developed and the National Red List Working Group provides additional support.

Red List Authorities have been established for all major taxonomic groups included on the IUCN Red List. In most cases, the RLA is a sub-group within an IUCN SSC Specialist Group responsible for the species, groups of species or species within a specific geographic area. There are some exceptions; for example, BirdLife International is the designated RLA for all birds.

The process is guided by Rules of Procedure, supported by guidelines on application of the Red List Categories and Criteria, the Species Information Service (SIS) data entry and management system, and certification for assessors and RL trainers. All these materials can be downloaded, free, from the Red List website. A free, online training course for Red List assessors, is available.

Species can be assessed for the Red List at global, regional, and national levels. Guidelines for the Regional (and national) Application of the Categories and Criteria have been developed and support for development of national Red Lists is available from the National Red List Working Group.

How to use

• To check the global Red List status of a species and access the supporting information, visit the species assessment page on the Red List website
• To download the Red List Categories and Criteria, Guidelines, Rules of Procedure, and Guidelines for Application at Regional Level go the Red List resources
• To initiate or to contribute to a global assessment, contact the Chair of the relevant IUCN SSC Specialist Group or Red List Authority, for birds, see BirdLife International
• For taxonomic groups not listed, contact the relevant IUCN SSC Conservation Committee: Marine, Invertebrate, Plant, Fungi, Freshwater, Red List, Standards and Petitions.
• To develop a National Red List for a species or group of species visit the National Red List Working Group
• To obtain details or register for an online Red List training course: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/online

The Rufford Foundation is a UK registered charity which funds nature conservation projects across the developing world.

The flagship Rufford Small Grants Programme gives funding to individuals working in developing countries who are starting on the ladder of conservation research and establishing pilot programmes. In some cases, if their work progresses well, these individuals may apply for one of the further grants from the Foundation. Since the Rufford Small Grants Programme was set up over 20 years ago, it has given in excess of £30 million through more than 5100 grants to projects in over 150 countries. The programme identifies scientists at the very early stages of their careers and provides targeted support to enable them to achieve their goal of making a difference in terms of conservation. Many recipients have gone on to be key influencers at a national and sometimes global level

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes, are some of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth, and are vital to mitigating the impacts of climate change. They are also critical for coastal biodiversity, food security, livelihoods and human well-being, in addition to climate adaptation – protecting millions of people globally from the impacts of storms, coastal flooding and erosion. However, these ecosystems are threatened – half of global mangrove forests have already been lost – and once these ecosystems are degraded or destroyed, their carbon stores are released as carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. This policy framework, developed by Conservation International and IUCN, provides an overview of the intersections and opportunities for blue carbon ecosystem conservation and restoration in the relevant international policy processes.

KBAs are sites that ‘contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems’. KBAs are identified on the basis of species or ecosystems, according to five criteria and 11 subcriteria, all supported by quantitative thresholds. The KBA Global Standard details the criteria and subcriteria. KBA sites must meet one of the criteria and be clearly delineated. Proposed sites are independently reviewed and once accepted are included in the World Database of KBAs.

KBAs are normally identified by a KBA National Coordination Group (NCG). However, anyone with appropriate data may propose a site as a KBA, but they are they are encouraged to work with the NCG if one exists and consultation with relevant stakeholders at the local and national level is required and needs to be documented in the proposal. Where a KBA NCG has not yet been established, proposers submit a site proposal directly.

The Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership is composed of 13 leading international organizations including IUCN. It maintains a KBA Committee, Secretariat, a Technical Working Group, a KBA Consultative Forum, and the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. An independent KBA Standards and Appeals Committee has been established under the authority of the elected SSC and WCPA Chairs.

How to use

• To download the KBA Standard, criteria, and guidelines, and for further information: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/home
• To explore maps and site details on the World Database of KBAS: https://wdkba.keybiodiversityareas.org
• For guidance on the role of KBA National Coordination Groups and how to establish them: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/working-with-kbas/programme/national-coordination-groups

This Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy reaffirms and further strengthens IUCN’s commitment to realising gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment and puts into place requirements for embedding a gender-responsive approach into its Programme and project portfolio. Another publication Gender equality for greener and bluer futures: why women’s leadership matters for realising environmental goals includes new IUCN data on the number of women leading environmental ministries, compared with previous data. It also highlights data on why gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for global goals on achieving an inclusive and sustainable future.

The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a user-friendly framework for the verification, design, and scaling up of NbS. The Standard contains 8 Criteria and 28 Indicators and  aims to provides users with a robust framework for designing NbS. The Standard is designed to support users to apply, strengthen, and improve the effectiveness, sustainability, and adaptability of their NbS interventions. It also provides a mechanism for developing a consistent approach to NbS.

This paper, produced in 2023, provides recommendations on implementing Target 15(a), especially the way governments can take legal, administrative, or policy measures to:

1) Encourage and enable businesses to regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity; and

2) Require all large, and transnational companies and financial institutions do so, including along their operations, supply and value chains, and portfolios. The paper also contains information, resources and capacity-building opportunities, recommendations for businesses to act now on assessment and disclosure, and case studies of government policies and business action on disclosure. The paper focuses on paragraph 15(a) as the most urgent starting point to ensure business and financial institutions are assessing and disclosing nature-related risks, dependencies, and impacts, and that this information is included in all decision-making by the private sector, finance, and governments.

The Species+ website was developed jointly by UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat to assist Parties to implement CITES, CMS and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Species+ contains information on all species listed in the Appendices of CITES and CMS, other CMS Family listings, and in the Annexes to the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The species pages contain information on legal, species names and distribution, Appendix listings, references, and other documentation.

The data can be searched by species, location, or Convention. The “Locations” filter allows a search for a species or group of species occurring in a particular country, territory, or region.

Key species lists can be downloaded in an Excel-ready format as a csv file. The terms of use should be reviewed prior to downloading.

Global Invasive Alien Species Information Partnership (GIASI Partnership) supports CBD Parties who are committed to implementing the various decisions under the CBD pertaining to the prevention, eradication, and control of invasive alien species.