building influence

Question 1

building relationships

Answer 1

• develop relationships with conservation minded officials
• provide expert advice to bureaucrats, private sector employers etc regarding threats and possible solutions

Question 2

create standards

Answer 2

• e.g. criteria for licenses for businesses
• allows compliance with laws and commitments to be measured and evaluated

Question 3

frame issues

Answer 3

• shape how people think about conservation issues
• promote public and media interest in solutions and actions

Question 4

take direct action

Answer 4

• acquire and manage land
• breed captive populations of endangered species

Question 5

advocacy

Answer 5

• invited to important decision-making forums
• being listened to and respected
• sustain long-term access to those in power

Question 6

campaigning

Answer 6

• increasing cost of inaction to more than cost of action
• for governments, motivated by popularity, negative media stories and difficult questions from opposition
• for corporations, motivated by money, consumer boycotts, pointing out infringements leading to loss of licenses, loss of valuable and in demand specialist employees, loss or brand value, associated with environmental destruction

Question 7

framing issues by influencing culture

Answer 7

• align with issues that are most important and meaningful for people and create a compelling narrative
• cultural and national identity, health and wellbeing, self realisation, adventure, compassion and concern for others
• e.g. Greenpeace campaign to save the whale (1970), framed as ‘David and Goliath’ fight, activists vs massive whaling ships, Cold war (soviet whalers), people power, lead to global moratorium
• e.g. climate change, story of the polar bear, smaller scale, more understandable and engaging

Question 8

biophilia

Answer 8

• concept developed by Edward Wilson
• humans have an innate affiliation with the natural world and living systems therefore should be natural conservationists
• industries want to be associated positively with the natural world

Question 9

regulatory frameworks, conservation policy

Answer 9

• framed by scientists, policy experts, senior bureaucrats, advisors invited to panels, large international events and small working groups e.g. COP, CITES, EU common agricultural policy
• conservation organisations join these communities and events and push for conservation values to be incorporated into policies

Question 10

establishment of CITES (1973)

Answer 10

• convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
• Regulates trade in endangered species, trade in wildlife should not endanger wild populations
• IUCN prepared and circulated draft to 90 governments and international organisations
• US Government unimpressed with first draft
• Audubon Society (conservation charity) worked with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), produced a new draft to satisfy US Government
• formed the basis for discussions at international conference
• resulted in international treaty, signed by 173 countries
• since then, only one species has gone extinct due to wildlife trade (Spix’s Macaw)

Question 11

establishment of European Birds Directive (1979)

Answer 11

• International Council for Bird Preservation
  (ICBP) worked with European Commission to develop Birds Directive
• imposed controls on hunting, killing and trading wild birds
• required EC countries to designate Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for protection of rare and endangered species,
• made major contribution to Europe’s network of protected areas (Natura 2000), world’s largest network of protected areas

Question 12

categorisation and assessment schemes

Answer 12

• required for consistent implementation of international treaties and directives
• simplify nature into quantifiable manageable forms
• e.g. CITES red data book, European birds directive

Question 13

European birds directive

Answer 13

• inventory of important bird areas
• also published list, allows citizens to hold government to account
• new EU member states required to identify SPAs

Question 14

CITES red data book

Answer 14

classifies frequently traded species into
- extinct
- endangered
- vulnerable
- rare
- indeterminate
indicates how each species should be treated and allows compliance of countries to be monitored

Question 15

issuing practice guidelines

Answer 15

• advise governments how to implement conservation treaties and directives
• must be issued by credible authority
• conservation organisations often play a major role
• e.g. CITES animal committee, publishes guidelines on how to determine whether a trade is detrimental to a wild population

Question 16

capacity building

Answer 16

• improves expertise and skills of local conservation groups
• writing manuals
• running training workshops
• working with staff in partner organisations

Question 17

limitations of regulations

Answer 17

• governments may lack will or authority to enforce regulations
• lengthy processes e.g. it may take years for a newly discovered species to be listed in CITES, could be collected to extinction before regulation comes into effect

Question 18

Yavia cryptocarpa cactus

Answer 18

• discovered in Argentina
• cacti are vulnerable to being collected and traded as they are easy to transport but slow growing
• British Cactus and Succulent society realised it could be rapidly collected to extinction
• asked to delay announcement of discovery
• propagated cactus artificially and offered seeds for sale at same time as announcement of discovery was made

Question 19

certification

Answer 19

• market based categorisation schemes
• verifiable standards and criteria
• provide consumers with confidence of sustainability and traceablility
• e.g. FSC, MSC, RA
• issues with enforcement and traceability over all stages of manufacturing/processing

Question 20

APRIL

Answer 20

• large pulp and paper mill Sumatra, Indonesia
• used timber of unknown origin, no questions asked (probably illegal rainforest timber)
• informal network of conservation groups e.g. friends of the earth Finland and UK, local indigenous groups targeted factory
• first targeted wholesalers of paper products from APRIL, campaigning for consumer boycotts
• also targeted banks who lent money to APRIL, many of them had signed up to principles of ethical investment
• WWF worked with APRIL to find solutions
• adopted FSC standard, tightened timber procurement and set aside block of forest for new national park