World Wide Fund for Nature

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World Wide Fund for Nature

Abbreviation	WWF
Formation	29 April 1961
Founder	Julian Huxley, Max Nicholson, Peter Scott, Guy Mountfort, Godfrey A. Rockefeller
Type	International non-governmental organization
Purpose	Environmental conservation
Headquarters	Gland, Switzerland
Region served	Worldwide
President	Pavan Sukhdev
Director General	Marco Lambertini

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of the wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment. The WWF was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.

History

The WWF was conceived on 29 April 1961, under the name World Wildlife Fund, by a group of passionate and concerned individuals including Julian Huxley, Max Nicholson, Peter Scott, Guy Mountfort, and Godfrey A. Rockefeller. The organization was established to act as an international fundraising body to support existing conservation groups, primarily the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Mission and Objectives

The mission of the WWF is "to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature." The organization focuses on several key areas:

• Biodiversity conservation
• Sustainable use of renewable natural resources
• Reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

Key Initiatives

WWF's work is organized around six key areas:

• Forests
• Marine
• Freshwater
• Wildlife
• Food
• Climate

Forests

WWF works to protect the world's most important forests, including the Amazon Rainforest, the Congo Basin, and the Borneo and Sumatra forests.

Marine

WWF aims to protect marine ecosystems and species, focusing on areas such as the Coral Triangle, the Arctic, and the Southern Ocean.

Freshwater

WWF works to secure freshwater ecosystems, focusing on major river basins like the Amazon River, the Yangtze River, and the Mekong River.

Wildlife

WWF focuses on the conservation of key species such as tigers, elephants, rhinos, and pandas.

Food

WWF promotes sustainable food systems to reduce the environmental impact of food production and consumption.

Climate

WWF works to combat climate change by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency, and by advocating for strong climate policies.

Organizational Structure

WWF operates in over 100 countries and has more than 5 million supporters worldwide. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and is led by a President and a Director General.

Related Pages

• Conservation movement
• Environmentalism
• International Union for Conservation of Nature
• Greenpeace
• Friends of the Earth

See Also

• Biodiversity
• Climate change
• Sustainable development
• Wildlife conservation

Categories

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