How are Global Warming
and Biodiversity Connected?
WHAT IS IUCN?
Figure 1. IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organizations established in 1948. Its secretariat is headquartered in Switzerland and comprises around 900 staff in more than 50 countries. There are six commissions focused on species survival, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication.
It provides public, private, and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together.
IUCN congresses have produced several key international environmental agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the World Heritage Convention, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
WHAT IS THE RED LIST?
The IUCN Red List was published in 1964 and has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animals, fungi, and plant species. It is a critical indicator of the world’s biodiversity health condition. It provides information about range, population size, habitat, ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions. To date, many species groups including mammals, amphibians, birds, reef-building corals, and conifers have been comprehensively assessed in this list. As well as assessing newly recognized species, the IUCN Red List also re-assesses the status of some existing species.
Currently, there are more than 150,300 species on The IUCN Red List, with more than 42,100 species threatened with extinction. It includes 41% of amphibians, 37% of sharks and rays, 36% of reef-building corals, 34% of conifers, 27% of mammals, and 13% of birds.
This list warns us to act for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting natural resources.