Julia Marton-Lefèvre

Julia Marton-Lefèvre is the Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Photo: IUCN

Summary / Synopsis
Governments need to urgently identify how ambition can be raised on climate
[UNEP, 21/11/2012]
 
UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and... Suite
Organized Crime Trade Worth over US$30 Billion Responsible for up to 90% of Tropical Deforestation
[UNEP, 27/09/2012]
 
UNEP: Created in 1972, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, is the highest environmental authority in the United Nations system. The Programme is an “advocate, educator, catalyst and... Suite
Rio+20 : Focusing on the solutions
[Julia Marton-Lefèvre, 16/05/2012]
Rio+20 : Focusing on the solutions Julia Marton-Lefèvre is the Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Photo: IUCN Suite
China’s Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion?
[Jon R. Luoma, 17/01/2012]
China’s Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion? Jon R. Luoma, a contributing editor at Audubon, has written about environmental and science topics for The New York Times, and for such magazines as National Geographic and Discover. In previous... Suite
Mountain forests under threat
[FAO, 09/12/2011]
Mountain forests under threat The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its... Suite
Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative
[Don Cheadle, 04/02/2011]
Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative Don Cheadle, an award-winning American actor, rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s In addition, he played the lead in the movie Traitor, which was directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff... Suite
Restoring our forests, the Mau Forests Complex, Kenya
[Wangari Maathai, 26/09/2011]
Restoring our forests, the Mau Forests Complex, Kenya @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";... Suite
Li Bingbing : "Chinese forests: Our Lifeline for Sustained Prosperity"
[Li Bingbing, 02/05/2011]
Li Bingbing : "Chinese forests: Our Lifeline for Sustained Prosperity" Li Bingbing, one of China’s most popular actresses, is well known for her achievements both on and off the screen. Her latest movie is Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Throughout... Suite
Sachin Tendulkar : "it would be selfish of me to think though that I am the only one that needs trees."
[Sachin Tendulkar, 10/04/2011]
Sachin Tendulkar : "it would be selfish of me to think though that I am the only one that needs trees." Sachin Tendulkar - UNEP Goodwill Ambassador - is the first player to score fifty centuries in all international cricket. He is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the... Suite
Will intensified farming save the rainforests?
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/02/2011]
Will intensified farming save the rainforests? Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
Seing the forest through the trees
[Yann Arthus-Bertrand, 02/02/2011]
Seing the forest through the trees Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a famous photographer. He has always had a passion for the animal world and the natural environment. In 1991 he founded Altitude, the world’s first aerial photography agency... Suite
Russia is Burning
[Yevgenia Albats, 10/08/2010]
Russia is Burning Yevgenia Albats is Professor of Political Science at The Higher School of Economics and Editor of The New Times Magazine. Suite
What’s Killing the Great Forests of the American West?
[Jim Robbins, 15/03/2010]
What’s Killing the Great Forests of the American West? Jim Robbins is a veteran journalist based in Helena, Montana. He has written for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and numerous other publications. His fifth book, The Forgotten Forest, about... Suite
Roads are ruining the rainforests
[William F. Laurance, New Scientist, 30/08/2009]
Roads are ruining the rainforests William F. Laurance is a biologist in the research department at The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama which studies tropical nature and its importance for human well-being. Its... Suite
Seeing REDD in the Amazon: a win for people, trees and climate
[Virgilio Viana, 15/03/2009]
Seeing REDD in the Amazon: a win for people, trees and climate Professor Virgílio Viana is one of Brazil’s leading experts on forestry, environment and sustainable development. He served as Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development and is... Suite
Oil companies ‘should withdraw’ as Peru ‘faces its Tiananmen’
[Survival, 08/06/2009]
Oil companies ‘should withdraw’ as Peru ‘faces its Tiananmen’ Survival is an international organization supporting tribal peoples worldwide, founded in 1969 after an article by Norman Lewis in the UK's Sunday Times which highlighted the massacres, land thefts... Suite
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations
[Olivier BOUYER, 31/12/2008]
Focus on deforestation in the climate-energy negociations Olivier BOUYER est Ingénieur du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts. Il a participé à la conférence de Poznan (en 2008) avec la délégation française comme chargé de mission “effet de serre et forêt””... Suite
The Other Carbon Economy
[Vandana Shiva, Resurgence, 01/05/2008]
The Other Carbon Economy Vandana Shiva (India): Physicist, epistemologist, ecologist, and Indian feminist with a PhD in the philosophy of science. She founded “Navdanya,” an association which works to protect biodiversity... Suite
Forest destruction: The road to ruin
[William F. Laurance, 06/06/2007]
Forest destruction: The road to ruin William F. Laurance is a biologist in the research department at The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama which studies tropical nature and its importance for human well-being. Its... Suite
Look, no carbon footprint!
[Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 09/03/2007]
Look, no carbon footprint! Fred Pearce is journalist specialized in the environment and development. He was born in the United Kingdom and studied geography in the University of Cambridge. His latest book is When the Rivers... Suite
Forests in France
[Thierry Jaccaud, L'écologiste, 01/07/2007]
Forests in France Thierry Jaccaud is chief editor of the magazine L’Ecologiste (french version of The Ecologist) since its creation in 2000. He graduated with honors from the Higher Institute for Environmental... Suite
The ambiguous role that forests play in relation to climate
[Nathalie de NOBLET-DUCOUDRE, La Recherche, 01/12/2007]
The ambiguous role that forests play in relation to climate Nathalie de NOBLET-DUCOUDRE is a researcher at the LSCE (environment and climate sciences laboratory). She studies climate evolution, the role of man, and biogeochemical cycles which affect climate... Suite
Forest Services
[Lester Brown, Worldwatch Institute, 01/01/2007]
Forest Services Lester Russel Brown, famous author of more than 50 books on the environment and founder of the Worldwatch Institute in the United States, urges us to become more aware of the many services forests... Suite

Rio+20 : Focusing on the solutions

16/05/2012 10:11 am

Twenty years after the Earth Summit, none of the biodiversity indicators are positive. How can this situation be explained?

Twenty years after the Earth Summit, none of the biodiversity indicators are positive. How can this situation be explained?

We did not manage to successfully highlight the fact that nature is the cornerstone of life on Earth. And yet, the facts are there. We have the information but we have only managed to convey it successfully to those who already know about the biodiversity crisis and are truly concerned about it. This is partly because we place too much emphasis on negative indicators and not enough emphasis on what each individual can do to influence politics. We have focused too much on the problems but not enough on solutions.

Based on these observations, what is your assessment of the past twenty years of biodiversity preservation?

Even though all the indicators are on the decline, there are still certain successes that should be highlighted. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which has 193 countries as Parties to the Agreement is virtually a universal agreement which has led to a lot of field action. And in 2010, the Nagoya conference offered a political answer to the biodiversity crisis. The tools that were adopted there have provided a solid work base and a global framework for action that will enable us to improve biodiversity conservation if it is adopted at a national level. However, we still need ties between scientific knowledge and the decision-making processes. We must really improve communication and interaction between scientists, decision-makers and the public.

Over the past twenty years, has there been a change in the way biodiversity protection is conceived?

Of course. Whereas for a long time, reserves were created without men, sometimes by driving away populations, we now know that local populations must be involved in field action programmes. They know how to manage nature in a sustainable way because they depend on it directly and they have been preserving it for thousands of years. Moreover, even though nature is invaluable, giving it an economic value can be an effective way of helping to preserve it. This was the aim of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). Now, the major challenge will be to introduce such thinking within realistic policies so that biodiversity will be fully considered by decision-makers.

So, is the ball now in the politicians’ camp?

Without any political will, it will be impossible to move forward. But the problem is that politicians are focused on the short term and this attitude runs counter to environmental preoccupations. Citizens, NGOs and civil society as a whole need to be mobilised to remind governments of their commitments and tell them: “fulfil your pledges now!”