International Union for Conservation of Nature

The plastic pollution crisis

Plastics only began to be produced in large quantities following the second world war – but plastic pollution has since become one of the most serious threats humanity faces. By 2015, 60% of all ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

More than half of all mangrove ecosystems at risk of collapse by 2050, first global assessment finds

Gland, Switzerland, 22 May 2024 (IUCN) – More than half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse, according to the first global mangrove assessment for the International Union for ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Freshwater fish highlight escalating climate impacts on species - IUCN Red List

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 11 December 2023 (IUCN) – Climate change threatens a growing number of species, from Atlantic salmon to green turtles, today’s update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Gender and the environment: What are the barriers to gender equality in sustainable ecosystem management?

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are matters of fundamental human rights and prerequisites to meeting sustainable development goals around the world. This 4-part blog series sets out the ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Four giraffe species officially recognised in major conservation reclassification – IUCN report

Windhoek, Namibia, 21 August 2025 (IUCN) – A groundbreaking assessment has officially recognised four distinct giraffe species, overturning previous classifications of the world’s tallest land mammal ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Across eight Amazon countries, forests on Indigenous lands reduce spread of 27 diseases - Peer-reviewed study

Belém, Brazil/Gland, Switzerland, 11 September 2025 — The first study of its kind, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), gathered data from 1,733 municipalities ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Over one third of hoverflies threatened with extinction in Europe - IUCN Red List

Brussels, Belgium, 11 October 2022 (IUCN) – Thirty-seven per cent of all hoverfly species in Europe are threatened with extinction, according to the first continent-wide assessment of this essential ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

African elephant species now Endangered and Critically Endangered - IUCN Red List

The African forest elephant (loxodonta cyclotis) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The species occurs in the tropical forests of Central Africa, and a range of habitats in West ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

First-of-its-kind study shows conservation interventions are critical to halting and reversing biodiversity loss

A new study in the scientific journal Science provides the strongest evidence to date that not only is environmental conservation successful, but that scaling conservation interventions up would be ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Action for snow leopards

Even though naturally perfectly equipped to roam the steep mountains of Central Asia, the snow leopard is facing extinction. Around 7,500 individuals live in the wild, according to the most recent ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

In the spirit of nature, everything is connected

Earth’s ecosystems have evolved for millions of years, resulting in diverse and complex biological communities living in balance with their environment. Since the 16th century, human activity has ...
International Union for Conservation of Nature

Seventy-five percent of bear species threatened with extinction

Six out of the world’s eight species of bears are threatened with extinction, according to recent assessments by the IUCN Bear and Polar Bear Specialist Groups. Asia and South America are revealed as ...