KUCHING: A week ahead of World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 50th birthday, WWF-Malaysia urges Malaysians to commemorate Earth Day by pledging to ‘Live Green’ for a more sustainable lifestyle.
From its origins as a small group of committed wildlife enthusiasts, WWF has grown to one of the largest and most respected independent conservation organisations – supported by more than five million people and active in over 100 countries on five continents.
In the 50 years since its establishment, WWF has seen more than a billion hectares protected, several species brought back from the brink of extinction, and innovative programmes with the private sector, such as the Marine Stewardship Council, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Forest Stewardship Council moving important commodities towards sustainable production. This was revealed in a press statement from WWF office yesterday.
WWF-Malaysia, the national conservation trust, runs more than 75 projects covering a diverse range of environmental protection work, from saving endangered
species such as tigers and turtles, to protecting our highland forests, rivers and seas.
“We also undertake environmental education and advocacy work to achieve conservation goals,” said WWF-Malaysia executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.
“Help WWF look after the world where you live; pledge to Live Green at wwf.org.my.
“WWF celebrates its 50th birthday this year, so from Earth Hour 2011 until Earth Hour 2012, WWF-Malaysia is urging everyone across the nation to take Earth Hour beyond the hour by signing up at wwf.org.my and pledging to Live Green: One switch at a time.”
Each month, a simple action towards a more sustainable lifestyle will be highlighted.
“It is easy to Live Green, and the more people who make this pledge, the more powerful our efforts to protect our living planet become,” said Dionysius.
WWF helped start
the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure the world’s forests are managed responsibly, and that people and wildlife that depend on forests can do so long into the future.
Dionysius said WWF is working with fishers to reverse trends of over-fishing through the use of modern fishing gear and management strategies.
As fishers adopt more sustainable practices, their livelihood and the environment have brighter futures. The choices that consumers make, by supporting sustainably caught seafood, can help the fishers to continue to do the right thing.
WWF is a founding member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which brings together oil palm growers, oil processors, food companies, retailers, NGOs and investors to help ensure that no rainforests are sacrificed for new palm oil plantations, that all plantations minimise their environmental impact, and that basic rights of local people and plantation workers are respected.
By conserving our natural resources, WWF is helping to protect our livelihood, food and water supply, thus securing quality of life and a bright future for our children.
WWF’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated with a high-level roundtable discussing WWF’s vision for the next 50 years as well as a separate event to thank the many supporters and partners who have made possible the successes achieved by WWF over five decades.