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WWF-Canada’s Plan For a living Planet 2010-2015

Canadian leadershiP, global imPaCt

CANADA

WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet 1

A healthy, diverse, and ultimately sustainable living

Earth: this is what WWF-Canada is working to achieve.

We are proud of our record of success. We also know

that it is time to redouble our efforts. Right now, the

world faces some of the greatest challenges in human

history, and Canada has an important role to play.

As we look to the future, we are turning our attention to

three areas where Canadian leadership can have a global

impact: climate, water, and people.

For decades, we have tackled tough conservation issues

in Canada and around the world. We have protected

right whales and sea turtles, grizzlies and pandas,

caribou and tigers. We have safeguarded important

habitats on land, in lakes, and at sea. We have worked

with businesses and communities to reduce pollution

and advance sustainable economies.

This plan describes how we will build on this track

record to achieve critical conservation wins. It sets out

our commitments, goals, and priority actions for the

next five years. The strategies laid out in the document

will form the basis for individual annual program plans

that keep our work on track and in line with changing

circumstances in Canada and around the world.

Conservation is a long-term undertaking, and our work

would not be possible without the support of our active

membership of more than 150,000 Canadians. We will

continue to share our plans and ideas with you at wwf.ca.

2 WWF-Canada’s Plan for a Living Planet

More than wildlifeOver time, our work has expanded from protecting

particular wildlife species and habitats to protecting

life on Earth – including our own. Today, our work

is about:

Life, because every project that WWF-Canada

undertakes is, at its core, about protecting and

restoring ecosystems. We measure our success

in the abundance and diversity of wildlife and the

healthy functioning of natural places in our world.

In turn, healthy ecosystems provide the clean

air, clean water, and healthy food webs that are

essential to every community and the drivers of

every economy.

Living, because the choices we make every day

decide the future of everyone and everything

around us. From what we buy to how we get to

work, our actions shape human communities and

ecosystems around the world. In all of our work,

WWF-Canada looks for ways to live – and make

a living – on a healthy living planet.


Who we are: WWF in Canada and around the globeWorking in over 100 countries around the world, WWF is one of the

world’s most respected, independent conservation organizations. With

5,000 staff and five million supporters, we are collectively working for

one thing: A Living Planet.

WWF’s global mission is to stop the degradation

of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans

live in harmony with nature, by:

• Conserving the world’s biological diversity

• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable

• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

Founded in 1967 by Senator Alan MacNaughton, WWF-Canada is

one of the country’s leading conservation organizations, enjoying

the active support of more than 150,000 Canadians. We connect

the power of a highly respected and effective global network to

on-the-ground efforts across Canada, through our operations in

Vancouver, Prince Rupert, St. Albert’s, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal,

Halifax, St. John’s, and a growing presence in the Arctic.



guiding principlesThe unique way in which WWF works in Canada and around the globe drives

lasting results. We are:

Science-based: we believe good science is the foundation for sound

conservation practice and policy.

Solutions-oriented: we aim to be at the forefront of thoughtful and

pragmatic approaches to tough conservation problems, dare to take risks,

try new ideas, and challenge our own and others’ thinking.

Focused on lasting results: we design our conservation initiatives to

be workable, robust, adaptive, and resilient to changing circumstances.

Local to global, and global to local: each project we undertake in

Canada draws on – and contributes to – the combined expertise of our

international network.

Collaborative: we extend our reach and magnify our impact by working

with key players in all sectors, including governments, businesses, other

NGOs, and academic institutions to solve conservation challenges.



Canadian leadership, global impact Within the WWF network, our role is to drive Canadian leadership on

conservation issues for global impact. This means we focus on issues

where Canada has a clear leadership role to play to help secure the future

of biodiversity and the survival of life on this planet.

Our top priorities are Climate, Water and People because:

• Climate change creates the world’s biggest conservation challenges, both

on land and at sea. Canada has a responsibility – and the opportunity

– to help lead the way in mitigation, adaptation, and the creation of a

sustainable and prosperous green economy.

• Water, the lifeblood of our planet, is the world’s richest source of

biodiversity and essential to every human community. Water is also

Canada’s biggest global endowment. We have the opportunity now to set

new world standards for the care of freshwater and ocean ecosystems.

• People, because what we do – as individuals and together – matters to all

other species and to the planet. Canada’s diverse citizenship connects us

to every corner of the planet. The world matters to Canada and Canada

matters to the world.

When Canada steps up to take its leadership role, great things can

happen. We envision a future in which:

• The Arctic is protected and adapting to climate change, supporting

communities and Arctic species

• Canadians are engaged and taking action for our living planet, in Canada

and around the world

• Canada’s economy is green, sustainable, and growing

• Canada’s fresh water meets the needs of nature and people

• Canada’s three oceans are healthy, productive, and sustainable



ClimateThe impacts of our changing climate are the single greatest threat

to biodiversity, with effects already evident in the Arctic.

Climate change is the biggest conservation challenge facing the world today,

and Canada emits more carbon dioxide per capita than almost any other

country in the world. It is our responsibility to be part of the solution. Now

is our chance to put Canadian ingenuity and determination to work: we can

develop the innovative solutions we need in order to reduce emissions and

adapt to impacts that are already happening.

Right now we stand at a crossroads. We can choose to keep doing things

the old way, depleting our natural resources for short-term gain, or we can

choose to do things better, leading the way to a new green energy economy

that will benefit all of us. Every living thing on Earth depends on us to make

the right choice. WWF-Canada will help Canada design a better future

for our planet by working to decrease our country’s economic reliance on

carbon fuels and catalyzing a shift to green energy and greener transport.

We certainly have inspiration for action. The world’s first and most tangible

impact of climate change is the loss of Arctic sea ice. Northern communities

and species are already at risk. Canada’s global leadership role in the Arctic

will be our generation’s single most important legacy to the world.


our goalsarCtiCSecure an international ice refuge that protects high Arctic habitat for ice-

dependent species and anchors a protected area network that contributes

to conserving at least 50 per cent of Arctic ecosystems through innovative

governance reforms.

We will:• Lead a united conservation effort involving all polar nation members

of the WWF network

• Secure an international commitment to principles and benchmarks of

environmental stewardship in the Arctic

• Define and promote Arctic governance reforms needed to enshrine

these principles, working with indigenous (Inuit and Dene) people and

thought leaders from other communities

• Using both western science and traditional knowledge, develop an

innovative conservation blueprint to ensure that polar bear, caribou,

and narwhal continue to thrive in a resilient Arctic in the face of

climate change

• Engage leaders from the shipping, fishing, and oil and gas industries

to establish and promote responsible practices


ClimateDesign and demonstrate a Canadian Energy Strategy that includes a

long-term plan to meet our energy needs with renewable energy, in order

to keep global warming below the danger threshold of a 2°C average

rise in temperature.

We will:• Develop and advance tools to shift investment to renewable energy

• Work with partners to advocate for and demonstrate credible measures

to support the more efficient use of energy and the deployment of low-

impact, renewable energy sources

• Mobilize partners in support of transportation solutions that promote

efficiency and the switch to electric vehicles powered by renewable

energy sources

• Define key elements of a truly green

economy and generate support for

these among Canadians

a tipping pointIn order to avert dangerous

climate change, we must keep the

global average temperature from

rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) above

what it was in the late 1700s,

before the industrial age.


Oceans and carbonOceans play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide. As the levels

of this greenhouse gas increase in the atmosphere, we’re also finding

more in the oceans. This is alarming because carbon dioxide changes

ocean chemistry, making sea water more acidic. “Acidification,” as

scientists call it, threatens many forms of life, particularly creatures

like corals, sea urchins, and shellfish whose shells dissolve in an

acidic environment. Juvenile fish of many commercial species are

also at risk. Scientists and fishermen are already seeing the effects

of increasing acidity. Left unchecked, ocean acidification threatens

food webs and ecosystems around the world.


WaterWith three oceans and abundant fresh water, Canada’s water is

the lifeblood of our nation and our biggest global endowment.

Water. In Canada, it seems to be everywhere.

Twenty per cent of the world’s fresh water flows within our borders. We

rank among the world’s top nations in terms of renewable water supply. We

have three oceans and more coastline than any other country in the world.

These are unique global endowments. Such treasures make Canada enviable

in an increasingly thirsty and warming world. With this abundance comes

responsibility, to Canadians and to the world.

Freshwater and ocean ecosystems are the foundation of all life on Earth.

This foundation is under increasing stress around the globe. From fishing

to agriculture, from industry to homes, from power to transport, water

is in increasing demand, and our uses increasingly conflict with nature’s

own needs. Canada has an important role to play in developing new global

standards and practices for the sustainable management of freshwater and

ocean ecosystems that meet the needs of people and nature.


our goalsFresh WaterProtect and restore natural flow and water quality to secure healthy waters

in ten important and iconic Canadian rivers, using our accomplishments to

catalyze lasting change in water policy globally.

We will: • Work with Canadian sectors and organizations with the largest water

footprint to reduce their impact on priority rivers in Canada and

internationally

• Develop and demonstrate leadership in freshwater conservation

science and practice

• Engage in water governance discussions to influence leading-edge water

policy planning and management decisions

• Encourage public debate and thought leadership to raise awareness of

freshwater issues and support for healthy waters


oCeansCatalyze a transition to sustainable seafood, smart oceans management,

and sustainable ocean economies to ensure that all three of Canada’s oceans

remain ecologically rich and economically prosperous.

We will: • Promote sustainable seafood by working with leading retailers and

seafood companies to strengthen procurement practices and sourcing

policies; advance global efforts to improve fisheries practices; and use

these efforts to drive reform of oceans management in Canadian and

global waters

• Promote smart oceans management by establishing sound, resilient

networks of protected ocean areas; implementing a “whole ocean”

approach that includes marine spatial planning and rigorous ecosystem-

based management; restoring degraded ecosystems; and protecting

species at risk, including whales and sharks

• Build the business case for Canada’s ocean economy that will attract

conservation investments for a sustainable future



PeoPleWe can choose a living planet.

Today, our species walks heavily upon the Earth. Our choices shape the fate

of all other species with whom we share the planet. Right now, Canadians

have one of the largest ecological footprints per capita of any nation in the

world. It’s up to us to design a better future for all living things.

Across the country, Canadians are showing that they are ready to take up this

challenge. Canadians of all ages are making the choices that drive large-scale

change – one action at a time. Change is the result of our daily choices. We

shape the marketplace. We elect and become leaders. We run, work for, and

influence businesses. We impart values and practices to our children. Each

of us has it in our power to act within our scope of influence to contribute to

conservation solutions.

For WWF-Canada this includes a special focus on connecting children,

our leaders of tomorrow and future generations, to nature. WWF-Canada

is committed to galvanizing the power of individuals and business by

mobilizing Canadian’s collective desire for change and offering solutions

and actions that we all can take – in our jobs, in our homes, and in our

lives. In this way we will ensure a living planet, for people and nature.



our goalsmobilizeMobilize one million Canadian individuals and influential businesses to take

action by reducing their footprint, making greener consumer and business

choices, speaking out for the environment, or providing financial support

for our work.

We will: • Help Canadians, especially young Canadians, take meaningful actions

for the environment

• Support local organizations that help children connect to nature

• Provide Canadians with reliable information on conservation issues

• Tell compelling and relevant stories, both local and global, to engage

Canada’s diverse population and broaden our base of support

and influence

• Work with leading companies to secure

conservation commitments that raise the

bar on best practices and, in doing so,

shift markets and supply chains

• Develop our capacity to work – and

celebrate success – in more of Canada’s

many languages - building bilingual

capacity in key campaigns and staff


organizationalEveryone at WWF-Canada is committed to a living planet for people and

nature, to providing value to our generous donors, and to doing what

we say we will. We have a great team, and we intend to keep it that way.

Conservation is a long-term commitment, and we are working in a very

fast-paced, high-demand world. To attract and retain the best possible

talent, we will provide our staff and volunteers the best possible tools,

training, encouragement, and work environment. As for inspiration:

that comes from the planet.


our goalstalent Attract and retain staff and key contributors aligned with our

guiding principles and goals.

learning Encourage a culture of learning and development.

teChnology Support all staff with effective technology and

information systems.

We will: • Continue to build a talented team whose interests and skills match

WWF-Canada priorities and guiding principles

• Develop our network of skilled contributors from outside the organization

– including governments, academic institutions, and business – to make

sure we have access to the right talent at the right time

• Develop and implement strategies and policies to support a dynamic and

effective organization

• Promote growth through career-building philosophy and a succession-

planning framework for pivotal and senior positions

• Design systems to support collaboration among our staff and colleagues,

from local to global scales


WWF-Canada and WWF-internationalLike many Canadians, WWF-Canada is part of a family that reaches around

the world. Being part of the strong, well-known, respected, and effective

international WWF Network helps WWF-Canada achieve our goals. In the

same way, our effective, respected, and national presence here in Canada

helps strengthen WWF’s work around the world. Working together, we tackle

the world’s toughest conservation challenges and look for solutions that

extend from local to global and back again.

Nowhere is that more relevant than here in Canada, home to some of the

greatest natural endowments as well as one of the most diverse and globally

connected citizenry on Earth. Our work to protect polar bears in Canada can

help guide tiger protection in India. What we learn about water flows in the

Mackenzie River Basin we can apply in the Ganges. Models of integrated

ecosystem management in Gwaii Haanas and the boreal forest will have

lessons for the Galapagos, the Amazon, and the Green Heart of Africa.

Everywhere we go, we link our direct experience on the ground with the

most advanced conservation science in the world.

As we pursue Canadian leadership and

global impact, we also will strengthen our

relationships with diverse communities

from coast to coast. We will build on the

diversity of the knowledge, experience,

and commitment of Canadian families to

sustain our work here and abroad.


network initiativesIntegrated with our work here in Canada, WWF-Canada provides Canadian

leadership for global impact on several network-wide initiatives.

We will:• Lead WWF’s global Arctic efforts through the Arctic Initiative

• Help direct the global Smart Fishing Initiative

• Provide financial support for projects like the Tiger Initiative

• Contribute to the Market Transformation Initiative through

our work with business

• Collaborate with our colleagues on global solutions to climate change


Traffic programTRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network,

is a joint program of WWF and the International

Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

TRAFFIC‘s goal is to ensure that buying and

selling wild plants and animals is not a threat to

the conservation of nature. Established in 1976,

TRAFFIC has developed into a global network.

TRAFFIC is research-driven and action-oriented,

committed to delivering practical conservation

solutions based on the latest research and

information. From elephants to tigers, from corals

to the Kaiser’s spotted newt, TRAFFIC is working

around the globe on critical issues of wildlife trade.


life and livingFor 50 years, WWF has been working to build a future where humans live in

harmony with nature. This is our mission – a mission driven by our concern

for all living things, including plants, animals, and people.

We are troubled by the fact that many of the Earth’s flora and fauna are

disappearing fast, mostly as a result of human activity. Unless we reverse this

trend, our children and grandchildren will inherit a planet diminished by this

loss. We are very worried about what this loss tells us about the health of the

ecosystems that we all depend on. These ecosystems provide us with food,

water, and air, as well as the natural resources that support our economy.

Their future is our future.

For this reason, while we work on complex policy issues such as energy

strategies, water flow regimes, and ecosystem management, our attention

is always on the plants and animals with which we share our planet.

So when we say “oceans,” we mean sharks, whales, coral, kelp, and cod.

When we say “fresh water,” we mean trout, cattails, songbirds, cedar, and

frogs. When we say “Arctic,” we mean polar bears, willows, narwhals, Arctic

foxes and walruses. When we say “climate,” we mean all of that, and more.

We mean all of us.

At WWF we believe deeply in the power of human ingenuity, and the scale

of achievement that is possible when we turn our collective will to a task.

The future is ours to create.



making it possibleWe achieve conservation wins only because of the support of the donors

and partners who make our work possible. Sometimes success comes

only as the result of a sustained effort over many years. We are fortunate

to have patient and steadfast supporters who share our commitment to

tackling these complex and important issues.

For these reasons and more, we are very grateful for the generosity and

vision of Canadian individuals, families, businesses, and governments

who see the value of investing in our common future.

When we say Canadian leaders, we mean you.Our five-year plan is a direct invitation to all Canadians to get involved.

What we do – as individuals and together – matters. Join the discussion.

Take action. Support our efforts.


“nowhere in the world are so many natural treasures governed by so few people. Canadians have a special responsibility to steward them well.”

Gerald Butts | President & CEO, WWF-Canada

Captions and Credits

Front & back cover: Footprints and turtle hatchlings, Sri Lanka © National Geographic Stock/Jason Edwards/

WWF-Canada; Inside front cover & page 1: Old growth temperate rain forest, Clayoquot Sound, BC, Canada

© Garth Lenz/WWF-Canada; Page 2: Spring ice on Great Slave Lake, NT, Canada © Tessa Macintosh/WWF-

Canada; Page 3: Loon, Algonquin Provincial Park, ON, Canada © Frank Parhizgar/WWF-Canada; Page 4:

Hawksbill turtle, Red Sea, Egypt © Nils Aukan/WWF-Canon; Page 6: Celebrating Earth Hour 2010, Canada ©

Jeremiah Armstrong/WWF-Canada; Page 8: Melting ice, Khumbu Glacier, Nepal © Steve Morgan/ WWF-Canon;

Page 10: left Peary caribou, Canada © Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock/WWF-Canada, right Climate

Witness program interview, NU, Canada © WWF-Canada; Page 11: left Wind energy in AB, Canada © Garry

Broeckling/WWF-Canada, right Girl using solar energy, USA © National Geographic Stock/John Burcham/WWF;

Page 12: Male American or Northern lobster in Atlantic waters, NS, Canada © Gilbert Van Ryckevorsel/WWF-

Canada; Page 14: left Child drinking from water fountain © Brian Scantlebury/iStockphoto, right Shangri La Falls,

ON, Canada © Greg Stott/WWF-Canada; Page 15: Atlantic cod, NL, Canada © Gilbert Van Ryckevorsel/WWF-

Canada; Page 16: Celebrating Earth Hour 2010, Canada © Jeremiah Armstrong/WWF-Canada; Page 18: Climate

Business Action Day, Copenhagen © Richard Stonehouse/WWF-Canon; Page 19: left Pedestrian and cycling

signs, BC, Canada © iStockphoto.com/WWF-Canada, right Lobster fishermen, NS, Canada © Damian Lidgard/

WWF-Canada; Page 20: top United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen © Richard Stonehouse/

WWF-Canon, bottom Whale watching, NS, Canada © Damian Lidgard/WWF-Canada; Page 21: left Great white

pelican, Kenya © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon, right Mountain climbers © iStockphoto; Page 22: left Kermode

bear, Great Bear Rainforest, BC, Canada © Tim Stewart/WWF-Canada, right WWF flag in Barcelona © Miguel

Murcia Navarro/WWF-Spain; Page 23: top Amur or Siberian tiger © Vladimir Filonov/WWF-Canon, bottom

Children playing during the events for the release of the Black-footed ferret at Grasslands National Park, SK,

Canada © Troy Fleece/WWF; Page 24: Chironepthya, Fiji © Cat Holloway/WWF-Canon; Page 25: left Indian tiger,

two month old cub © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon, middle Bowhead whale, NU, Canada © Paul Nicklen/National

Geographic Stock/WWF-Canada, right Southern white rhinoceros © Martin Harvey/WWF-Canon; Page 26: Polar

bear trying to cross an ice floe, Spitsbergen, Norway © Steve Morello/WWF-Canon; Page 28: Lake Superior

National Marine Protected Area, ON, Canada © GaryAndJoanieMcGuffin.com/WWF-Canada.

Published (July 2010) by WWF-Canada, Toronto, Canada.

© 1986 Panda symbol WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly known as World Wildlife Fund)

® “WWF” and “living planet” are WWF Registered Trademarks.

WWF is the planet’s leading conservation organization registered in Canada as a charity (no. 11930 4954 RR0001).

Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned

publisher as the copyright owner. © text (2010) WWF-Canada.

• Plan For a living Planet 2010-2015W

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WWF-Canada 410-245 eglinton avenue easttoronto, ontario m4P 3J1416.489.8800 1.800.267.2632 wwf.ca

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Canadian leadershiP, imPaCt - WWF-Canadaassets.wwf.ca/downloads/wwfcanada_business_plan_2010_2015.pdf · three areas where Canadian leadership can have a ... • Canada’s fresh