CAMPAIGNS

DEVELOPING A CLIMATE OF CHANGE FOCUSING THE ENERGY OF THE CBSG COMMUNITY ON SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Onnie Byers, Chair of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the IUCN and Emily Wick, Communications and Technology Administrator, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the IUCN

For a number of years, the Conservation includes several components that offer are concerned about climate change Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) an opportunity for all zoos, aquariums, and the role of the fossil fuel business has worked to find a solution or an and individuals to join. plan in perpetuating it. We should action that matches both the skills of Zoos and aquariums and the 350.org stop investing in companies that forge our community and the scope of the movement make a perfect partnership. ahead in extracting and burning fossil problem we face in climate change. 350.org is a movement dedicated to fuels when what we need is a collective

Last year, we brought to our 2012 bringing atmospheric levels of CO2 back movement toward greatly reducing our CBSG Annual Meeting in Melbourne to 350 ppm — which is precisely what dependence on fossil fuels. the pressing question: How can we we were tasked with creating. They are best focus the energy of the CBSG also dedicated to improving life on a LEADING BY EXAMPLE community on solutions to the growing changed planet. What could be more Before CBSG could ask anyone else to threat of climate change? closely aligned with the core zoo and take this step, we had to be willing to do Among the things the meeting aquarium mission to conserve nature it ourselves. participants tasked us with was and teach children about its wonder? So in January we brought this catalysing action to create a movement The first part of the movement is request to the Board of the Global with the express goal of seeing that ‘no divestment from fossil fuel companies. Conservation Network, the non-profit government on the planet can ignore Divestment is the opposite of organisation established to support the the danger of climate change and all investment — it means getting out work of CBSG. They made the bold must be actively working to realise of stocks, bonds, investment funds, decision to divest CBSG’s reserve funds

“safe” CO2 atmospheric concentration or banks whose investments are from fossil fuel companies. As of that levels of 350 parts per million (ppm). inconsistent with your personal or day, we have not made any additional The people need to tell governments institutional values. Any zoo that investment in funds supporting fossil that we will not stand for inaction invests money, whether in stocks, fuel companies and we are working on anymore.’ mutual funds, or in an investment bank, our plan to be fully divested within five We immediately began researching can choose to divest from fossil fuel years. We have very little money in our existing climate change groups. We companies and reinvest in solutions that reserve account and our move towards found many groups dedicated to climate align with your mission of conservation. divestment would be purely symbolic change action, and some even call And there is an increasing body of if we were doing it alone. But we are themselves movements. The great evidence that this can be done without not. We added our voice to those of majority were sector-based, focusing on increasing risk or decreasing returns. many other institutions – six colleges, women, youth, people of the southern Divestment takes the fight for climate 17 cities, and other foundations and hemisphere, and others. action into a different level. Though institutions – making the same bold Then we found 350.org. work on reducing demand for fossil fuels decision. This is the power of the 350.org is an organisation aiming to must continue by reducing personal movement and this is how change solve the climate crisis by addressing and institutional carbon emissions, will happen. Zoos and Aquariums for systemic barriers to climate solutions. something bigger is at play. The most 350 calls on zoos and aquariums to They do this through grassroots recent IPCC report states that in order immediately freeze any new investment organising, direct actions, and online to stop runaway climate change from in 200 fossil fuel companies that hold campaigns. We studied their website, happening, we must quickly scale back the greatest amount of unburned read articles and books by and about our use of fossil fuels. However, the fossil fuel reserves and to create a them, investigated their critics, and met sizeable income of fossil fuel companies plan for fully divesting within five with their leaders in Washington DC relies upon our dependence on their years. In addition to shining a light on and Minnesota. The more we learned product. These companies profit from the importance of where our money about 350.org, the more we realised denying climate change and stalling is invested, Zoos and Aquariums that CBSG didn’t need to start a necessary government action. for 350 also provides an avenue for movement… we needed to join one. Divestment is a way of calling these carbon offsetting. A carbon offset is So in October at our 2013 CBSG companies out on this behaviour and a reduction in emissions of carbon Annual Meeting, we were proud to drawing attention to the moral problem dioxide made in order to compensate announce the launch of our climate with investing in them at the expense an emission made elsewhere. In change initiative, Zoos and Aquariums of current and future generations. It other words, it is a payment made for 350. Zoos and Aquariums for 350 tells governments, the financial sector, in support of a project resulting in links to the 350.org movement and and the public that zoos and aquariums reduced carbon emissions, in order 22 T L SHEARS DEVELOPING A CLIMATE OF CHANGE

to compensate for the unavoidable photos should contain a sign with the Andrea Fidgett (Chester Zoo), Bengt carbon emissions of your institution. Zoos and Aquariums for 350 logo on it, Holst (Copenhagen Zoo), Bryan Many zoos already reduce and offset along with any other words or phrases Carroll (Bristol Zoo Gardens), Frands their emissions, and some are even including the name of the species and Carlsen (Copenhagen Zoo), Jo Gipps, certified as carbon neutral. Zoos and your zoo. Finally, Zoos and Aquariums John Fa (Durrell Conservation Trust), Aquariums for 350 calls on all zoos and for 350 calls on all zoos and aquariums Kirsten Pullen (BIAZA), Kristin Leus aquariums to reduce their emissions as to support the EAZA and AZA Pole to (Copenhagen Zoo), Mark Pilgrim much as possible and then to commit Pole campaign. Pole to Pole highlights (Chester Zoo), Mark Craig (Al Ain to offsetting the remainder. This part the effectiveness of collective action in Zoo), and Paul Pearce-Kelly (ZSL). of the movement is still in the process reducing energy use. It provides advice By joining the movement, greening of being developed, but we’re working and materials to zoo and aquarium your institution and your portfolio, and to identify an excellent carbon offset visitors and the wider public to help sharing information, passion, and calls provider to work with interested zoos them take individual steps that can for action with your colleagues and and aquariums. Using this universal make a huge collective difference to visitors, you will make an investment provider will help us unite our efforts endangered species and ecosystems in a liveable future for children and for in becoming carbon neutral. Those impacted by climate change. When wildlife. We feel that now is the time who have already made progress in this we introduced Zoos and Aquariums for our community to join the 350 area can report on their successes in for 350 at our meeting in Orlando, movement, which is gaining momentum this area and be acknowledged for their the participants responded with across the globe. efforts. great enthusiasm. At the end of the Together we have the opportunity to meeting, many stood and voiced their take a leadership role in responding to SHOW YOUR FACE plans to carry this momentum onward the global crisis of climate change. We Finally, it is important to visually and back to their home institutions. have the chance to tackle the source of connect our focus on climate change We congratulate all these ‘founding the problem that, if left unaddressed, back to the endangered species that members’ and special thanks go to our will continue to undermine all our it will affect. Zoos and Aquariums for first three committed divesters: Lena conservation efforts. Opportunity 350 calls on all zoos and aquariums Linden on behalf of Nordens Ark, to create change is knocking on our to ‘Show the Wild Face of Climate Lesley Dickie for EAZA, and Sally door. Will you be next to stand up and Change’ by submitting photos of one Walker. answer? or more species in their collection that Other EAZA members who stood Go to www.cbsg.org/zoos- are specifically climate-threatened. The and committed to taking action include aquariums-350 and join the movement. 23