UICN - Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature

Netherlands National Committee of IUCN Members

01 August 2012 | Article

IUCN NL after Barcelona: Bridging economy and ecology: In the years following the last World Conservation Congress in 2008 the IUCN National Committee of The Netherlands has pioneered to integrate ecosystems and biodiversity into the economy. We successfully build a bridge between the largest confederation of Dutch industries, between large Dutch companies such as AkzoNobel, DSM, ING and Philips and the Dutch government and national NGOs.

Through the establishment of our contacts with multinationals and industry leaders we were able to link the need for greening the Dutch economy with our green development projects in the South. In 2010 we were able to secure multimillion government funding for an additional five years of development projects.

This funding allows us to currently offer combined economic development and nature conservation and restoration programs in twenty-four countries in South America, Africa en Southeast Asia. In most countries, the work is outsourced to local IUCN Members and partner organisations, strengthening the IUCN network worldwide.

Since the last World Conservation Congress in Barcelona the Netherlands National Committee of IUCN Members has expanded its business community network Leaders for Nature to twenty large international corporations with the objective to reduce the ecological footprint of the Netherlands. We started to provide solution-oriented knowledge, advice and concrete projects to increase the positive impact on biodiversity and ecosystems.

The Committee has become a partner of various social and scientific institutions and umbrella organisations and, together with the Confederation of Dutch Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) and other major business organisations, has started operating the ´Platform Biodiversiteit, Ecosystemen en Economie´ (Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Economy Platform). Through this platform we have achieved government funding to stimulate concrete projects to green company activities.

During the last years the Netherlands Committee was also able to expand the Dutch Member base of IUCN to currently 37 nature and environmental organisations, continuing to work on our common agenda. Through these activities we were able to position the Committee as the knowledge and network organisation in the area of biodiversity in The Netherlands.