WWF Central and Eastern Europe

🚨 Catastrophic nature loss is putting people and the planet at risk. Now that the Global Biodiversity Framework is established, it’s crucial for leaders to prioritise real, actionable change. Currently, we’re not on the right path. Only by reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 can we secure a better future for everyone. Share this post to #ActForOurPlanet and support the call for sustained, impactful progress at #COP16Colombia! Learn more here: https://buff.ly/4ho0V9l

A majestic male beluga #sturgeon, in the prime of his life, and possibly one of the last remaining of his species in the #Danube, lost his life last week after falling victim to illegal fishing. Experts from WWF Bulgaria and Directorate of Nature Park "Persina" tried to save a large beluga caught illegally in the Danube near the town of Svishtov. The sturgeon was an impressive male over 2 meters long and probably between 20-30 years old. Adult sturgeons like this one are extremely strong animals. But the injuries the fish had sustained after being caught were too serious and incompatible with life. “We did everything we could to save the sturgeon, but to our great regret, we lost another critically endangered sturgeon”, shared Stoyan Mihov, Freshwater Program Manager at WWF-Bulgaria. Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/4e3H8t5

🌍 As the world focuses on the future of our planet at #COP16, a concerning development is happening closer to home. Romanian authorities are on the verge of approving a project that is in flagrant contradiction with the commitments #Romania made just two years ago at the COP ⚠️In a recent Forbes article, Jeff Opperman, WWF's Freshwater Lead Scientist, writes about the absurdity of the resurrected Răstolița hydropower project, which - if revived - would have a huge impact on biodiversity. Learn more here: https://buff.ly/4eUSbpt #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #WWF WWF-Romania

#GoodNews: 10 years of bison reintroductions in the Romanian Carpathians 🦬 Since 2014, WWF and Rewilding Europe have released over 120 Carpathian bison, after 200 years of absence. Today, thanks to successive births, nearly 200 bison live in the wild, restoring the balance of a unique ecosystem 🌿. It's a victory for nature, but we need more success stories like this. The Living Planet Report 2024 reveals a catastrophic 73% drop in vertebrate populations worldwide. Very few species show positive evolution, and the bison is one of those rare examples of hope, having gone from 0 in 1950 in Europe to 6,800 in 2020. 👉 Proof that conservation works! But it's crucial to keep investing in these efforts. Together, we can protect and restore biodiversity 🌍. More information about the project: FR: https://lnkd.in/e_PDKE9Z NL: https://lnkd.in/eYW4EjZr WWF-Romania

🚜The #food and agricultural sector continues to be one of the main causes for deforestation and biodiversity loss globally. With #agriculture and food systems being responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of deforestation and 70% of land-based biodiversity loss. 🌎The good news according to the IPCC, is that this sector has the potential to cut emissions by 75%. The food and retail sector has a huge role to play in addressing the twin crises of climate change and nature loss. 🍅As we mark #WorldFoodDay, a reminder of the need for more sustainable practices in our food systems, we are proud to share how WWF and Lidl International have joined forces in a five-year Sustainable Business Partnership, launched earlier in 2024. Active in 31 countries, including #Bulgaria, #Czechia, #Hungary, #Slovakia, and #Romania, the partnership focuses on collaborating along Lidl’s value chain to address the global ecological challenges of our time, including: 🔹Conservation and promotion of biodiversity  🔹Responsible management of water resources  🔹Help tackle climate change through science-based climate targets  🔹Building and expanding traceable, deforestation-free and conversion-free supply chains  🔹Responsible sourcing of critical raw materials such as palm oil, soy, cocoa, tea, coffee, wood, and paper products  🔹Responsible sourcing of farmed and wild-caught seafood including safeguarding of critical fishing grounds and stocks  🔹Engaging in advocacy for more conscious, sustainable diets and consumption  🔹Reduction of food waste and the promotion of a circular economy Learn more about our partnership here: https://lnkd.in/dYa29eee

Today, on #WorldFoodDay, we are calling for food companies to rebalance food sales and help fulfil the universal right to foods for a better life and a better future. Our new Planet-Based Diets Retailer Methodology is a step-by-step guide that can help retailers accelerate the transition to diets that are good for human and environmental health. Given individual consumer choices are heavily influenced by food environments, retailers have a critical role to play in shifting diets. Find out more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/djHMaef2

🚨 BREAKING – Europe’s water crisis demands urgent action! 💧 A new report from European Environment Agency shows that water resources are still under severe pressure, with little progress since 2009 😧 The time to act is NOW! We must: 💦Enforce water legislation 🚜Make significant changes to agricultural production 💨Reduce pollution 🌱Restore our ecosystems See our full reaction: https://buff.ly/3Y5E5un #freshwater #water #urgentaction #WWF

Can you imagine how it would feel to have ✅ "bring bison back from the brink of extinction" on your daily to-do list? Tomorrow, you can ask Barbara Bendandi, Conservation Director at WWF-Romania, at the upcoming TEDxVitosha event in #Sofia. 🌱Discover how these remarkable landscape architects - the bison - are helping to restore ecosystems. Join us in celebrating the success of our European #bison reintroduction program in the Țarcu Mountains. Learn more about the event and save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/du-KvK3S

Code red for nature. Code red for us. That, in short, is the message coming from #WWF's 2024 #LivingPlanetReport.

🚨 #BREAKING: This is a code red for nature. Species population numbers have plummeted by 73% on average since 1970. This is getting worse over time, when it should be getting better. Vital ecosystems are on the brink of collapse. We’re dangerously close to tipping points, where the damage to our planet will cause irreversible impacts on all our lives. We must turn things around immediately. Urgent action is needed now – not tomorrow or next year. 🗣 Share this video to #ActForOurPlanet. https://lnkd.in/ehgaaTC6 #LPR2024 #LivingPlanetReport