REPORT OF THE SIERRA CLUB 2016 IUCN WCC DELEGATION · THE 2016 IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS....

1

REPORT OF THE SIERRA CLUB DELEGATION AT

THE 2016 IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS.

Prepared by Richard Cellarius

Head, Sierra Club Delegation

October 27, 2016

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in which Sierra Club has been a

member continuously since 1956, held its Sixth World Conservation Congress in the Honolulu,

HI, Convention Center, 1-10 September 2016. This Congress’ Theme was “Planet at the

crossroads” with the objective, “help define the path to a sustainable future” (see

http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org/sites/default/files/content/documents/congre

ss_theme_final.pdf). It was the first time the Congress has been held in the United States, and it

was the best attended Congress on record, with over 10,000 participants from 192 countries,

including representatives of IUCN’s 223 State and Governmental Agency members, 1120

International and National Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) members and 50 non-

voting Affiliate members.

The Congress was structured into two main components:

The Forum (2-5 September) provided an opportunity to discuss the world’s most

pressing conservation and sustainability challenges. It included many different types of

events from high level dialogues to training workshops which explore the depths of

conservation and innovation. With a total of 1380 different events1, many occurring

simultaneously, it was impossible to cover all of them

The Members’ Assembly (6-10 September) is IUCN’s highest decision-making body—a

quadrennial “Annual General Meeting” (AGM). It included reports from IUCN’s leaders,

the IUCN Council—its Board of Directors—and IUCN’s six Commissions, comprising

volunteer experts that make up IUCN’s research and policy development arm. During

the Assembly, new Commission Mandates were adopted, over 100 Resolutions and

Recommendations were approved, and the President, Treasurer, Regional Councillors,

and Commission Chairs, who together comprise the IUCN Council for the next four

years, were elected.

These events were preceded by the Congress Opening Ceremony and IUCN Commission

meetings on 1 September. The Opening Ceremony was primarily a celebration of Hawai’ian

culture. The event was scheduled in a separate venue and at an earlier time of day because of

the need for enhanced security in anticipation of the participation of President Obama. Despite

these measures, the President and his handlers decided it was still not secure enough, and the

1 These included 57 Conservation Campus training sessions, 188 Knowledge Cafés (round-table discussions), 206

Workshops (facilitated presentations and discussions), 397 Pavilion Events (topical presentation), and 324 Posters

(e-posters on a set of video screens).

Report of the Sierra Club 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress Delegation

2

highlight speech was given in his stead by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. See the first 55

seconds of the video at https://www.doi.gov/video/this-week-interior-september-2-2016.

Members of the Club’s delegation participated actively in both the Forum and Members

Assembly. In addition, with the assistance of staff and volunteers of the Hawai’i Chapter,

primarily the Oahu Group, we maintained a booth in the Exhibition Hall to highlight Sierra Club

conservation programs and activities. The delegation was significantly larger than at past

Congresses, primarily because the 2016 Congress was in the US. Significantly, the delegation

included members from Sierra Club Canada, the Sierra Student Coalition, the Grassroots

Network Marine Action, Water Sentinels, and International Teams, two National Sierra Club

staff and three National Sierra Club officers. A list of the delegation members and Hawai’i

Chapter participants is in Appendix 1 of this report. We are grateful for the overall support of

the Hawai’i Chapter before and during the Congress. Also, major funding for the delegation was

provided from the International Committee Granting Fund of The Sierra Club Foundation.

We were particularly fortunate to have Liz Walsh, Sierra Club Treasurer, and Roberta Brashear-

Kaulfers, Sierra Club Council of Club Leaders Chair, as members of the Club’s delegation and

participants in the Congress Forum, although they were not able to participate in the Members

Assembly due to schedule conflicts with the Board of Directors, Council, and Annual Meetings.

During the Forum, members of our delegation presented or helped present the following

events:

Exploration and enjoyment of nature enhances societal benefits and promotes wilderness

conservation (Knowledge Café)

Forest management certification – Evaluating impacts (Knowledge Café)

Youth in Dialogue: Visions for Gender-Just Alternatives in Climate and Conservation (Knowledge

Café)

Sierra Club Water Sentinels Protect our Waters (Poster)

Retrospective Review of "Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living" (Poster)

Biodiversity in Voluntary Certification Standards and Labels (food, tourism, forestry, fisheries,

mining): Impacts on biodiversity and livelihoods. (Workshop)

Successful campaigns led by Indigenous Peoples for the restoration of waterways - new partners,

new approaches (Knowledge Café)

Alternative Futures for Ecological Civilizations (Knowledge Café)

An overview of issues related to impacts of fracking on biodiversity and the environment. (Poster)

Reproductive Health and Conservation: Stories of integrated conservation and women’s health from

Guatemala and Uganda (Poster)

Certification and Biodiversity - How Voluntary Certification Standards impact biodiversity and human

livelihoods - CEESP Policy Matters Launch (Pavilion Event)

An expanded list of these events, with links to the IUCN WCC website is in Appendix 2. In

addition, Appendix 4 includes reports from the members of the delegation on their

participation and perspectives on the Congress.

At each Congress, the Members Assembly adopts the IUCN Programme for the next four years,

which outlines the goals and objective for IUCN’s work. While primarily focusing on the work of

the IUCN Secretariat—the Global IUCN staff in Switzerland and regional and country offices

around the world, it also pertains to the work of the Commissions, each with its own specific


3

Mandate adopted by the Assembly, and the work of IUCN members as well in the context of

IUCN’s “One Programme Charter.”

The 2017-2020 Programme is composed of the same three overarching priority areas as

outlined in the 2012-2016 Programme, updated to reflect past accomplishments and the

recognition of new and increased challenges:

• Valuing and conserving nature enhances IUCN’s heartland work on biodiversity conservation,

emphasising both tangible and intangible values of nature.

• Effective and equitable governance of nature’s use consolidates IUCN’s work on people-nature relations,

rights and responsibilities, and the political economy of nature.

• Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges expands IUCN’s work on nature’s contribution to

tackling problems of sustainable development, particularly in climate change, food security and social and

economic development.

The implementation of the IUCN programme is clearly consistent with Sierra Club Purposes and

policies. Sierra Club membership in IUCN and our members’ participation in its activities

through our IUCN membership promotes them in an international context.

The final text of the IUCN Programme 2017-2020 is available at

https://www.iucn.org/secretariat/about/programme-work-and-reporting/programme.

As noted above, a significant portion of the work of the Members Assembly was the discussion

and adoption of motions submitted by the IUCN Members and the IUCN Council. A new feature

of the motions process this year was the incorporation of an on-line discussion of the proposed

motions, including suggested amendments; following a two-stage discussion, there was an on-

line vote of the revised texts of those motions that were generally agreed upon during the

discussion. The degree of participation by the membership in the discussion was impressive,

with many motions’ text being significantly improved. Often the discussion could best be

characterized as a debate, with strong positions articulated on each side of an issue.

Out of 98 motions submitted in advance of the deadline, 85 were put to the electronic, on-line

vote, including some with amendments also to be voted on as well. All 85 were adopted, again

some with adopted amendments, mostly with overwhelming majorities of both the NGO and

government categories of members. It takes a majority of each category to adopt a motion.

Those motions, for which the on-line discussion resulted in clear disagreements or which had

been identified by the Motions Working Group or IUCN Council as needing more in-person

review, were referred to the Members Assembly for additional discussion and vote. In addition,

a few motions were submitted directly to the assembly on issues that had arisen after the

motion submission’s February deadline.

During the past IUCN International Assemblies and World Conservation Congresses, Sierra Club

developed a reputation as being an important sponsor or co-sponsor of motions. This year was

no different. We submitted one motion, “Recognising the Centennial of the US National Park

Service,” with seven international (non-US) co-sponsors, and in addition, usually on request of

the primary sponsor or developer of the motion, Sierra Club co-sponsored fifteen additional

motions. A full list of Sierra Club sponsored and co-sponsored Resolutions and

Recommendations is in Appendix 3, with links to the final text and vote record. In addition, the

full final text of all the adopted motions is available on the IUCN website at


4

https://portals.iucn.org/congress/assembly/motions; they will be reorganized as Resolutions

and Recommendations and published in the outcomes section of the World Conservation

Congress website.

These adopted Resolutions and Recommendations, essentially additions to IUCN policy, dealt

with many of the issues typical of past Congresses: increased protection of endangered and

threatened species; increased protection for wildlands and protected areas, both terrestrial—

including “ancient forests”—and marine; and general conservation policy and law. Virtually all

of these Resolutions and Recommendations, just like the IUCN Programme, are relevant to

Sierra Club Purposes and policies, and promote them in both in the US and international

arenas.

Sierra Club supported two additional efforts that ultimately were not accepted by the Congress.

One was a motion, “Conservation in the South China Sea,” which asked for a study towards the

establishment of marine protected areas in the South China Sea as well as suspension of

exploitation of natural resources and prospecting pending the outcome of the study. The

motion was never considered on the basis it did not meet the criteria of being a new issue. The

second was a proposal to amend the IUCN Programme to include work on energy conservation

and renewable energy sources. It was rejected on the basis that IUCN did not have adequate

expertise in this area.

In addition to the Resolutions and Recommendations, several amendments to the IUCN

Statutes and Regulations were adopted. One of the most significant of these governance

changes created a new category of membership in IUCN in addition to the States and national

governmental agencies—Category A—and national and international Non-Governmental

Organisations—Category B. The new category—Category C—Indigenous Peoples’

Organisations, is defined as “institutions and associations established by indigenous peoples for

the advancement of indigenous communities.” Another proposed change, to include local and

regional governments, particularly those agencies working in areas relevant to IUCN, as

members in Category A, was not adopted as such; however, the IUCN Council was asked to

establish a working group with the charge “to analyze the need and effects, develop a clear

definition of regional government, and formulate a comprehensive and well considered new

recommendation for the next Congress.”

As Head of the Sierra Club delegation, I was privileged to have the responsibility of casting the

Sierra Club’s two votes as an International NGO member of IUCN. I regularly consulted with

other members of the delegation to confirm that I made the correct choices.

As early as the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea, Steve

Montgomery and other Chapter leaders were working with the Hawaii state government and

other state leaders to promote Hawai’i as the site the 2016 Congress. Through Steve’s efforts,

we were also able to get Club support for the Hawai’i site of the Congress. Doris Cellarius and I

were privileged to participate in meetings with the IUCN delegation during their site visit to

Hawai’i in 2014. Through Steve’s efforts, we were also able to get Club support for the Hawai’i

site of the Congress. Steve received a Special Achievement Award in 2014 for his efforts.


5

During the past few years, a group of IUCN members in the United States has been discussing

the formation of an IUCN US National Committee. At one time in the past, the American

Committee for International Conservation (ACIC) filled a similar, but unofficial role in the IUCN

context. I believe that Mike McCloskey and Brock Evans served terms as chair of the ACIC. ACIC

unfortunately disappeared with the creation for the IUCN-US office in Washington, DC.

Ted Trzyna, Nick Robinson, and I have all promoted the idea of a US National Committee in the

past, but we have not been able to generate a great deal of interest. However, the discussion

has become more active in the past year, particularly with the support of the IUCN-US office

and John Robinson, US IUCN Regional Councillor, with additional involvement of other IUCN US

Members. At the Honolulu Congress, it was reported that now about 60% of US members

support the proposal for establishing a US National Committee. The formal proposal

accompanies this report as a separate document. In particular, it outlines the major roles the

Committee would have:

1. A platform for dialogue and information exchange: provide a key channel for communications and

networking between IUCN Members, Commissions and the Secretariat to learn about the IUCN Programs

and for Members to share domestic and international programs and initiatives.

2. A communications platform: a forum to discuss and strengthen responses to major domestic and

international conservation issues as well as an opportunity to build a consortium of Members as a

collective voice on issues of importance.

3. A voice within IUCN: developing and proposing Motions to WCC from U.S. Members. Also, a venue to

discuss Motions and proposed candidates for election to IUCN Council.

I am not sure what the timing for the next steps in organization will be, but the US members

will need to establish a chair and executive committee and be recognized by the IUCN Council

as an official National Committee of IUCN. I believe this Committee will be a major benefit to

the Sierra Club as an opportunity to promote and share its objectives more visibly in an

international context.

Separately, but a bit related to the National Committee proposal, I had a number of

conversations with Michael D. Wilson, a Justice of the Hawaii state Supreme Court, who served

as Elections Officer for the Congress. Justice Wilson is an avid conservationist, and in that

context, he suggested that there should be a major meeting of the US environmental

organizations to develop and present a unified, comprehensive front on how the US should deal

with the threat of global warming and global climate chaos. Such a conference could meet early

next Spring, with Sierra Club, and NRDC et al. as major conveners. I expect to receive a more

detailed proposal from Justice Wilson, I will share it with Club leadership.

Overall, the Sierra Club delegation had an effective role in the IUCN 2016 World Conservation

Congress and in the discussions leading up to it. We were frequently consulted by other IUCN

members and the IUCN Secretariat for our advice. Over the years, Sierra Club delegations and

our members have had a major impact on IUCN, including with several of our volunteers

serving as Chairs or Deputy Chairs of IUCN Commissions and/or participating in projects of the

IUCN Secretariat. A list of all the Sierra Club delegations since 1958 will be found in Appendix 5.

We were proud to continue this tradition at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress in

Honolulu, and hope it will continue into the future.


6

IUCN World Conservation Congress Photos

Sierra Club Delegation 1: L-R (front) A.Tiana Scozzaro,

Jennifer Olson, Joy Leilei Shih; (Back) Sheila Sarhangi,

Natalie Lucas, Roberta Brashear-Kaulfers, Liz Walsh,

Christine Elwell, Richard Cellarius, Nick Robinson

Sierra Club Delegation 2, L-R: Doug Fetterly, Natalie Lucas,

Doris Cellarius, Dave Raney, Richard Cellarius, Christine

Elwell.

Sierra Club booth with Steve Montgomery, Marti

Townsend, Jodi Malinoski, Miho Aida

Sierra Club booth in WCC Exhibition Hall

Members Assembly Session. Sitting L-R: Dave Raney,

Richard Cellarius, Doug Fetterly; Standing R: Nick Robinson Knowledge Café. Center Left: Doris Cellarius, Doug Fetterly


7

Appendix 1

Members of Sierra Club Delegation at the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress

Richard Cellarius, Head of Sierra Club

Delegation, International Vice President;

Honorary Vice President, Chair,

International Team

Doris Cellarius, Water Sentinels, Toxics, Forest

Certification Teams

Christine Elwell (Toronto, Canada), Sierra Club

Canada representative.

Doug Fetterly (Hawai’i), Marine Action Team

Chair

Natalie Lucas, Co-Chair Sierra Student Coalition

International Committee

Steven Lee Montgomery (Hawai’i), Hawai’i

Chapter Executive Committee member

Jessica Olson, Associate Campaign

Representative, Sierra Club

Dave Raney (Hawai’i), Marine Action Team

A.Tiana Scozzaro, Director, Global Gender,

Population & Environment Program, Sierra

Club

Liz Walsh, Sierra Club Treasurer and Chief

Financial Officer

Roberta Brashear-Kaulfers (Hawai’i), Chair,

Council of Club Leaders

Nicholas Robinson, Honorary Vice President,

Founding Chair, International Committee

Marti Townsend (Hawai’i), Hawai’i Chapter

Director

Miho Aida (Hawai’i), Hawai’i Chapter Volunteer

Kirsten Fujitani (Hawai’i), Hawai’i Chapter

Communications Coordinator

Joy Leilei Shih (Hawai’i), PhD Candidate,

Oceanography, University of Hawaiʻi at

Mānoa, Hawai’i Chapter volunteer.

The Sierra Club Exhibition booth was set up by

Martha Townsend, staff, and local volunteers

Chuck Burrows

Randy Ching

Kirsten Fujitani

Bob Keane

Steven Montgomery

Fred Naganuma

Joshua Noga

Jim Shon

Jamie Tanino

And

Jessica Olson

A.Tianna Scozzaro

Roberta Brashear-Kaulfers

Doug Fetterly

Also participating in the Congress:

Sheila Sarhangi, Hawai’i Chapter ExCom member and lead advocate on the Expand Papahānaumokuākea

Marine National Monument [PMNM] campaign.

Ted Trzyna, former Chair of the Sierra Club International Committee

Michael Paparian, former Director, Sierra Club California Sacramento Office.


8

Appendix 2

Congress Forum Events Organized by Members of the Sierra Club Delegation

Session ID Title

Organizer [O]/

Major Participant [P]

Participating

Organizer[PO]

Session type

#WCC_9742 Exploration and enjoyment of nature enhances societal

benefits and promotes wilderness conservation

Joy Leilei Shih [O],

Sierra Club Hawai’i

Liz Walsh [P], Roberta

Brashear-Kaulfers [P]

Knowledge

Café

#WCC_9770 Forest management certification – Evaluating impacts Doris Cellarius [PO] Knowledge

Café

#WCC_9807 Youth in Dialogue: Visions for Gender-Just Alternatives in

Climate and Conservation Jessica Olson [O]

Knowledge

Café

#WCC_9895 Sierra Club Water Sentinels Protect our Waters Doris Cellarius [O] Poster

#WCC_9897 Retrospective Review of "Caring for the Earth: A Strategy

for Sustainable Living" Richard Cellarius [O] Poster

#WCC_10235

Biodiversity in Voluntary Certification Standards and

Labels (food, tourism, forestry, fisheries, mining): Impacts

on biodiversity and livelihoods.

Doris Cellarius [PO] Workshop

#WCC_10349 Successful campaigns led by Indigenous Peoples for the

restoration of waterways - new partners, new approaches Doris Cellarius [O]

Knowledge

Café

#WCC_10356 Alternative Futures for Ecological Civilizations Richard Cellarius [O] Knowledge

Café

#WCC_10478 An overview of issues related to impacts of fracking on

biodiversity and the environment. Doris Cellarius [O] Poster

#WCC_10560

Reproductive Health and Conservation: Stories of

integrated conservation and women’s health from

Guatemala and Uganda

A.Tianna Scozzaro [O] Poster

#WCC_12153

Certification and Biodiversity - How Voluntary

Certification Standards impact biodiversity and human

livelihoods - CEESP Policy Matters Launch

Doris Cellarius [P] Pavilion

Event


9

Appendix 3

Sierra Club Proposed and Co-Sponsored Resolutions and Recommendations

Adopted by the IUCN 2016 World Conservation Congress Members Assembly*

Proposed by Sierra Club:

027 Recognising the Centennial of the US National Park Service

Cosponsored by Sierra Club:

001 Identifying and archiving obsolete Resolutions and Recommendations to strengthen

IUCN policy and to enhance implementation of IUCN Resolutions

007 Closure of Domestic Markets for Elephant Ivory

011 Greater protection needed for all pangolin species

026 Protected areas, and other areas important for biodiversity, in relation to

environmentally damaging industrial activities and infrastructure development.

028 Incorporating urban dimensions of conservation into the work of IUCN

048 Protection of primary forests and intact forest landscapes

051 International biofouling

057 Protecting the world’s greatest salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska from large-scale

mining

060 Pacific region climate resiliency action plan

072 Aloha+ Challenge Model for Sustainable Development

083 Affirmation of the role of indigenous cultures in global conservation efforts

085 Environmental courts and tribunals

097 Safeguarding indigenous lands, territories and resources from unsustainable

developments

098 Energy efficiency and renewable energy to promote the conservation of nature

* ID numbers and URLs will probably change as they are categorized as Resolutions or Recommendations.


10

Appendix 4

Reports from Members of the Sierra Club’s Delegation Regarding

Their Activities at the IUCN 2016 World Conservation Congress

Report on Richard Cellarius’ activities at the IUCN 2016 World Conservation Congress:

I completed my leadership role as Deputy Chair (4 years) and Financial Officer (8 years) of the IUCN Commission on

Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP) by participating in the Commission Steering Committee

meeting and the full Commission meeting before the Congress opening. I was disappointed that my two Forum

presentations, a poster on Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Sustainable Living and a Knowledge Café,

“Alternative Futures for Ecological Civilizations,” did not attract many attendees, even though they were focused

on a major Congress objective “help define the path to a sustainable future,” as described in the following

paragraph from the Congress Theme:

There is, however, an emerging viable alternative [to the pessimistic view of our future]—one that embraces the reality

that we live in a world of complex, interdependent systems and acknowledges that changes to these systems can either

enhance resilience or result in greater instability and uncertainty. This alternative future has been given expression by the

international community through various declarations, including The World Charter for Nature, Agenda 21, The Earth

Charter, and the U.N. General Assembly resolutions on Harmony with Nature. Collectively, they point to the need for

profound transformations in our patterns of production and consumption, and recognition that every form of life has value

regardless of its worth to human beings.

Much of my time during the Congress, as head of the Club’s delegation, was spent considering Sierra Club positions

on motions, motion amendments, proposed changes to the IUCN Global Programme, and candidates for the IUCN

Council, contributing once again to the Club’s reputation as an important and contributing member of IUCN.

**********

Doris' [Cellarius] Report on the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii

I helped develop and spoke during several events. Two centered on the topic of “voluntary certification”. As a

member of IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy I spoke during our workshop

“Biodiversity in Voluntary Certification Standards” (https://portals.iucn.org/congress/session/10235) and also at

the launch an issue of a new issue of IUCN journal, “Certification and Biodiversity: How Voluntary Certification

Standards Impact Biodiversity and Human Livelihoods”.

The two E-Posters I created and talked about were available on the main floor of the Congress for all 10 days.

One, “Global Responses to Environmental Harm from Fracking”, was created at the request of IUCN’s Business

Program. I was pleased to respond to questions on fracking from people from Mexico and Panama by sending

them Sierra Club information, some of which was fortunately in Spanish. In discussing my Water Sentinels E-

poster (http://iucncongress.ipostersessions.com/?s=83-0F-FC-D6-7C-A9-43-EB-66-81-4B-B7-B5-F8-BF-BD) I met a

Hawai’i Chapter leader who wants to start a Water Sentinels program in Hawaii.

I was the lead organizer of a Knowledge Café “Successful campaigns led by Indigenous Peoples for the restoration

of waterways - new partners, new approaches”. It was inspired by what I learned when I collected information for

our report on what Sierra Club Chapters do on water issues. The discussion was well attended, with “standing

room only” in the outer circle. Indigenous Hawaiian leader and Earth Justice lawyer Kapua Sproat, and Maori

leader Tuku Morgan, presented on the work of indigenous people in their respective countries and then there was

lively discussion with many questions. It was a wonderful topic for this Congress as water and indigenous rights

were discussed frequently. During the discussion I handed out the last remaining copies of the Sierra Club

Factsheet “Consumer Products Threaten Aquatic Life”.

As a member of the Sierra Club’s Forest Stewardship Team I helped organize and spoke at a two-hour

presentation: “Forest Stewardship – Evaluating Impacts.”

In addition to scheduled events I participated in “contact sessions” which discussed motions that were voted on

either “on-line” or at the end of the Congress. Some of the issues addressed were Peatlands, Pangolin Protection,

Synthetic Biology, and Palm Oil Plantations.

Doris


11

Richard, hi,

Attending IUCN provided quite a number of key conservation benefits, as follows:

• Every organization that attends adds strength to this conference, telling the global community that the

world (not just a few organizations) is behind conservation.

• The workshops covered virtually every conservation concern, thereby expanding the knowledge base, the

conservationists’ ability to forward, to campaign for the conservation messages.

• The networking was invaluable, expanding our sphere of influence and the conservation community’s

connectivity.

• The Sierra Club booth was attended by an ongoing procession of folk stopping by to inquire, to discuss.

• The Sierra Club’s Richard Cellarius made comments at various times during the business meetings (those

comments heard by 166 countries, 1,600 delegates)

Among the many people I networked with, were:

• I had a delightful stroll and conversation with Sylvia Earle, PhD, about the Hope Spots she promotes

• David Helvarg, founder and president of the Blue Frontier Campaign (we attended his highly successful

Blue Vision Summit in D.C. last year)

• Stuart Coleman, SurfRider Foundation Coordinator for Hawai’i

• Richard Cellarius, International Vice President--Organizational Relations, Sierra Club

• Doris Cellarius, Water Sentinels, Sierra Club

• Heather George, Waterkeeper Alliance

• Charlotte Vick, Director of Engagement for Mission Blue—The Sylvia Earle Alliance

• Sarah Pautzke, National Ocean Policy Pacific Island Regional Planning Body Coordinator

• Truly a host of others

I did not produce any events, but I attended quite a number throughout the conference. As follows:

• National Committee reports (to gain familiarity with IUCN: reports from Senegal, Spain, South America,

Canada, Caribbean, West Asia, Oceania, Africa, and many more.

• Report by Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior

• National Geographic presentation

• Republic of Korea presentation

• E. O. Wilson (considered father of sociobiology)

• Bycatch forum

• Living Shorelines

• Innovation in Protecting Marine Ecosystems and Managing Fisheries & tourism, Coral Triangle

• IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

• Dr. Jane Goodall: Conservation—Empowering the next generation

• U.S. Pavilion on fisheries, climate change, aquaculture

• Panel with Jane Goodall, Anne Walton formerly of NOAA, John Jarvis National Parks Service Director

• Ocean planning: Anne Walton, Sarah Pautzke, Mark Mitsuyasu Western Pacific Fishery Management

Council

• Women and Sustainability: a Sierra Club shared workshop

• Communications - David Helvarg, Stuart Coleman

• Ocean conservation: Alan Friedlander, Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, and others

• Business meetings, including: voting, presentations, deliberations, IUCN planning for the next four years

Doug Fetterly


12

Aloha Richard,

The following is a brief report of my experiences, which I found extremely valuable, at the IUCN World

Conservation Congress (WCC) held in Honolulu, Hawai‘i September 1-10, 2016. I greatly appreciate the opportunity

to have participated in both the WCC Forum and Assembly events as an official member of the Sierra Club

delegation.

WCC Workshops, High Level Events, Knowledge Cafes and other types of Forum events I participated in:

WCC Event

Code

Date Comments

9649 Living Shorelines on Tropical Islands 9/2/16 re: adaptation strategies for climate

change adaptation to sea level rise.

9735 Young Leaders of Pacific 9/2/16 Inter-generational outreach

10205 Ecosystems Based Adaptation 9/3/16 re: adaptation strategies for climate

change adaptation

12216 Incorporating Climate Change

Adaptation into Agency Level

Planning

9/3/16 re: adaptation strategies for climate

change adaptation to sea level rise

13827 Empowering Next Generations 9/3/16 Inter-generational outreach

103013 Ocean Planning for Pacific Islands 9/3/16 Relevant to implementation of marine

special planning element of National

Ocean Policy

9682 WCPA/SSC 9/4/16 Marine protected areas/WCPA Young

Professionals outreach

9659 Why Crossroads calls for relentless

leadership

9/4/16 Inter-generational outreach

11364 Learning and educational tools for

ecosystem-based disaster risk

reduction and resiliency building

9/4/16

re: adaptation strategies for climate


9695 Inter-Generational Climate Justice

Moot Court

9/5/16 World Commission on Environmental

Law event

10238 Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions for

Adaptation and Building Resistance

9/5/16 re: adaptation strategies for climate


In addition to the Forum events I attended, and the exhibits I visited, I participated in the September 6-10 IUCN

Assembly events, primarily in observer status as an official member of the Sierra Club’s IUCN delegate. I also

participated in one of the Contact Groups working on final language for Motion 309 relating to the IUCN response

to the Paris climate change agreement, and conferred with you and Doris on Sierra Club’s votes for candidates to

the various categories of IUCN leadership, e.g. regional and subject matter Commissions.

I also am working with members of the IUCN World Commission Young Professionals who are conducting a series

of Earth Works, Arts & Music Tour events on the island of Oahu September 12-22. This is my introduction to the

inter-generational partnerships IUCN promotes. The Hawai‘i Sierra Club has also helped set up Tour events, with a

very good focus on Hawaiian culture as well as ecological issues (referred to as bio-cultural events) at various

locations across the island.

Overall I found the entire process of engaging in the WCC, beginning with participation in the IUCN regional

meeting in San Francisco last September, to be very enlightening and inspiring. For most of my time as a volunteer

with Sierra Club I have focused on domestic environmental issues, though as a member of the U.S. Coral Reef Task

Force, I participated in meetings that included U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands such as the Palau and the Federated

States of Micronesia. Due in part, perhaps, to the fact that this WCC took place on a Pacific island, this WCC had a

strong emphasis on conservation issues related to oceans and islands—issues that are particularly relevant to our


13

Grassroots Network Marine Action Team (MAT). I appreciate the global perspective the IUCN provides for issues I

have been following from a more limited viewpoint.

Development of Climate change adaptation strategies for Sierra Club coastal Groups and Chapters, especially

adaptation to sea level rise, is one of the MAT’s major areas of focus. The WCC Forum had many relevant

workshops or other events on this topic, and the need to address climate change, both mitigation and adaptation,

was a major element of the theme of Planet at a Crossroads. The workshops on Ecosystems-based Adaptation and

Ecosystems-based Disaster Risk Reduction were especially relevant, as was the recognition of the need to combine

these two approaches to most coastal adaptation scenarios. Related workshops on Living Shorelines and the

overall IUCN approach of Nature-based solutions also provided helpful conceptual frameworks and possible tools.

As you saw from the list of my Forum activities I attended, many of them were on the general theme of climate

change adaptation.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this milestone event. I am still absorbing lessons from it, as I

expect I will for years to come.

Aloha,

Dave [Raney]

**********

Hi Richard,

[At the Sierra Club booth,] 800 We Are the Arctic campaign postcards were filled out in a course of 10 days.

I had parallel event to screen my film outside of the congress. Roughly 250 youth and 150 adults saw the film.

I participated in Women's caucus many mornings and one knowledge café and one day dedicated to Okinawa's

issue.

Thanks!

Miho [Aida]


14

Richard,

I attended the full two weeks of the IUCN conference. During the first week I went to conference presentations

related to climate change adaptation, forests and deforestation, nature based solutions, and how environment can

be protected during times of conflict. I learned a lot about how the international community is working to protect

natural areas. There was a lot of discussion about how we, as a conservation movement, need to branch out to

new groups and work in new collaborative ways to make a larger impact. There was also an interesting dynamic

between local and global problems. The global discussions focused on climate change, ocean pollution, and

extinction of certain species. The solutions to these problems included lofty policies, bans on certain products, and

resolutions to act on them. I appreciated talking about the local solutions more. These discussions were more

nuanced and focused on the intersection between the environment and people. I think we do not talk about

people enough when it comes to environmental issues, and that is critical.

During the second week of the conference, the IUCN Members Assembly discussed the motions that could not be

agreed upon during the online forum. Each Sierra Club member took a motion to follow and contribute to so that

they could be voted on during the member's assembly. I followed Motion 59, which was the IUCN response to the

Paris Agreement. Since I have been going to the COPs as part of the Sierra Club delegation for the past four years, I

was able to contribute to the discussions about this motion. It was interesting to be part of this process, and it was

good to learn about how decisions get made by an international body such as this.

I think it is important for the Sierra Club to be part of the IUCN because of the decisions that are made to protect

certain ecosystems and species. Since we are a premier environmental organization, and we have been so effective

at protecting lands, air, and water it is important to offer our perspectives in these international spaces.

Additionally, the IUCN has a very strong force in international spaces. I do think we could have been more effective

at this conference if we had more calls and strategized about what we would be doing at the conference. It would

have been good to also have a call to frame the motion process, and how the conference would function. I would

have been more effective then.

I also think it would have been beneficial for us to have met more while at the conference. I am not sure I even

met all of our delegates. It would have given us a good opportunity to connect and talk about how we could be

more effective in this process, not only at this conference, but between conferences as well.

Thanks,

Natalie [Lucas]


15

Hi Richard, All,

This is my report. I had the pleasure of representing Sierra Club Canada on the SC delegation to the IUCN Congress

in Hawaii. I have been inspired to suggest a fundraising campaign about the Arctic to the Leonardo DiCaprio

Foundation that was active at the Congress, see below.

I had three main areas of involvement. First I attended most of the Law Commission programing and thanks to Nick

Robinson I met many members of the WELC. I intend to joint that list serv. I was particularly interested to learn

about the factors in establishing specialized environmental courts and may try to apply them here in Ontario.

The second area was to counter my government's opposition to motion 41conditioning biodiversity offsets w no go

areas as set out in Motion 26.

The third main area of engagement was to regularly staff the SC Booth. The new SC banner and logo looked great.

The best part was to get to know members of SC Hawaii Chapter. I was invited to attend both a local fundraiser

that was really fun as well as a film screening on the ANWR.

Binational Fundraising idea

The film and the post card campaign asking President Obama to do everything possible to protect the ANWR made

it clear we can never fully protect the costal plain unless both the US and Canadian governments are committed to

it.

The coastal plain is the birthing and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, on which the Gwich’in people

who are native to this region have depended for millennia. In their language, they call this land “The Sacred Place

Where Life Begins.” Since 1986, this area has been threatened by oil and gas development on both sides of the

border and as Doris recently pointed out, by mining on the Canadian side.. In this short film, Gwich’in women

speak out for their sacred land and inspire audiences around the world to action. www.mihoaida.com/gwichin.

The Gwich'in people and porcupine caribou freely cross the border. The Hawaiian Chapter, especially through the

long term effort of Steve Montgomery, has a good relationship with the local communities there.

SC already has an Arctic campaign. The Wild America carries on the Sierra Club's long legacy of protecting

America's beautiful wildlands and is doubling down in the fight to preserve our wild heritage in the face of threats

from mining, drilling, and climate disruption. http://content.sierraclub.org/ourwildamerica/ . I believe Rob Mo is

an organizer for the Sierra Club's Our Wild America Campaign.

Given SC and SCC's successful experience with binational advocacy at the Great Lakes another shared resource, it

seems natural that we try to duplicate that effort in the Arctic. See this map:

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was active at the Congress and has an interest in the Arctic see

http://leonardodicaprio.org

In fact, a campaign to ensure the binational protection of the Arctic coastal plain touches on 5 of their 6 focus

areas. LDF's grantmaking program encompasses six focus areas:

Wildland Conservation, Marine Conservation, Indigenous Rights, Climate Change, Innovative Solutions,

[Public Advocacy]

If this is a project of interest, please let me know how we might proceed.

Aloha, Christine


16

Memorandum:

TO: Richard A. Cellarius, Ph.D.

FROM: Steven Lee Montgomery, Ph. D. Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter DATE: September 26, 2016

SUBJECT: activities IUCN World Conservation Congress, Hawai'i Convention Center

What seemed so audacious an idea 8 years ago was forged into a landmark event as the USA hosted its first World

Conservation Congress for IUCN in Honolulu. The opening & closing ceremonies were inspiring orations by Hawaii

leaders Senator Brian Schatz, Gov. David Ige and IUCN Officers. Of the 8 years, Chipper Wichman, Director of

NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN on Kauai recapped the voyage: "hundreds of people have put their

hearts into winning a competition starting with eight powerful locations around the world, an amazing

accomplishment for a taro-roots effort with our partners." We were able to see former Gov. Neil Abercrombie in

the lobby photo display as Susan Middleton gave him her rare flora portrait Sept. 10 as we thanked him for setting

the WCC bid USA in motion.

Hawaiian Trisha Kehaulani Watson of IUCN's Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP)

and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) blogged on behalf of many fellow islanders:

"Our inspiration continues to grow from our environment Scientific data lies thoroughly embedded in our

expressions of cultural knowledge, whether in song, story, dance or other forms. This existing traditional ecological

knowledge of Hawaiians developed from thousands of years of prosperous living on the islands free from outside

influence. Extending far beyond cultural heritage, our knowledge includes complex understandings of evolutionary

biology, watershed health, agriculture aquaculture and resource management that allowed over one million

people to sustainably reside in Hawai'i. It is a model of sustainability that we continue to find ways to perpetuate -

for our children's sake and for our planet's survival.

Hawai'i, as an island, is a microcosm of the planet. We have seen our island communities struggle, realizing our

resources are fraught with fragility and challenges. We understand the need to protect critically endangered

species, such as the Hawaiian monk seal, as Hawai'i remains the site of some of the most diverse and threatened

ecosystems on the planet. It is called the 'endangered species capital of the world', yet these tiny islands just

passed the broadest wildlife trafficking ban in the nation. … We are a small population that fights so hard to

protect our beautiful home, because we know loss and we want to stop the loss from continuing. We understand it

is essential to find ways to transform fear into faith - to turn loss into love and hope."

Daily, I attended and regularly sought more volunteer help at the SC Booth from Hawaii Chapter. I attended 3 film

screenings of Gwich'in Women Speak [see www.mihoaida.com/gwichin] on the latest phase of a 25 year informal

alliance with Arctic First Nations' ANWR wilderness bill campaigns. We titled it: "Solidarity in Hawai'i with Native

Alaska/ Canada Subsistence Cultures to Protect the Public Arctic Wildlife Refuge."

Sierra Club of Hawaii & Cosponsors Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi /Hawaiians for the Conservation of Native

Ecosystems & Conservation Council for Hawaii, affiliate of National Wildlife Federation, set up the 3 side events

with the film on Gwich'in Women and post card campaign that asks President Obama "to do everything possible"

to protect the ANWR. We will rally support for a Binational Fundraising idea from Sierra Club Canada to keep oil in

the ground and caribou on their ground. The Sierra Clubs can team with INDIGENOUS RIGHTS movement to secure

the birthing and wintering grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd while we have Trudeau & Democrats leading

our nations.

I met with Hawaii's Senator Mazie Hirono and wrote again to confirm her support for the proposal to expand the

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument just before the WCC. The Club and many allies like OHA's

Kamanopono Crabbe and Sol Kahoohalahala, lobbied the agencies and the White House's Council on

Environmental Quality so that a proclamation was drafted for the President to announce the largest marine

protected area to the world before IUCN met!

I attended the press event for the new Biosecurity Plan to find ways to implement the biocontrol of invasive

species sections.


17

On the field day I helped Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi /Hawaiians for the Conservation of Native Ecosystems host 5

Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation members from Tehran, Iran, who had a booth by the SC's, on a tour of our

state's only Ramsar Wetland in Kailua. They have witnessed the adverse effects of unbridled development and

population growth in Iran, and with a profound appreciation for wildlife, have come together to safeguard of Iran's

delicate and scarred natural environment.

I took in the Russian Federation and Korean major displays to learn how these nations manage reserves. Since

WCC 2012 in Jeju, Korea has hosted 25,000 at a Biodiversity Conference of Parties and a 2015 Leaders' Forum with

1100 from 40 countries to build on the 2012 Dialog.

I attended the forum and press event of Central African Protected Areas Network (RAPAC), a membership based

organization operating to support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in central Africa through

harmonization of policies and management tools and by providing a platform for exchange and support between

protected area managers and those wanting to develop or use natural resources and areas. RAPAC supports

countries in managing protected areas in Central Africa and have helped to strengthen Governments' awareness

on the need to protect biological resources. The new executive secretary of RAPAC said that its institutional

reforms seek to open up and widen the involvement of actors involved in the management of protected areas.

I promoted a celebration of the ban on illegal wildlife trafficking in Hawai'i, Act 125 - the broadest subnational

wildlife trafficking ban in the United States! [September 5, 1-2:30 pm] Co-Hosted by Vulcan, the Humane Society of

the United States, Global March for Elephants & Rhinos, NSEFU Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Conservation

Council for Hawai'i, and Sierra Club of Hawai'i.

At 147 locations around the globe, citizens marched to save elephants and rhinos from extinction. The marches

coincide with the opening on September 24 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg, South Africa. We marched to demand that CITES, the world's

influential international wildlife trade organization, place rhinos, elephants, and lions on Appendix 1 to receive the

most protection, no trade at all.

At WCC, I was befriended by Dawud Mume Ali, Director General of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority,

and president of the African Elephant Protection Initiative, who wrote in support of Hawaii's march:

"Sound science and data provide evidence that in order to stop the killing, ivory markets must close. Poachers and ivory

traffickers are stealing Africa's heritage. The future of elephants is in our hands. Ivory belongs to elephants. Until we choke

off demand, the poachers won't stop killing!"

Our press release from Sierra Club of Hawaii said: "Hawaii has led in whale recovery & now must ally with Africans,

like Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu to help stop the killing of African elephants. The greatest threat to wild

elephant populations is poaching driven by demand for ivory products. As the third largest domestic market for

ivory in the United States, Hawaii is set to help close its market with a new local law only passed due to a national

push by the Club, Vulcan, & WCS.

"The United States is contributing to the poaching crisis by providing the second largest market in the world, after

China, for ivory." Ivory products encourage socially irresponsible spending, and illegal practices, so the trade in

ivory surely belongs in the past, just as sales of whale teeth & shark fins. Hawaii's hosting of the World

Conservation Congress for IUCN in Sept. gave us personal contacts from African front lines on solutions to this

global wildlife crisis to bring about the changes needed to save these species The Sierra Club is in solidarity to

establish a moratorium on the sale of elephant ivory to eliminate the enforcement challenges posed by the legal

ivory trade.

Protestors against ivory trade march to Honolulu Hale

September 25 2016

By HawaiiNewsNow Staff, HONOLULU [TV Channels 7 & 8 - aired multiple times]

About a dozen protestors took to the streets on Saturday to raise awareness about Hawaii's ivory trade. The Sierra Club,

along with concerned community members walked from the state capitol to Honolulu Hale. Organizers say the march to

protect elephants and rhinos was one of many around the world this weekend. The demonstration coincides with the

opening of an international convention on wildlife trade in South Africa. "Until China and America shut down their

markets, there's nothing we can do to stop our rangers from being murdered by poachers, there's nothing we can do to


18

protect the elephants unless you guys stop consuming this stuff, and that's why we're getting the message out, and that's

why we're marching today," said Steven Lee Montgomery, a Sierra Club volunteer. The Sierra Club says no ivory dealer in

Hawaii has been found to have proper documentation for ivory sales, which may put consumers at risk for federal

prosecution.

Copyright 2016 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

I was able to meet several Chinese IUCN members to talk about how we in Hawaii worked to have a USA WCC,

(since this change of DOS positions did not begin in D C) as they mulled options for a WCC 2020 in China. The

Shangri-la Institute for Sustainable Communities (SISC) is a registered independent Chinese nongovernmental

organization; in 1996 key staff members started work on nature conservation and community development

projects.

The Shan Shui Conservation Center is an NGO based in Beijing at Peking University where it was founded in 2007,

with support from Conservation International. Shan Shui means 'mountains and rivers' in Chinese, words that

convey an image of pristine scenery and nature, and it states that a wholesome natural ecological environment will

provide spiritual, cultural, economical and ecological safety for China and for the world in the long run, and that

local rural communities are the ultimate allies for nature conservation.

One booth was by Earth Day Network. Its main goal at the Congress was to generate enthusiasm about Earth Day's

upcoming 50th anniversary in 2020, highlighted #EarthDay50 and it asked people to join the next revolution. If the

WCC was any sign of how big Earth Day 2020 will be, it is building towards an unprecedented success.

Conservation thinking is becoming more mainstream, and global cooperation is bearing fruit when it comes to

tackling climate change and setting an agenda for sustainable development.

Steven Lee Montgomery, Ph. D.


19

Appendix 5

Sierra Club Delegations to the IUCN International Assemblies and World Conservation Congresses.†

Year Location Delegation Members Year Location Delegation Members

GA 1 1948 Fontainebleau GA 17 1988 San José J.Michael McCloskey

GA 2 1950 Brussels Edgar Wayburn

GA 3 1952 Caracas Anita K. Yurchyshyn

GA 4 1954 Copenhagen Miss B. Willard GA 18 1990 Perth Richard Cellarius

GA 5 1956 Edinburgh Ira N. Gabrielson Edgar Wayburn

GA 6 1958 Athens W. P. Taylor J.Michael McCloskey

GA 7 1960 Warsaw Horace M. Albright Doris Cellarius

GA 8 1963 Nairobi Richard M. Leonard GA 19 1994 Buenos Aires J.Michael McCloskey

Pauline (JohnA.) Dyer WCC 1 1996 Montreal J.Michael McCloskey

GA 9 1966 Lucerne WCC 2 2000 Amman Richard Cellarius

GA 10 1969 New Delhi Bruce Hamilton

GA 11 1972 Banff Richard M. Leonard Steve Mills

Lawrence S. Hamilton Juli Abouchar

Patricia Romback (Scharlin) J.Michael McCloskey

George Treichel Doris Cellarius

Thaddeus (Ted) Trzyna WCC 3 2004 Bangkok Richard Cellarius

GA 12 1975 Kinshasa Patricia Romback (Scharlin) Doris Cellarius

GA 13 1977 Geneva J.Michael McCloskey Steve Mills

Patricia Romback (Scharlin) Jaye Ellis

Nicholas Robinson WCC 4 2008 Barcelona Richard Cellarius

Dumon Stansby Doris Cellarius

GA 14 1978 Ashkhabad Thaddeus (Ted) Trzyna Steve Mills

GA 15 1981 Christchurch Lawrence S. Hamilton WCC 5 2012 Jeju Richard Cellarius

J.Michael McCloskey Doris Cellarius

Patricia Scharlin WCC6 2016 Honolulu Richard Cellarius

J. Gary Taylor Doris Cellarius

Sanford Tepfer Christine Elwell

GA 16 1984 Madrid Joshua Dickinson Doug Fetterly

Lawrence S. Hamilton Natalie Lucas

J.Michael McCloskey Steve Montgomery

Patricia Scharlin Jessica Olson

J. Gary Taylor Dave Raney

Sanford S. Tepfer Nicholas Robinson

Anita K. Yurchyshyn A.Tianna Scozzaro

Edgar Wayburn Joy Leilei Shih

Sierra Club became a

member of IUCN in 1956

(extraordinary

session)

† Early delegations are listed as reported in the IUCN General Assembly Proceedings.

REPORT OF THE SIERRA CLUB 2016 IUCN WCC DELEGATION · THE 2016 IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS....

Documents

Transcript of REPORT OF THE SIERRA CLUB 2016 IUCN WCC DELEGATION · THE 2016 IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS....