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WCC 2012 Res 019 - Activity Report

General Information
IUCN Constituent: 
On the EDGE Conservation
IUCN Constituent type: 
IUCN Member
Period covered: 
2021
Geographic scope: 
Global
Country/Territory: 
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
Cuba
Gabon
India
Indonesia
Madagascar
Mexico
New Zealand
Senegal
United Kingdom
Viet Nam
In implementing this Resolution your organization has worked/consulted with...
IUCN Members: 
Zoological Society of London ( ZSL ) / United Kingdom
IUCN Commissions: 
IUCN Species Survival Commission 2021-2025 (SSC)
IUCN Secretariat: 
No
Other non-IUCN related organisations: 
Australian Museum, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Implementation
Indicate and briefly describe any actions that have been carried out to implement this Resolution: 
ActionDescriptionStatus
Convene stakeholders/NetworkingOn the Edge hosts the IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force established in 2019, with global representation.On-going
Education/Communication/Raising awarenessOn the Edge hosted and presented in a symposium on ‘Safeguarding evolutionary history to secure a better future: the role of the Tree of Life in global biodiversity policy and practice’, at the Society for Conservation Biology 2021, alongside several IUCN SSC PDTF members. Completed
Education/Communication/Raising awarenessOn the Edge was a lead partner in the SSC Reverse the Red Pavilion at the World Conservation Congress in 2021. As part of this, On the Edge hosted a panel discussion on 7 September 2021, on ‘Conserving the Tree of Life’. On the Edge also developed and produced two short videos, Saving the Tree of Life and The Weird, the Wonderful and the Overlooked, demonstrating the applied use of PD in conservation, for the Pavilion screening. Completed
Field activitiesOn the Edge undertook the first in a series of Regional Campaigns in 2021, committing £228,000 over 3 years to conservation of EDGE species and important landscapes in the Western Ghats, India. In parallel we supported local storytellers to produce communications and awareness raising mini-documentaries highlighting the little-known species, habitats, and conservationists in the region.On-going
FundraisingOn the Edge has funded an internal grants programme, commencing in 2020, with the SSC Chair's Office to support the assessment of high-ED species, re-assessment of EDGE species, and conservation action plans for EDGE species. In 2020-2021 we committed a total of $136,530, supporting 15 SSC groups, and we estimate it will benefit 18 EDGE species and 429 ED species, including under-represented taxa such as plants, fungi and reptiles with a focus on range state involvement. On-going
FundraisingOn the Edge is committed to supporting the conservation of EDGE species. Between 2018 - 2021, we have disbursed almost £1m in grant funds towards science and conservation projects on these species. These grants covered activities in 14 countries and 7 EDGE zones, predominantly in the global south. Projects contributed to the conservation of at least 23 EDGE species, plus an additional 21 threatened but non-EDGE species.On-going
Policy influencing/advocacyOn the Edge has actively engaged with national-level stakeholders in the UK, including participating in several workshops organised by the Government Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who invited NGOs to provide their views on the CBD monitoring framework. In 2020, On the Edge hosted a virtual parliamentary panel event, featuring Al Gore, David Lammy, Zac Goldsmith, Jonathan Baillie, Nisha Owen, hosted by Ayesha Hazarika, on the biodiversity crisis; as well as convening 9 UK organisations to write to the Minister for the Environment to call for a focus on evolutionarily distinct species and lineages. On-going
Policy influencing/advocacyOn the Edge, as host and part of the IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force is working towards incorporating PD and EDGE into the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and has attended the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) virtual meetings. On-going
Scientific/technical activitiesAs part of the PDTF, On the Edge has contributed to the production of the expected PD loss indicator and EDGE Index, both proposed for inclusion in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) post-2020 global biodiversity framework. These indicators fill an important current gap in the draft monitoring framework relating to Nature’s Contributions to People. On-going
Scientific/technical activitiesOn the Edge has led scientific research into EDGE Zones, in collaboration with ZSL, to identify regions of the world that are particularly important for evolutionary history and EDGE species. These regions will form the focus of our strategic grant-making and communications in future. On-going
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken: 
At On the Edge we have acted at all levels to advocate for nature and Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species across the tree of life, from influencing policy to amplifying local voices to making grants for action on the ground. We host the IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force, we are an IUCN SSC partner, and we are members of IUCN, UK Wildlife and Countryside Link, the Environmental Funders Network and the Association of Charitable Foundations.
What challenges have you encountered in implementing this Resolution and what measures have you taken to overcome them?: 
The primary barrier to the conservation of evolutionarily distinct lineages is the lack of understanding on why they are important and how to prioritise them for conservation planning and practice. We provide targeted grants to support conservation and assessments on the ground, share expertise through the PDTF and in our research with collaborators, and through our digital media efforts.
Identify and briefly describe what future actions are planned for the implementation of this Resolution: 
Future ActionDescription
Convene stakeholders/NetworkingOn the Edge is working with like-minded organisations to establish a sector movement supporting EDGE species.
Policy influencing/advocacyOn the Edge, along with partners and the IUCN SSC PDTF, are working on continuing engagement with the CBD GBF, including producing key publications in support of our indicators.
Additional Information