Holdgate, Martin W.

IUCN has been described as "the conservation world's best-kept secret". It is the oldest global conservation body, founded 50 years ago. For half a century it has been a "green web", linking governments, non-governmental organizations and the world's leading individual conservationists and providing a unique forum where they can meet and debate. It has prepared global strategies and originated some of the world's most important environmental laws.

Sir Martin Holdgate, former IUCN Director General, was a principal author of both the "World conservation strategy" and "Caring for the earth". In this book, he brings his unrivalled experience to the task of reviewing progress to date and examining what now needs to be done. He argues that we must work for change at every level, from our understanding of our place in relation to nature and the values we put on it, up to a reformed economic structure and new social institutions.

Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for Survival is a book for everybody from national leaders and the heads of industry to individual citizens. Fully illustrated in colour with photographs from around the world, this strategy offers the reader a practical guide to the principles and actions on which the future of our societies depends.; The first part of the book explains the issues of conservation and of social and economic development.