The world’s leading conservation body is convening its global congress this Thursday in Abu Dhabi, where it will unveil the latest update to its critical “Red List” of threatened species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose decisions profoundly influence global environmental protection strategies, plans to publish this vital list on Friday. This list categorizes at-risk plant and animal species, ranging from “least concern” to “extinct,” providing a crucial snapshot of our planet’s biological health.
Held every four years, this congress serves as a stark reminder of the alarming state of global biodiversity. A growing number of species are facing severe threats from the destruction of their natural homes, the pervasive impacts of climate change, and widespread pollution affecting water, air, and soil.
Experts from the United Nations’ scientific panel on biodiversity (IPBES) report a consistent decline in biodiversity over the past 30 to 50 years. The last IUCN congress took place in Marseille, France, in 2021.
In its previous “Red List” update, the IUCN revealed that out of 169,420 species assessed, a staggering 47,187 — more than a quarter — were classified as threatened. Corals and amphibians were among the most severely affected groups, with over 40 percent of each facing extinction.
An Urgent Call to Action
“The Congress program truly reflects the urgency and ambition required in our current era,” stated Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and an IUCN councillor from the West Asia region.
Grethel Aguilar of Costa Rica, IUCN Director General, emphasized that the upcoming announcements underscore “the scale of ambition and the tangible potential for delivering the solutions necessary to build a planet where both people and nature can flourish.”
While the resolutions adopted by the IUCN congress are not legally binding, an anonymous IUCN source revealed to AFP that they hold significant weight, capable of “shaping the international agenda” and “accelerating” progress on critical treaties currently under negotiation.
The Synthetic Biology Debate
A particularly contentious vote at the congress centers on two opposing viewpoints regarding synthetic biology, a debated technique extensively employed in the pharmaceutical and agribusiness sectors. This technology allows scientists to engineer organisms, endowing them with novel capabilities.
One motion advocates for a complete halt, or moratorium, on this technology. Its proponents argue that “genetic engineering of wild species in natural ecosystems, including in protected areas, is fundamentally incompatible with the established practices, values, and principles of nature conservation.”
Conversely, a competing motion suggests that synthetic biology could effectively supplement existing conservation efforts. It asserts that IUCN policy “should not be interpreted as unilaterally supporting or opposing synthetic biology.”
Organizers anticipate a turnout of 10,000 delegates and 5,000 civil society attendees at this crucial event. The IUCN congress prides itself on being “the world’s largest and most inclusive nature conservation forum,” with voting members comprising government agencies, national and international NGOs, and Indigenous communities from across the globe.