What we do

WWF's vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. We believe that inclusive conservation approaches are critical to deliver wellbeing and equitable outcomes for people as well as restore and regenerate nature. The crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and inequality require systemic responses, and they challenge us to confront the structures and power dynamics that perpetuate inequalities inhibiting conservation.

Inclusive conservation consists of a variety of approaches that embrace diverse values and visions for how nature should be conserved while providing benefits for both people and nature. WWF strives to holistically understand the contexts in which we work and the dynamics between diverse actors and rights-holders. WWF recognizes and promotes the agency and leadership of local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and other groups experiencing marginalization. In addition to rights-holders, WWF engages government, civil society, and private sector actors for collective action that contributes to systems transformation at multiple levels.

WWF embraces a human rights-based approach mandated across all our work by our core standards - the Statements of Principles on Human Rights, Gender Equality, and Indigenous Peoples and the Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework. The Inclusive Conservation Guidance supports this work across the network, offering pathways of change to realize our vision.