IUCN Becomes Knowledge Partner of Every Action Counts Coalition to Help Boost Green Acts of 1 billion Global Consumers.
(6th September 2021, Geneva) Every Action Counts (EAC), a coalition that connects some of the world’s leading digital platforms, financial institutions, and consumer goods firms with experts in nature conservation and climate change, announced it will work with the IUCN to encourage consumers to take green actions. Today’s announcement of the knowledge partnership between IUCN and the coalition builds on the momentum of the September 2021 IUCN World Conservation Congress, currently in session in Marseille. The EAC was launched with the aim of sharing best practices in encouraging individuals to take positive environmental actions in daily life using people-centric, tech-enabled and innovation-oriented engagement models. It aims to empower 1 billion people to take planet-friendly actions by 2025.
The knowledge partnership with IUCN means EAC members will be able to access high- quality expertise on green initiatives such as offsetting schemes or plastic-waste reduction campaigns. The IUCN hosts over 18,000 experts on issues such as nature conservation and biodiversity protection. Together, EAC and IUCN will work with coalition members to pursue locally relevant approaches to driving sustainable consumer actions, ensuring outcomes that have a genuine, positive impact on nature and climate. The Green Actions catalogue, published by EAC today, defines which actions the coalition considers priorities for greening across three themes of carbon emissions, plastic and waste management. For example, over 8 million tons of plastic is produced each year that ends up in our oceans, and the coalition will look at encouraging consumer actions such as more take back of plastic packaging or establishing a plastic price to encourage recycling. These priorities will inform the coalition’s workplan between 2021-2023, and will also feed into an upcoming experimentation stage.
Marianne Haahr, spokesperson for the ‘Every Action Counts’ coalition and Executive Director of Green Digital Alliance, said:
“Leveraging technology and partnerships to catalyse green actions that work for 1 billion people is no small task and that is why we are announcing our key areas of focus, through the launch of the EAC Green Actions Catalogue. I am excited to get started working with the IUCN, who bring their invaluable policy-focused expertise on natural resource management and nature conservation to its engagements with corporates.”
Bruno Oberle, Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said:
“As individuals we do not know if our food has robbed the Amazon rainforest of trees. It is not on the package, and it is not more expensive to buy a nature destructive product. Digital innovations, fintech and reliable impact tracking can make a huge difference’ “IUCN has a long history of consistently raising the bar for nature and biodiversity leadership, for example by advocating for nature-based solutions for coastal and marine areas and by establishing the World Conservation Congress. We welcome the engagement of EAC members in these challenges by closing the gap between consumer knowledge on green actions and the impact of those choices on biodiversity loss and climate change.”
Magnus Ekbom, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Lazada, said:
"We are delighted to be a partner in this coalition, and to utilise our technology and eCommerce platform to engage consumers on sustainable actions. EAC and IUCN provide us with invaluable knowledge on topics such as plastics, climate change and biodiversity. Their expertise helps companies develop solutions that are grounded on science and policy- focused research."
Wiebe Draijer, CEO & Chairman of the Managing Board Rabobank, said:
“Many of our customers are taking important steps to achieve the Paris objectives. We believe that by creating clear frameworks, the transition to a sustainable future can be accelerated.” Kristina Kloberdanz, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mastercard, said: “As we collectively work to build a more inclusive digital economy that enables both growth and a healthy planet, we are excited to support the development and launch of the Green Actions Catalogue. It will enable more people to take action for the environment and create a world that’s socially and ecologically just – one that works for everyone, everywhere.”
Members of the EAC coalition include Ant Group, BBVA, BigPay, DANA, Delivery Hero, GCash, FNZ, Lazada, Mastercard, MTN, Paytm, Rabobank, Sanlam and Telenor Microfinance Bank.
Notes to editor
Every Action Counts virtual panel event begins on September 6th 2021.
For more information please contact: Ola Adeyemi, ESG Communications Tel: + 44 (0)7721 655294 | ola@esgcomms.com
About the ‘Every Action Counts’ (EAC) coalition
The coalition was launched by the Green Digital Finance Alliance, a not-for-profit designed to leverage digital technologies and innovations to enhance financing for sustainable development. The ‘Every Action Counts’ coalition aims to work with like-minded members including international organisations, private sector corporates and subject matter experts to creatively leverage technology and partnerships to enhance green awareness and green action of 1 billion people around the globe by 2025. For more information visit https://www.eac-coalition.org
