A
new outreach initiative launches 5 June
2009
5 June 2009 – World
Environment Day, 5 June, sees the unveiling
of a new communication initiative on biodiversity
brought through a partnership between Airbus,
the National Geographic Society and the
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity.
Under a campaign banner of "See the
Bigger Picture" it's designed to contribute
to international efforts to raise public
awareness on biodiversity, reaching out
to children, youth and families. It will
also encourage participation in The Green
Wave project.
The Green Wave supports
the goals of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) to communicate, educate
and raise public awareness on biodiversity.
It aims to help raise awareness and educate
young people – tomorrow's leaders and citizens
– on the loss of biodiversity that's taking
place across the world and the need to take
action to preserve life on Earth.
In the new campaign, enabled
by Airbus, National Geographic is launching
a worldwide photo contest for children to
encourage curiosity and understanding of
biodiversity. They will promote the contest
among a potential audience of 260 million
through their global media, including the
National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic
Kids magazine, their TV channel, and a brand
new website. At the same time they'll be
encouraging involvement in The Green Wave
and providing information on biodiversity.
In a message on the
launch of the partnership, the United Nations
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, said,
"I commend Airbus and National Geographic
for their support, and I encourage students,
parents and teachers to ride The Green Wave
and spread the word. Even small contributions
can make a big difference. Protecting our
planet's biodiversity is crucial if we are
to ensure the health of people and planet
alike".
Ambassador of the campaign
is National Geographic's outstanding photographer
Joel Sartore – renowned for searching and
photographing the most endangered species
on this planet. With his impressive photographs,
he aims to help animate children and young
people to get involved in exploring biodiversity.
The new initiative arises
from an agreement established in 2008 between
Airbus and the CBD Secretariat to work together
to raise public awareness on the importance
of biodiversity and for the success of The
Green Wave.
Airbus's decision for
a campaign of this scope was inspired by
a call to action from the United Nations
Secretary-General in Davos this year, when
he urged business and industry to join a
new phase of the UN Global Compact to address
global environmental challenges.
Tom Enders, Chief Executive
Officer and President of Airbus, said, "We
are very pleased to join forces with National
Geographic and the Convention on Biological
Diversity to support the United Nation's
mission on biodiversity with the "See
the Bigger Picture" campaign. Raising
awareness of the facts, realities and challenges
in the field of environment is essential
to finding the right solutions to the challenges
we all face as human beings who share the
same planet and common interest in protecting
the delicate balance of nature".
On learning of the new
initiative, Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson
of the Global Environment Facility said,
"The Green Wave is a path-breaking
way for children from all countries to work
together to fight species loss. I applaud
the partnership between Airbus and National
Geographic to help us build awareness to
better support the goals of the global agreement
on biodiversity. Our children and grandchildren
are depending on us to protect their future".
Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive
Secretary of the CBD, said, "I commend
Airbus management, staff and families, for
joining forces with the CBD Secretariat
with an aim to establish the most far-reaching
biodiversity education initiative for children,
youth and their families".
Launched just a year
ago and with a special celebration held
each year on 22 May – the International
Day for Bioversity – this year hundreds
of groups all over the world took part.
Over 600 groups from more than 65 countries
have so far posted information on their
Green Wave events and a great many others
are still carrying out activities, planting
trees and posting.
Now with the new supportive
campaign from Airbus and National Geographic,
The Green Wave is getting set to make a
mighty splash in 2010 – the International
Year of Biodiversity!
Find out more at www.seethebiggerpicture.org
and greenwave.cbd.int.
Notes
The Green Wave
The Green Wave is an
ongoing global biodiversity-education project
that encourages young people to make a difference
in conserving the basis for life on Earth.
The Green Wave promotes participation in
local action and the building of partnerships
around the world.
The Green Wave supports
the work of the Convention on Biological
Diversity to strengthen awareness and education
on biodiversity. It contributes to the celebration
of the International Day for Biological
Diversity. It will contribute to the observance
of the International Year of Biodiversity
in 2010. And it supports the Billion Tree
Campaign led by the United Nations Environment
Programme.
Through action-oriented
learning, The Green Wave teaches children
and youth the importance of biodiversity
for our well-being and that of our planet.
The Green Wave supports schools around the
world to educate tomorrow's leaders on the
crucial tasks of protecting Earth's biodiversity
and halting its loss.
As an important part
of The Green Wave initiative, children and
youth in schools and groups worldwide are
invited to plant a tree at 10 a.m. local
time on 22 May – the International Day for
Biological Diversity – creating a "green
wave" across time-zones*. Participants
upload photos and text to The Green Wave
website to share their tree-planting stories
with others. An interactive map goes live
in the evening at 20:10 local time, creating
a second, virtual, "green wave".
(*In parts of the world
where seasonal conditions are not suitable
to plant on 22 May, participants plant in
an appropriate season and, instead, water
their chosen tree at 10 am on 22 May).
Initiated by the German
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)
and the Office of Environmental Response
and Coordination (OERC) of the Republic
of Palau, The Green Wave is coordinated
by the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity.
The Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD)
Opened for signature
at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in
1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity
is an international treaty for the conservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity and
the equitable sharing of the benefits from
utilization of genetic resources.
With 191 Parties, the
CBD has near-universal participation among
countries committed to preserving life on
Earth. The CBD seeks to address all threats
to biodiversity and ecosystem services,
including threats from climate change, through
scientific assessments, the development
of tools, incentives and processes, the
transfer of technologies and good practices
and the full and active involvement of relevant
stakeholders including indigenous and local
communities, youth, NGOs, women and the
business community.
The Secretariat of the
Convention is located in Montreal. For additional
information, please contact Marie Aminata
Khan on +1 514 287 8701 or at marie.khan@cbd.int
or Johan Hedlund on + 1 514 287-6670 or
at johan.hedlund@cbd.int.
Airbus
Airbus is a leading
aircraft manufacturer with the most modern
and comprehensive family of airliners on
the market, ranging in capacity from 100
to more than 500 seats. Employing around
52,000 people of some 80 different nationalities
Airbus is a global company with design and
manufacturing facilities in France, Germany,
the UK, and Spain, as well as subsidiaries
in the U.S., China, Japan, and in the Middle
East.
Sensitive to its position
as an industry leader, Airbus strives to
be a truly eco-efficient enterprise. To
that end Airbus is the first aeronautics
company in the world to have earned the
ISO 14001 environmental certification for
all production sites and products for the
entire life cycle. Airbus seeks to ensure
that air transport continues to be an eco-efficient
means of transport, delivering value while
minimizing its environmental impact. Headquartered
in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.
In July 2008 Airbus
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the CBD Secretariat with the objective to
contribute to raising public awareness on
the importance of biodiversity and engaging
children and youth in the global biodiversity
agenda. Under the MOU the partners agreed
to initiate activities aimed at raising
public awareness on the importance of biodiversity,
paying particular attention to children
and youth, and to collaborate for the success
of The Green Wave.
National Geographic
The National Geographic
Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit
scientific and educational organizations.
Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse
geographic knowledge," the Society
works to inspire people to care about the
planet. It reaches more than 360 million
people worldwide each month through its
official journal, National Geographic, and
other magazines; National Geographic Channel;
television documentaries; music; radio;
films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live
events; school publishing programs; interactive
media; and merchandise. National Geographic
has funded more than 9,000 scientific research,
conservation and exploration projects and
supports an education program promoting
geographic literacy. For more information
contact Mary Jeanne Jacobsen on +1 (202)
857-7759 or at mjacobse@ngs.org
