Page 4 - TNC AR 2018_Digital Demo

FROM THE PRESIDENT
We Choose a a a a Conservation Pathway to the Future
At The Nature Conservancy our our our strength has always come from our our our ability to innovate and and and adapt We got our our our start by by protecting land threatened by by development and and and and later moved into new areas including marine and and and freshwater protection As threats to to to our mission have changed changed we’ve changed changed too Climate change change change rapid population growth and growing pressure on on on on natural resources have all contributed to to a a a a a a a a a a a a time of rapid rapid and necessary evolution at at TNC As we we respond to a a a a a a a a a a a a rapidly changing world it’s essential that our our strategies remain grounded in in in solid science science So we we recently asked asked our our science science team to step back and and look at at at the big picture We asked: Between now and and and 2050 can we we really have it it all—a future where people get the the food energy and and economic growth they need without sacri cing nature?
Good news: The answer is yes If—and it’s a a a a a big “if”—we do things right Two Paths
To do things right we we we need to to know what we’re up against So we we we asked our senior scientists to to establish a a a a a a a a a set of base assumptions—realistic projections for for expected growth in global population gross domestic product and and and and demand for for food and and and and and energy between now and and and and and 2050 Then they looked at at at at two likely outcomes for nature and and and and people We’ll call these “business “business as as as usual” usual” and and the the “conservation pathway ” ” ” The “business “business as as as as as usual” usual” scenario assumes that human- kind carries on as as as as usual usual taking insu cient measures to save the planet This is is a a a a a a a a a a a dire path The world warms by 3 degrees Celsius—exceeding recommendations set forth in in the Paris agreement 5 billion people have trouble breath- ing because of of of polluted air 84 percent percent of of of sheries are are wiped out and and only 8 8 percent percent of of of lands are protected Now let’s look at at at the the “conservation pathway ” Here the the science projects a a a a a a a a a a a a much much better scenario The planet warms but but not as much much much Bad air a a a a a a a a a a ects ects some 1 billion people— much much fewer but but still too many All global sheries will will be be sustainable and and double the amount of land will will be be be protect- ed—a much better outcome for biodiversity At TNC we we we feel we we we are morally obligated to to to do everything we we we we can to to to help the the world shift from “business as as usual” to to to the the “conservation pathway ” ” It won’t be be easy But we we are con con dent that it can be done TheNatureConservancy’sRole
What can can TNC do to to help put the the the world on on the the the path to to sustainability? Where can can we make the the the biggest di erence? What challenges align with our our experiences resources and know-how?
These are the the the the questions my colleagues across the the the the orga- nization have focused on on on over the the the the past year In the the the the end working with our scientists program leaders and volun- teers from across the the organization we settled on on on ve prior- ities—the areas where TNC is best positioned to make a a a a a a a a measurable and meaningful impact:
Protect Protect Lands and and and and and Waters Protecting land and and and and and water at at at scale always always has been—and always always will be—our bread- and-butter work It’s what brought many of us us including me to to to TNC Now we’re also using new new tools like impact capital to to to unlock new new sources of funding for this work And we’re using strategies like Development by Design to transform the way way governments and and businesses site design and and operate infrastructure in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a way way that minimizes environmental harm We’re setting the the bar higher than we we we ever have before If we we we we do this right we’ll protect more nature in in in the the the next ve ve years than we we we we have in in in the the last 66 It’s ambitious but I think we we can do it Tackle Climate Change From eldwork to federal policy TNC has long been a a a a a a a a a a a a leader in in in tackling climate change Take for for example our work protecting forests from from Colorado to to to Brazil to to to sequester more carbon from from the atmosphere We’ve also worked on on restoring ecosystems like coral reefs and and and sand dunes to to to help people and and and nature adapt to to extreme weather events And we’ve been on on on the the ground in in in uencing international climate negotiations 4 Our Our World Our Our Story