This section is aimed for individuals, who want to understand how they can be part of the solution. It also addresses our members – as individuals and as messengers to their audiences.
To rewild the planet, you can act in many different ways, and we would encourage you to do so. Here are some options:
1. Rewilding Yourself and Walk the Talk
We all impact the planet through the choices we make: our food, housing, clothing, transport & traveling
We all are responsible for our own actions and we all know what we could or should do, there is no guide-book necessary. We can start slowly and we will realize: It is a good feeling to walk the talk.
Our biggest impact is through what we eat as food production (including fisheries) is the single most important driver of biodiversity loss and cause of environmental change worldwide. Dietary changes like reducing consumption of meat and marine fish alone could free-up several million square kilometers of land and sea.
2. Rewild Where You Live
Learn and seek inspiration from the efforts made to rewild gardens, roof tops, public places, etc.
Rewilding urban areas is becoming increasingly important, especially since now 55% of the world population live in urban environments with a projection of 68% by 2050. To really reach out to people, we also need to rewild where they live. To seek inspiration, we recommend consulting the following GRA members:
- SUGi (global)
- iamgurgon (India)
- People and Parks Foundation (Melbourne, AUS)
- Re-wilding Initiative (New York; US)
- Remedy Permaculture Design (Denver, US)
3. Join a Movement
We are stronger advocates for rewilding when we stand with others. Join the Global Rewilding Alliance to work with others to rewild the world
If your organization is interested to join the global rewilding movement, just contact us. If you as an individual is interested to join one of our member organizations, check the following list.
4. Use Your Voice for Rewilding
When you share the benefits of rewilding with others, you help the world discover a new and exciting solution for a better future.
Follow and share the information regularly posted by us on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook. We will also publish action alerts as needed.
It is also important to make decision-makers understand the necessity for and possibilities of rewilding and of “animating the carbon cycle” and to get this thinking into international dialogue, policy, decisions and action plans. The GRA aims to offer options to engage in influencing national and global decisions on climate and on biodiversity., so watch this space.
”Planting trees is good, of course, but it’s nowhere near enough of what needs to be done, and it cannot replace real mitigation or rewilding nature.” ~ Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum 2020
UNFCC COP 26 and CBD COP 15
The UNFCCC COP 26 is scheduled for November 2021 in Glasgow, UK, and the CBD COP 15 will take place in December 2021 in Kunming, China. A prime aim of the Alliance will be to get official recognition, through inclusion in language and global action plans, of the term and concept of “rewilding“ as the most advanced form of restoration and as the best and most cost-effective nature-based solution in solving the dual climate/biodiversity crisis.
Rewilding has to be concrete and we will highlight the need for specific “protect-restore-rewild” targets addressing, for example, the necessary protection of wild, primary ecosystems, how to best restore biodiversity and the carbon capacity on land and in the seas, the need to stopping climate- and biodiversity-negative natural resource use extraction (clear-cut logging & bottom trawling), financing opportunities, etc. How could the cooperation between UNFCCC and CBD be enhanced, resulting in joint/coordinated action on developing and scaling up “nature-based solutions”?
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The objective of the Un Decade is to “build a strong, diverse global movement towards a sustainable future by accelerating restoration through building political momentum for restoration and thousands of practical initiatives. The official launch of the UN Decade will be on World Environment day, 5 June 2021, and the initiative will last through 2030, which also is the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists consider the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change. Lead agencies are the UN Environment Programme and the FAO with “collaborating agencies”: UNFCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity), UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat Desertification), UNECE (Un Economic Commission for Europe) and UNESCO. Other global partners include the IUCN, World Bank, World Resources Institute, World Economic Forum and Society for Ecological Restoration.
The Global Rewilding Alliance has been recognized as official “restoration implementer” of the UN Decade together with the Global Mangrove Alliance, International Coral Reef Initiative, Wetlands International and a few others. Becoming a UN Decade Restoration Implementer provides us individually as members and as a group with benefits such as global visibility and network, connections to finance (Multi-partner Trust Fund, etc.), and invitations to participate in events and communications initiatives. Expectations of us are matters like acting “as a leader in restoration by applying innovative, impactful and cost-effective practices”, building capacity, supporting communications, identifying stories, promoting the Decade through our own channels and networks, and reporting on progress (such as hectares rewilded, movement building, etc.).