IUCN, the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank are the founding partners of the Save Our Species Initiative (SOS).
As established experts and leaders in biodiversity conservation, they combine their strengths and resources in order to build the biggest species conservation fund.
SOS is aiming to achieve a significant increase above existing investments in species conservation over the next five years.
With initial financing commitments of $US10 million SOS seeks to match this amount by private sector contributions, calling on businesses to get engaged in species conservation – for their own benefit (for more information, pls. go to our “business partners” section).
About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.
About the Global Environment Facility
The GEF unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, NGOs and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independent financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991 the GEF has invested $9 billion in grants and leveraged another $40 billion in cofinancing for more than 2600 projects in 165 countries.
About the World Bank
The World Bank’s mission is to help developing countries and their people to alleviate poverty. The World Bank also addresses global challenges in ways that advance an inclusive and sustainable globalization – that overcomes poverty, enhances growth with care for the environment, and creates individual opportunity and hope. To date, the World Bank is the largest international funding source for biodiversity in developing countries.
