Perspectives from our global and regional leaders on the most pressing issues facing people and the planet The Biggest Environmental Challenges of 2017T he environmental challenges the world faces have never been greater or more complex. And never before have we lived in such an uncertain political climate. Recent world events, such as the U.S. presidential election and Brexit, indicate that global action on climate change and other environmental issues could face stronger political headwinds in the years ahead. But now is no time to back down. Now is the time to step up and forge ahead. Soon more than 9 billion people will share our planet. Increasing demands for food, water, energy and infrastructure are pushing nature to its limits. And the impacts of climate change are touching down everywhere we look. Against this backdrop, our scientists recently took a hard look at whether we really can have it alla future where people get the food, energy and economic growth they need without sacrificing nature. The answer is “yes”but only if we do things right. What emerged from our analysis was a set of key challenges facing people and nature that we must address to achieve that vision. First, we need to address climate change once and for all. Second, we need to increase food production while freezing agricultural expansion and keeping global fisheries healthy. And third, we need to focus on citieshelping them grow sustainably while maintaining healthy lands and waters. During the year ahead we plan to sharpen our focus on these areas. At The Nature Conservancy, we believe nature- based solutions can play an important role in addressing these big challenges. The road ahead wont be easy, but by investing in nature, we think we can find common-ground solutions that are good for biodiversity, good for the economy and good for people. MARK TERCEK PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY MarkTercek FROM THE CEO ©Dave LauridsenCHALLENGES FOR 2017 Ensuring a low-carbon future Making the transition to a low-carbon future and reducing the impacts of energy sprawl Fossil fuels account for roughly 75 percent of the global emissions causing climate change. To limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, we must drive changes in energy policy that accelerate our transition to a clean energy futurewhile avoiding the impacts of energy sprawl. Maintaining the momentum of ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as the Paris Agreement, will be key to accelerating the transition to clean energy solutions worldwide. And as high-emitting nations, such as the United States, China, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, continue innovating toward a low-carbon future, it will be important to do so in a way that creates both sustainable power generation and biodiversity conservation. ©Dave LauridsenCHALLENGES FOR 2017 Maximizing natures role as a climate solution Maximizing the role nature can play in absorbing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change on people and nature Nature is the sleeping giant in solving climate change. Increased investment in nature- based solutions such as avoiding forest loss, reforestation, investing in soil health and coastal ecosystem restoration gives us the best opportunity to prevent catastrophic warming. Though clean energy technology and policy to regulate emissions are essential, they alone cannot work fast enough. Nature-based solutions are readily available, can be deployed now and could contribute more than a third of the reduction in carbon emissions needed by 2030. These solutions also provide critical value to people and nature beyond carbon mitigation including more secure drinking water, improved food production, stronger community protection from storms and floods, and refuge for some of the worlds most endangered species. ©Chris CrismanCHALLENGES FOR 2017 Improving management of the worlds fisheries Helping create sustainable fisheries around the world Fisheries represent a $130 billion industry that spansand feedsthe entire world. But 57 percent of fish stocks are fully exploited and another 30 percent are overexploited, depleted or recovering. The price tag for the world is $50 billion lost each year to overfishing and poor management. Unfortunately, most countries do not have the information or tools it will take to fix these problems. The good news is that fishermen are willing to lead the way to a more sustainable future, and there is strong consumer demand for sustainable seafood. Solutions lie in engaging directly with fishermen to pilot and replicate worldwide new practices and technologies for better understanding fish stocks and sustainable management methods, while at the same time working with world-leading fishery scientists, multinational companies, and arbiters of certification labels to scale up solutions in the global seafood marketplace. ©Nick HallHumans have already cleared or converted nearly 40 percent of Earths ice-free surface for agriculture. Additionally, agriculture is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions globallyafter fossil fuels. Encouraging more productive agricultural activities will be essential to meeting the growing demand for food and securing water, all while ensuring nature continues to thrive. By convening diverse partnerssmall-share ranchers and farmers, large agri-businesses, the government, indigenous communities and funderswe can build new business models that align conservation, food production and social agendas. Experiences in places like Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico and the United States, can provide a model for connecting more producers with low-carbon practices that increase food supplies and promote economic growth while reducing agricultures impact on our lands and waters. CHALLENGES FOR 2017 Expanding sustainable agricultural practices Helping producers increase food production while halting forest loss, balancing water for people and nature, and limiting pollutants to our rivers and seas ©Nick HallCHALLENGES FOR 2017 Creating a green urban future Supporting sustainable growth of the worlds cities By 2050 two-thirds of the worlds population will live in cities. Humans have already made tremendous investments in the buildings and transportation, water and energy systems that sustain cities, but the sheer demand for the additional urban infrastructure necessary to support growing cities is straining both natural resources and public finances. The combination of urbanization and climate change could make cities deeply unlivable places, but it doesnt have to be that way. Expanding investments in nature- based solutions to address urban challenges like storm water run-off and air pollution is a cost-effective way to improve the health, safety, productivity and well-being of people living in cities and to conserve biodiversity. ©Kevin ArnoldCITIES W e are currently in the midst of one of the biggest megatrends in human historythat is the migration of people from the country to the city. Millions of people are moving into urban areas in search of a better life. Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate and are under tremendous pressure from aging and insufficient infrastructureaffecting air and water quality, flood control and public safety. Global heat records continue to break and human lives are at stake, particularly in urban neighborhoods without street trees. Cities will lead on sustainability. By incorporating nature into city planning, leaders can make these sprawling urban areas healthy, thriving places where people want to live. Nature can help cities manage their water, from the source to the sewer. Upstream natural areas save cities millions of dollar in drinking water treatment, and properly designed green space within cities can manage the runoff from our streets and buildingsone of the fastest growing sources of water pollution. The Nature Conservancy is developing innovative funding and policy initiatives to help cities from Mexico to China go green. And new Conservancy data shows that street trees can reduce air pollution and heat in urban areas, saving lives. This year, well be working with community leaders in a handful of cities in the United States to demonstrate how well-planned tree planting can improve public health. Regardless of what happens at the national and global levels, mayors around the world are developing strategies to combat climate change and planning for a greener future. By incorporating nature into city planning, leaders can make these sprawling urban areas healthy, thriving places where people want to live. PASCAL MITTERMAIER GLOBAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, CITIES PascalMitter ©Devan King/The Nature ConservancyCLIMATE P erhaps the most significant environmental challenge facing us today is the reality of a changing climate. Increasing levels of melting sea ice, more frequent coastal high-intensity storms and extreme drought are immediate threats that will affect the health and security of our future. Already, we are seeing sea-level rise in locations across the planet. In places like Miami, we are seeing what we call “sunshine floods,” or flooding even without significant rainfall. And in the Pacific Ocean, island nations like the Marshall Islands are battling tides that threaten to swallow their ways of life. To reduce risks of widespread impacts like these, the people of the world must take comprehensive and science- informed actions to address the drivers of global greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change, while simultaneously galvanizing innovative solutions that will help us adapt to a changing world. The challenges are vast, but in many cases we already have the instruments for tremendous progress. Some of our best solutions will come from putting nature to work. Alongside coastal communities, we can utilize oyster reefs and salt marshes to build-up storm resilience; and around cities, nature can help improve the quality and availability of clean water and air. At the same time, one of the biggest areas poised for innovation is the clean energy sector. Over the past two years, renewable energy sources have surpassed fossil fuels in growth. As we further catalyze this transition, we must also reduce the impacts of all energy infrastructure to ensure dynamic economies, thriving communities, and healthy lands, waters and wildlife. One of the biggest areas poised for innovation is the clean energy sector. LYNN SCARLETT GLOBAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUBLIC POLICY LynnScarlett1 ©Devan King/The Nature ConservancyLANDS H umans have been producing food, goods and energy from the land for 250 generations. While there is nothing new about our exploitation of natural resources, the scale of it today means that the world is entering a period of intense resource stress. Much of this plays out in the land-use choices we make, with climate change already accelerating those pressures. This focuses my mind for 2017particularly as the international community has a short window to work out the details of how the Paris Climate Agreement will be implemented. This will have huge implications for land use: how we produce enough food, forest products and energy from our lands, how and where we conserve ecosystems and how much greenhouse gas mitigation we can achieve from land use. Our work focuses on finding the right balance between the production we pull from our landscapessustaining millions of livelihoodswith the right level of protection of critical habitats and biodiversity. I believe that TNC can play an important role here as land use has been at the core of our work for more than 65 years. One good example is our soil health work across the United States. Investments in good soil management have multiple pay-offs: improved production, more income for farmers, better water management and increased carbon storage. And in Latin America, we have been working with governments and large companies to manage the agricultural footprint of soy and cattle to avoid further conversion of critical forest habitats like the Amazon. These are replicable strategies that we must continue to scale. The importance of our land economyfor meeting sustainable development goals and tackling climate changecannot be understated. The importance of our land economyfor meeting sustainable development goals and tackling climate changecannot be understated. JUSTIN ADAMS GLOBAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, LANDS JustinCMAdams ©Cade MartinOCEANS W e are at a pivotal moment for the health and future of our environment, and the health of our oceans underpin the health of our entire blue planet. Every second breath we take comes from the ocean. For the ocean to be able to provide food for the more than 3 billion people who depend on it as their main source of protein, we must be more effective at managing our fisheries. But this requires not only sound science, planning and management practices to regulate what we catch and where, but also most importantly it requires strong, international collaboration for better ocean governance. In 2017, we have the opportunity to shape this like never before. The high seas, or areas beyond national jurisdiction covers about 40% of the planet and around two- thirds of the ocean. But those waters are remote, and are unregulated. This year, a group of organizations will be working along with the High Seas Alliance towards a new United Nations legally binding treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. The treasures of the high seas are up for grabs and currently undefended. With fishing, mining and pollution encroaching ever further and deeper into the ocean, the existing legal and governance framework is out of date and out of its depth. The current process to negotiate a new high seas treaty could lead to a robust agreement fit for guarding ocean life against 21st century perils. And thats good for everyone. Every second breath we take comes from the ocean. MARIA DAMANAKI GLOBAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, OCEANS damanaki ©Devan King/The Nature ConservancyWATER A s discussed at the World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos, world leaders will be increasingly focused on global security, trade and shift- ing geopolitics. Ensuring long-term economic prosperity will require that environmental solutions are a central part of these continued discussions. Look no further than water security, a currently unstable pillar of the global economy. About half a trillion dollars a year is spent on gray infrastructure that delivers water services primarily to cities b