Initiatives for the Planet

Using examples as seeds of change

We want to generate awareness through positive communication, by presenting "Initiatives for the Planet" which include the following ingredients:

• Sustainable development agents who are committed to biodiversity conservation.
• Concrete, effective and sustainable solutions.
• Relevant examples to serve as seeds of change.  

The initiative selection process

The selection of "Initiatives for the Planet" is the result of long, painstaking work!

Thanks to our initial research work, we identified a core of approximately 600 environmental preservation initiatives. We then evaluated them according to several criteria:

• Consideration of economic constraints,
• Viability, duplicability, mastery of the process by local populations,
• Originality and diversity of the initiatives.

This has allowed us to proceed with a Preselection, which we have validated and completed thanks to the advice given by specialised organisations.

The final selection includes approximately thirty meaningful initiatives, classified within 2 categories:

• Part 1: Outstanding initiatives for the preservation of ecosystems,
• Part 2: Biodiversity and responsible development.

Part 1: Outstanding initiatives for the preservation of ecosystems

The preservation of biodiversity often depends on the protection of local ecosystems. We will meet the leaders of outstanding initiatives in terms of both implemented solution relevance and effective action over time. We will highlight the main types of ecosystems:

• Terrestrial ecosystems (forests, mountains, semi-arid…),
• Freshwater ecosystems (rivers, marshes…),
• Saltwater ecosystems (oceans, mangrove…).

We will also work with organisations whose work focuses on the preservation of one or more endangered species.
The initiatives selected for part 1 are therefore characterised by action at a local level (on the scale of the ecosystem), in response to a biodiversity threat. In order to cope with this threat, a reorganisation of local activities is often necessary.

Part 2: Biodiversity and responsible development

Whether described as "sustainable," "reasoned" or "responsible", new approaches to human development lead to innovative answers that gradually outline tomorrow's world. We will meet these visionaries of mankind-nature's balance, and illustrate several strategic areas for biodiversity conservation:

• Territorial planning,
• Sustainable forestry,
• Reasoned farming,
• "Conservation" economy,
• Ecotourism…

The initiatives chosen for Part 2 are therefore characterised by action on a more global level (regional, national, international), in response to the major environmental threats of this century. They often offer a revised model of an entire economic sector.