Washington, DC – On World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2021) World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will join some of the world’s best-known companies, NGOs, and sports teams in removing animals and nature references from their branding in an action that aims to highlight the dramatic loss of biodiversity globally and the social and economic risks it poses.
For the first time in its 60-year history, WWF will remove the iconic panda from its logo for the day, while more than 40 famous brands from around the world including AS Roma, Hootsuite, and OL Reign will also remove symbols of nature from their logos to highlight the emptiness of a world without nature.
“To symbolically show our devotion to protecting the planet, we are removing the iconic panda from our logo for the first time in our 60-year history,” said Terry Macko, CMO of World Wildlife Fund in the U.S. “This day of action showcases what we love about nature, and what we stand to lose if we don’t show it enough love. The link between people and nature is inextricable, like our love and devotion to home sports teams and more, and we hope this collective moment highlights the impact human activity is having on our planet and what we need to do to protect it before it’s too late.”
Global populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have suffered an average two-thirds decline in less than half a century, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020. The report also shows that if the world carries on with “business as usual,” rates of biodiversity loss seen since 1970 will continue between now and 2050. These losses would at best take decades to reverse, and further irreversible biodiversity losses are likely, resulting in a planet that cannot support current and future generations of people.
The campaign was originally the brainchild of One Minute Briefs, created on World Wildlife Day last year. The idea received widespread praise on social media and has now been brought to life with support from WWF and partners including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the RSPB, the Nature Conservancy and Conservation International.
Later this year, governments from around the world will meet to agree a new global agreement for nature, like the one we have for climate. WWF is calling on global leaders to step up to the challenge of delivering an ambitious global plan to tackle biodiversity loss and set nature on the path to recovery this decade. Individuals can show world leaders they care about a more sustainable future for all by pledging to protect the planet.
Iain Beable, Social Marketing Strategist for EMEA at Hootsuite, said: "We are incredibly proud at Hootsuite to show our support for World Wildlife Day as part of the #WorldWithoutNature campaign. The protection of the Earth is arguably one of the most paramount matters of our time. It's important to remember that Earth does not belong to us, we belong to it, and we have a responsibility to ensure its protection for the generations to come."
The campaign also includes a branded hashtag on Twitter for #WorldWithoutNature.
