{"id":49948,"date":"2018-06-27T12:25:32","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T16:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=49948"},"modified":"2018-07-24T10:06:35","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T14:06:35","slug":"undp-announces-the-lions-share-fund-to-tackle-crisis-in-wildlife-conservation-and-animal-welfare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2018\/06\/undp-announces-the-lions-share-fund-to-tackle-crisis-in-wildlife-conservation-and-animal-welfare\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDP announces The Lion’s Share fund to tackle crisis in wildlife conservation and animal welfare"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 21 June, 2018, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FINCH and founding partner Mars, Incorporated, announced the Lion’s Share<\/strong>, an initiative aimed at transforming the lives of animals across the world by asking advertisers to contribute a percentage of their media spend to conservation and animal welfare projects.\u00a0\u201cAnimals are in 20 percent of all advertisements we see. Yet, they do not always receive the support they deserve. Until now.\u201d said\u00a0Lion\u2019s Share Special Ambassador\u00a0Sir David Attenborough<\/strong>. \u201cThe Lion\u2019s Share shows that by making a small difference today, we have an opportunity to make an unprecedented difference tomorrow.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Lion\u2019s Share\u00a0will see partners contribute 0.5 percent of their media spend to the fund for each advertisement they use featuring an animal. Those funds will be used to support animals and their habitats around the world. Mars is the first advertising partner in The Lion\u2019s Share.<\/p>\n

The Fund, which will be hosted by UNDP, is seeking to raise $100m a year within three years, with the money being invested in a range of wildlife conservation and animal welfare programs to be implemented by United Nations and civil society organizations. Other partners include advertising network BBDO and leading measurement company Nielsen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWildlife and their habitats are in crisis right now.\u00a0We are losing species at an unprecedented rate, estimated to be 1,000 times the natural extinction rate.\u00a0The Lion\u2019s Share is an idea that is as innovative as it is simple, and which will make a real impact on the future of animals, their habitats and our planet,\u201d said\u00a0UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner<\/b>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Andrew Clarke, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at founding partner Mars<\/b>, said the fund would be a powerful way for business to leave a lasting legacy. \u201cThe Lion\u2019s Share is exactly the sort of ambitious initiative we need to take in order to ensure we foster a healthy planet on which everyone \u2013 including animals \u2013 can thrive. For Mars, it\u2019s another step in living the commitments of our Sustainable in a Generation plan. We\u2019re passionate about wildlife conservation and maintaining the biodiversity absolutely necessary for our planet. And animals need our help closer to home, too. We urge other companies and brands to join us in The Lion\u2019s Share to help build a movement to tackle these critical issues,\u201d he sais.<\/p>\n

Rob Galluzzo, founder of FINCH<\/b>, who initiated the idea with film director Christopher Nelius<\/strong>, said: \u201cNine out of the 10 most popular animals we see in commercials are actually endangered or threatened and they do not always receive the support they deserve. In fact, it\u2019s usually the opposite. Christopher had this amazing idea to solve this and we at FINCH set out to make it happen. We have partnered with Clemenger BBDO to bring the concept to life.”<\/p>\n

The Fund has a joint steering committee that will take decisions on priority programs.<\/p>\n

The Lion\u2019s Share will work to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN\u2019s universal call to action to end poverty and protect the planet. Supporting animals and helping to conserve their habitats is key to achieving Goal 14, Life Underwater<\/a>, and Goal 15, Life on Land<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our responsibility as humans to safeguard all life on our planet,\u201d said\u00a0actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau<\/b>, who kicked off The Lion\u2019s Share fund\u2019s launch in Cannes with an on-stage interview with South Africa\u2019s first mostly female anti-poaching unit, the Black Mambas. He added: \u201cWe cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals launched by the UN and world leaders to protect the future and ensure prosperity for all people without preserving natural habitats for all living beings\u2014from wildlife to marine life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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