Join the Expert Commissions of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

July 25, 2023

The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) offers an exciting opportunity for ASLA members to join one or more of IUCN’s seven expert commissions and move forward policies on nature-based solutions and the biodiversity and climate crises. There is no cost to becoming a member of a commission.

The IUCN is a membership union of government and civil society organizations. IUCN works to advance sustainable development and create a just world that values and conserves nature.

Landscape architects can join the IUCN as a commission member. The seven IUCN commissions are broad and active networks of scientists and experts providing IUCN and its members with sound know-how and policy advice to drive conservation and sustainable development.

“I have always considered the vast network of commission members around the globe as the scientific backbone of the IUCN. We would be keen to have landscape architects in these conversations as global standards and criteria are developed,” said Brock Blevins, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) Regional Chair for the North America & Caribbean Region and Training Coordinator for NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training Program.

For ASLA members who would like to become a member of one or more IUCN commissions, IUCN will host a webinar about the benefits of free commission membership and how landscape architects can connect to like-minded individuals and groups.

If interested, please complete this brief survey by Friday, August, 4, 2023.

ASLA will then coordinate with ASLA members who have expressed interest and organize a webinar overview with IUCN, explaining next steps for joining the commissions.

The seven IUCN commissions:
The mission of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) is to act as a source of advice on the environmental, economic, social, and cultural factors that affect natural resources and biological diversity.

The Climate Crisis Commission (CCC) envisions a world in which global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and society is adapting to manage climate risks in ways that enhance socio-ecological resilience, are nature positive, and promote just outcomes for all.

The Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) uses creative communication and education tools and approaches to raise awareness and inspire action to conserve nature. Their job is to mobilize people all over the planet for a world committed to protecting nature now and into the future.

The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based network of thousands of volunteer experts from almost every country in the world, all working together toward achieving the vision of "a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to both prevent the loss and aid recovery of the diversity of life on earth."

The Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP) contributes to the IUCN's Mission by generating and disseminating knowledge, mobilizing influence, and promoting actions to harmonize the conservation of nature with the critical social, cultural, environmental, and economic justice concerns of human societies.

The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is the world's premier network of protected and conserved areas expertise. The Commission has over 2500 members spanning 140 countries who provide strategic advice to policymakers and work to strengthen capacity and investment for protected areas establishment and management.

The World Commission on Environmental Law (WCAL) focuses on advancing environmental law to strengthen the legal foundations of conservation of nature and sustainable development.

For many decades, IUCN has served as a standard-setter for conservation and sustainable development. Among the most widely used IUCN standards are:

IUCN generates data through application of these standards, yielding knowledge products such as:

NOTE: if IUCN's work on climate issues intrigues you, remember that at this year's ASLA Conference, there are educational tracks focused on biodiversity and climate change.