The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has welcomed a new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that calls for ecological integrity to become a central measure of success in global biodiversity conservation, climate action and ecosystem restoration. The IUCN ecological integrity report was released on 19 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, at the opening of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD CoP17).
The report gives governments, conservation organisations and other stakeholders practical guidance on incorporating ecological integrity into conservation policies, national biodiversity strategies and climate commitments. It was developed by the IUCN Task Force on Ecological Integrity, co-chaired by WCS scientist John G. Robinson and Emily Nicholson, with support from WCS and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Release timed with first global biodiversity review
The publication coincides with governments at the Convention on Biological Diversity CoP17 undertaking the first global review of progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The framework includes goals for protecting and restoring biodiversity by 2030, and WCS said the new guidance was particularly timely in that context.
What the IUCN ecological integrity report measures
Ecological integrity describes the extent to which an ecosystem retains its native species, natural structure, ecological functions and processes. The report emphasises that protecting intact ecosystems and restoring degraded ones are essential to achieving lasting results for biodiversity, climate resilience and human well-being.
John G. Robinson, WCS scientist and co-chair of the task force, said: “The world has made ambitious commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, but success cannot be measured by simply counting the number of conservation areas established, the species protected, or the amount of land and water conserved. The real test is whether natural ecosystems — forests, grasslands, freshwater systems, and oceans — are maintaining or recovering the ecological integrity needed to sustain life.”
He added: “This report provides a scientific foundation and practical guidance for making ecological integrity central to conservation decisions. It recognizes that ecosystems are dynamic, that their integrity can be measured, and that conservation must protect not only species and habitats but also the relationships and processes that sustain them.”
Moving towards verifiable conservation goals
Robinson said that “ecological integrity offers a way to move towards measurable and verifiable goals for nature conservation” as governments assess progress at CoP17. “Protecting the world’s remaining high-integrity ecosystems, and restoring those that have been degraded, must become a global conservation priority,” he said.
Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and Director of Protected and Conserved Areas for WCS, said: “Ecological integrity can tell us whether protected and conserved areas are actually working, for nature and for the people who depend on them. It should be a crucial measure of success for 30×30.”
Implications for governments and funders
Joe Walston, Executive Vice President of Global Conservation at WCS, said: “A protected area on a map means little if its wildlife is gone, its rivers are cut off, or its forests no longer function.” He said the report “gives governments and funders a practical way to plan, finance, and measure conservation by the outcomes it delivers for nature and people.”
Walston added: “Governments, donors, and conservation organizations should be asking not only where nature is being conserved, but whether that conservation is delivering the ecological outcomes the world urgently needs.”
WCS, which runs conservation programmes in more than 55 countries and operates the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium and three other zoos in New York, said it supports incorporating ecological integrity into national biodiversity strategies and action plans, protected and conserved area management, ecosystem restoration programmes and climate policies. The organisation also emphasised the importance of recognising Indigenous Peoples and local communities whose longstanding stewardship contributes to maintaining high-integrity ecosystems.
Climate Global News has previously reported on the organisation’s call for ecological integrity to link the nature–climate agenda at COP30.
Frequently asked questions
What is ecological integrity?
Ecological integrity describes the extent to which an ecosystem retains its native species, natural structure, ecological functions and processes.
Who developed the IUCN report on ecological integrity?
It was developed by the IUCN Task Force on Ecological Integrity, co-chaired by WCS scientist John G. Robinson and Emily Nicholson, with support from WCS and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Where and when was the report released?
It was released on 19 October 2026 at the opening of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD CoP17) in Yerevan, Armenia.
Why is the report relevant to CBD CoP17?
Governments at CoP17 are undertaking the first global review of progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including its goals for protecting and restoring biodiversity by 2030.
Where can the full report be accessed?
The full IUCN report is available at https://doi.org/10.2305/PNVR9444.
