Advancing sustainability through our partnership with World Wildlife Fund
At Moody's we recognize that sustainability is a team effort; we can't rely solely on our direct actions. By partnering with organizations like World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we expand the definition of what we can achieve. As we celebrate Earth Day, learn more about how our joint efforts create more resilient communities and advance sustainability across emerging markets in the this interview with Cheryl Margoluis, Executive Director of the CARE-WWF Alliance.
You can read more about our nonprofit partnerships and broader Corporate Sustainability efforts by visiting our microsites.
What is World Wildlife Fund’s mission?
The mission of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. WWF was founded in 1961. Back then, we were focused exclusively on protecting individual wildlife species in specific locations. But as our understanding of what successful conservation looks like evolved, so did our approach and intent. Over the years, we have learned that to have impact at the scale required to reverse the trends destroying nature, we need both global solutions and local projects that improve life for people and wildlife.
How does Moody’s Foundation help WWF achieve its goals?
Our partnership is working to restore ecosystems for community and climate resilience in emerging markets. We are restoring mangroves in Vietnam and Malaysia and supporting women-led nature-based enterprises in Kenya.
What is the CARE-WWF Alliance and how does it relate to the partnership?
The CARE-WWF Alliance is an initiative that unites WWF and CARE’s complementary skills to support women and help build a future where people and nature thrive. Through the Alliance’s “Sowing Change” initiative, Moody’s, together with other partners, will provide women in Kenya the tools and training to apply nature-based solutions, such as cultivating native species nurseries, to climate-induced challenges.
How does this year’s Earth Day theme resonate with WWF’s work?
Like climate change, plastic pollution doesn’t stop at state boundaries. Every day, plastic is flowing into our natural environment at an unprecedented rate. It causes harm to communities, wildlife and ecosystems. WWF works with local partners and communities across the globe to reduce and eliminate plastic to keep it from polluting our planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems.
How is WWF tackling plastic pollution?
WWF’s vision is for No Plastic in Nature by 2030. We are engaging networks of activists, policy makers, industry leaders, and other stakeholders and rights holders in ways that transform the world’s plastic systems. WWF is championing an ambitious, effective, and legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. The good news is that all 175 UN Member States are working toward a global treaty, in the hopes to have it in place as soon as 2025.
How does WWF recommend the everyday person support the environment?
We recently published 60 Actions for the Planet. This guide lists 60 actions you can take for the planet, where experts at WWF outline ways you can contribute to curbing plastic pollution and other steps you can take towards a healthier planet.
This story is part of a series highlighting the relationship between Moody's Foundation and its partners. At Moody's, we take a comprehensive approach to social investing, employee engagement, and pro bono service to empower small businesses and support ecosystem restoration in emerging markets.
Hero photo © naturepl.com / Denis-Huot / WWF