In the lead-up to the IUCN World Conservation Congress, I published an article in Entrepreneur Magazine featuring the entrepreneurs and leaders changing the way we protect nature: “Planet Pioneers: Nature‑Positive Entrepreneurs are Heading to Abu Dhabi’s IUCN World Conservation Congress.”

The article spotlights visionary businesses and initiatives – including Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, Ocean-Revive, NatureMetrics, Savimbo, EarthAcre, Blue Forest, Nabat, Kelp Blue, Clean Rivers, The Waste Lab, Palmade Biodegradable Products, Sway and others – who are using tech, finance, and creativity to restore ecosystems and transform industries for a nature-positive future.

This IUCN paper follows the principles outlined in IUCN Resolution 130 and offers policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders a roadmap for transforming tourism into a powerful mechanism for safeguarding ecosystems. Through strategic planning and collaboration, tourism can protect biodiversity, drive sustainable economic development, and ensure a thriving planet for future generations.

I have contributed to this paper with a case study on a project I led with Roland Berger in partnership with Emirates Nature WWF and Natureza Urbana in the UAE for the conservation of a mangrove lagoon through ecotourism.

Click here to download the issue paper from the IUCN website.

Authors: Karim Haggar, Ante Mandić, Thiago Beraldo Souza, Anna Spenceley, Kelly Bricker; Paul F. J. Eagles, Megan Epler Wood, and others

This Roland Berger ESG Report 2023 showcases how the firm lives up to its ESG goals and how it promotes those goals with its clients. The report describes the action taken by Roland Berger to drive change from within and to build a net-zero world.

I have contributed to this report with the conservation strategy and ecotourism project I completed in partnership with Emirates Nature WWF and Natureza Urbana in the UAE. The project is described on page 40 of the report.

Click here to download the report directly from the Roland Berger website.

Authors: Karim Haggar, PhD, Per Breuer, Stefan Schaible, and Klaus Fuest