Sustainability

Our future is dependent on the health of the planet.  We see the importance of supporting scientists and educating the public about sustainability.

Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship

On 14 February 2017, the Yvonne Lui Trust announced its support of budding conservation talent and global change agents through the new Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship Programme, a collaboration with Rob and Melani Walton.  Investing for the future, this initiative enables a special group of leaders to be supported in their endeavours to face environmental challenges that dramatically affect communities around the world. 

I’m inspired by and proud to support this exceptional group of international Fellows in their efforts to safeguard the future of our planet and look forward to seeing the impact of the Lui-Walton Fellowship in China, and throughout the world.

- Yvonne Lui, Founder of Yvonne Lui Trust

I believe unleashing human ingenuity is key to protecting our natural resources and helping create sustainable solutions for our future. Our Fellows initiative is off to a great start, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

- Rob Walton, chairman of the board (retired) for Walmart Stores

The programme was successfully launched with the support of like-minded individuals, including Harrison Ford (below left) and Laurene Powell Jobs (below right) who emceed a panel of the Distinguished Fellows at the launch.

Each Fellowship provides a full-time salaried position and travel for up to two years.  Fellows will have access to resources, professional development and direct participation in CI programs.  They will also have the chance to work with CI and its partners to tackle critical conservation challenges in priority areas around the world.  The program will fund five classes of Fellows for at least 10 years – supporting approximately 75 “dream team” fellows in all.

Research-based, science-led results and ideas will help educate and inform. The fellows who include past nation heads, outstanding scientists, recognised professionals and critical thinkers, will work towards ensuring a sustainable future for mankind.  CI’s Lui-Walton Fellows will lead new approaches to natural capital and sustainability challenges in priority geographies: Amazonia, Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, China-Mekong, Indonesia, Pacific Oceanscape and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The inaugural Fellows class included Distinguished Fellows Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change; Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, former president of Iceland and chairman of the Arctic Circle; and Anote Tong, former president Kiribati and head of Pacific Rising, an organisation dedicated to helping the people of the low-lying Pacific island adapt and thrive in the face of rising sea levels caused by climate change.  These world leaders bring expertise in policymaking, climate negotiating and addressing issues such as sea-level rise. 

For more information, visit the Conservation International’s website or follow our social media updates.

White Dolphin Conservation

Chinese white dolphins living in Southeast Asian countries face threats from fishing spears, habitat degradation and the overfishing of their food supply. These beautiful and intelligent creatures are also sensitive to water pollution, noise, and waste resulting from construction off Asian coastlines.

Chengdu Gaoxin Yiyu Community Development Research Centre collaborated with Shandong University and the Conservation International China Programme (CIC) in August 2013 to help conserve Chinese white dolphins by building a marine protected area (MPA) network in Southeast Asian countries. The Yvonne Lui Trust has historically taken a great interest in marine conservation, and thus has sponsored the project via Conservation International.

Together they created a baseline survey and research report of Chinese white dolphins in Southeast Asian countries, from which regional governments were notified of the amazing wildlife in their waters. From there, a pilot project in Jiangmen, Guangdong province, one of the most important dolphin corridors in Chinese coastal waters for Chinese dolphins, was introduced. The project reduced fishing in the area and provided training workshops to marine nature reserve staff in the region to improve their understanding and presence in MPAs.

An official document entitled “Dolphin Watching Guidelines” was created by Conservation International’s leading scientists. Applying the expertise of Conservation International, their guidelines will be used as reference for dolphin watching business practitioners throughout Southeast Asia, thus enabling the dolphins, locals and visitors alike to receive a long-term benefit from this joint initiative.

Green Sea Turtle Tracking

A sea turtle conservation strategy workshop was held in Huidong National Sea Turtle Nature Reserve in June, 2011, from which a conservation action plan for sea turtles in local waters was drafted and agreed upon by CI and partners.

The Yvonne Lui Trust supported the development, getting the research project off the ground by funding the release and tracking of green turtles from Huidong Harbour in June. The data were recorded by CI to provide enlightenment as to the route and behaviour of this endangered species.

The Sea Turtle Conservation Action plan has run since 2011, with the Green Sea Turtle Tracking project resulting in the establishment of a Collaboration Agreement between Conservation International and the State Oceanic Administration.