Expo 2020 to further illuminate planet’s biodiversity, wildlife plight

A special programming and events schedule will take place at Expo 2020 Dubai on World Wildlife Day 2021 – in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the United Nations Environment Programme – to shine a light on a variety of major wildlife conservation and biodiversity initiatives.

UN World Wildlife Day, which falls on 3 March every year, is widely recognised as the most important global annual event dedicated to supporting the planet’s flora and fauna. With this in mind, World Wildlife Day 2021 will be celebrated as one of 13 international days that Expo 2020 will commemorate during its six-month run.

Events on 3 March 3021 will include a high level gathering that will bring together leading philanthropists, experts and artists, all committed to wildlife conservation, to explore and put forward recommendations on how to bolster wildlife conservation efforts internationally.

This will be supported by various Expo 2020 country participants that will showcase individual projects, highlighting their contribution to protecting the planet’s biodiversity.

Visitor programming will include emotive story telling about key conservation projects, with participating countries set to retell traditional stories and folktales that feature wildlife. The kaleidoscope projection – a series of unique images that have been provided by the UN Environment Programme – will also be displayed across Expo’s buildings and screens to emphasise the beauty of wildlife and the importance of its preservation.

Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General said: “One million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. It's time to act, and we can all do better when we know more, making 2020 a critical year for everyone to understand the vital role that biodiversity plays in delivering essential services to our daily lives and how to reverse the unprecedented destruction of our planet’s species and habitats.

“There is no better way to capture the imagination, educate and inspire action than through creative platforms such as Expo 2020 Dubai, where we can bring to life the myriad of species – and stories about their role in humanity’s wellbeing – that make our planet so productive and magical.” 

Expo 2020’s efforts on World Wildlife Day 2021 mirror its wider sustainability efforts, both locally and globally.

Expo Live, Expo 2020’s USD 100 million global innovation and partnership programme, is supporting the next generation of social innovators who are tackling global sustainability challenges. Approximately one-third of the 120 Global Innovators under the programme’s Innovation Impact Grant Programme focus on sustainability.