Patricia Ricard est actuellement au IUCN World Conservation Congress qui se tient à Abu Dhabi du 9 au 15 octobre. Retrouvez ci-dessous son discours en anglais.
« Philanthropy is more than funding: it is an accelerator of solutions. It brings together public and private forces, across scales and across geographies, with the freedom to innovate.
Its uniqueness lies in its ability to act both bottom-up and top-down, creating bridges between local communities and global agendas. Like an “efficient elevator,” it allows everyone to get on at their own level while moving towards the same horizon.
Unlike traditional funding mechanisms, philanthropy can take risks, experiment with new models, and shift paradigms – moving not only to scale up, but also to scale across: sharing knowledge, replicating ideas, and inspiring systemic change.
It also has a universal dimension: philanthropy is not tied to borders, religions, or political cycles. It can become a common language of solidarity, transcending divides to support the living.
Today’s generation of 20-year-olds has not experienced the abundance of biodiversity of previous decades but is witnessing its tragic loss everyday. We must create a new narrative of nature that resonates with them – not as a separate issue, but as the heart of the transition.
Philanthropy can lead in embedding biodiversity into every dimension of sustainability, alongside carbon and climate: from oceans to land restoration, from health to innovation.
It is also the right tool to connect disciplines: science, policy, business, and culture. Philanthropy can give scientists a stage as visible as an art exhibition, and create spaces for dialogue between academia, institutions, entrepreneurs, and civil society, through the ‘magic square’: to foster synergy among stakeholders. « Don’t play solo, join the orchestra”!
Through initiatives like the IUCN Red and Green Lists, philanthropy can turn abstract goals into concrete restoration and conservation outcomes, visible and measurable.
Nature is the foundation of “One Health” – linking climate, biodiversity, and human well-being. Philanthropy has the agility to weave these connections into actionable projects. »
