According to a growing group of scientists, we urgently need to accelerate the protection of our planet and build a sustainable world. The goal has been set: protect 50% of the Earth’s surface before 2050.
Nature Protection Organizations perform a critical task on all our behalf. People and communities around the world protect, restore, rewild and regenerate nature areas. But despite their efforts, it’s going too slow.
We need to change the game, bend the curve, and empower the ones doing the ground work. This requires global engagement and collaboration. It has to be out-of-the-box. It has to be all of us. And it has to be now.
Global nature protection organizations have joined forces in the Union of Nature Foundation, UON, a world’s first business model to accelerate nature protection, and bring sustainably protected units of nature to the world.
A m² of nature is a simple, singular and measurable unit that reduces a global problem to the human scale. Every day, every person can make a difference by protecting units of nature.
The unique digital proof of a sustainably protected m² is called a unit of nature, a uon, and is registered in your name.
Participating Nature Protection Organizations receive funds for each uon sold. In return they commit to bring new unit of nature under protection, on a 1-for-1 basis. This is how we scale.
As a world’s first, UON’s trust framework offers participating Nature Protection Organizations a way to collaborate in its groundbreaking business model to drive a single mission: protecting half-Earth.
UON serves as a marketing franchise for nature protection organizations toward consumers, brands and companies, delivering a powerful singular collaborative product: sustainably protected units of nature.
UON is set up as a not-for-profit membership organization governed by its members. All UON members have a predefined role and responsibility, with corresponding contractual rights and obligations.
We have created a simple proposition to accelerate nature protection that is accessible to all. We now invite consumers, companies, organizations and goverments to join in and contribute. You have the power. Use it.
EarthToday.com is the global purpose portal where people and organizations protect units of nature as part of the Join EarthToday engagement program.
Where UON issues the uon, EarthToday distributes them. For each uon sold, funds are channeled toward the NPO protecting the underlying m².
EarthToday.comEach nature area is unique. UON members use various methodologies including conservation, rewilding, restoration or sustainable development while all are supported by and inclusive to local communities.
To get started, we have decided to focus on terrestrial areas. We look forward to welcoming organizations that protect marine areas as soon as we can.
PATRICIA SLUMP
President
Karen Mogensen Reserve
“We believe there should be more initiatives like this to help small and larger organizations protect standing forests with their biodiversity and wildlife […] We can make this world a better place when we work together on saving our natural habitats”.
VANCE MARTIN
President
WILD Foundation
“We share the same values with UON in supporting indigenous communities which have tremendous knowledge that must now be recognized for nature protection to be both successful and equitable”.
SOFIA HEINONEN
Executive Director
Rewilding Argentina
“The goal of protecting half the planet is not going to happen without public understanding and involvement. With UON’s proposition, protecting nature becomes accessible to all”.
WERNER MYBURGH
CEO
Peace Parks Foundation
“The exciting, innovative and engaging propositions of UON and EarthToday unites like-minded individuals and organisations in the pursuit of a sustainable future for our planet, based on restoring the balance where people and nature can co-exist”.
JIMMIEL MANDIMA
Vice President
IFAW
“This is the first time global nature protection organizations collaborate on a business model level and we are proud to be part of UON’s unique approach”.
SAMANTHA ZWICKER
Founder, Co-Director
Hoja Nueva
“Union of Nature takes a novel approach to nature protection and is exactly the kind of new idea that we need more of in order to reach the 30×30 goal and ensure the future of our planet’s wild places”.
JAMES DEUTSCH
CEO
Rainforest Trust
“This partnership between Rainforest Trust, EarthToday and Union of Nature will be significant in both safeguarding nature and supporting Rainforest Trust’s mission to save endangered wildlife and protect the planet”.
I want to join Union of Nature as a
Nature Protection Organization
