QEII joins conservation agencies around the world in voicing our concern at the findings of the latest IPBES report and says protecting land with QEII covenants is part of the solution to protect the precious biodiversity that remains.

The recently released global biodiversity report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), states that one million species globally are threatened and could be extinct in the coming decades.

QEII CEO Mike Jebson says,

“This report paints a grim picture of the world’s biodiversity with 25% of the planet’s plants & animals now under threat.”

“The report highlights the need for increased efforts to protect land and marine areas and reassess the way we assess quality of life measures. For New Zealand, we are a hotspot for biodiversity with many of our species unique to our country. We need to step up efforts to protect this precious biodiversity while we can,” says Jebson.

Our statistics show:

• 100% of NZ frogs, snails, bats, lizards and weta;
• 99% of over 5,000 beetles;
• 95% of over 3,500 spiders;
• 80% of our trees, ferns, and flowering plants, and
• 71% of our land birds are endemic to New Zealand.

“Many of these native species can only found on private land. This report highlights the need to enhance local habitats and ecosystems through more co-ordinated and collaborative efforts. QEII National Trust holds a niche place in New Zealand’s conservation efforts as we partner with private landowners to protect native forest and uncommon ecosystems. Many of our protected covenants are home to a large range of endangered native plant and animal species.”

“Ecosystems such as wetlands, coastal sand dunes and lowland scrub lands are often protected under a QEII covenant due to their scarcity, their threat status and as a means to slow the decline in our endemic species,” says Jebson.

“While, globally the state of our biodiversity is dire, we want to highlight the contribution of our members who choose to protect their land and the biodiversity on it, forever. These private landowners, who work in partnership with QEII, are one of the main mechanisms to protect what remains, hopefully so our species can replenish and exist for our grandchildren and their grandchildren’s enjoyment.” Says Mike Jebson.