Meaghan Brosnan
CEO, WildAid
Empowering people to shift their behaviour is critical for wildlife conservation. Learn why it works.
Our planet’s wildlife currently faces crises that seem impossible to solve: biodiversity loss, habitat loss and climate change. Yet, these issues share a common thread: human behaviour.
Behaviour change for wildlife conservation
Behaviour change campaigns are critical to the long-term conservation of wildlife because they drive people to adopt conservation-friendly behaviours and reject harmful ones. By shifting societal norms, they can shape the growth of public policy and lead to market adaptations that result in wildlife, habitat and ecosystem recovery.
Pro-wildlife behaviours have become
popular because people feel positive
about their ability to make a difference.
How do we get people to change for wildlife?
Empower them. For over 20 years, WildAid has worked to eliminate demand for wildlife products in the world’s largest markets by employing behaviour change campaigns to educate consumers and inspire actions.
As our programmes evolved, so did the factors that influence human motivation. We shifted from a ‘say no’ approach, often accompanied by emotionally charged images, to a focus on energising individuals by showcasing their power to protect wildlife with easy-to-adopt actions. From sharing pledges to refuse pangolin products on social media to openly declining the tradition of shark fin soup at weddings, these pro-wildlife behaviours have become popular because people feel positive about their ability to make a difference.
Do these actions really protect wildlife?
Yes. Six years after the launch of a campaign to reduce demand for shark fin in Thailand, consumption dropped by 34%, eliminating roughly 8 million servings.1 In key Chinese cities where sea turtle products were once popular, behaviour change campaigns led to a 45% decrease in the number of people willing to buy them over three years, and some markets stopped selling these products altogether.2
In 2016, approximately 97% of people in China who saw these campaigns agreed that an ivory ban was necessary; shortly after, China and Hong Kong ended their domestic ivory trade.3 The extreme challenges of protecting and preserving wildlife demand a collaborative approach that includes inspiring lasting human behaviour change to ensure wildlife thrives for generations to come.
[1] WildAid. 2023. Thailand’s demand for sharks persists.
[2] WildAid. 2021. China’s newly updated list of protected species provides stronger protection for sea turtles.
[3] WildAid. 2014. Ivory demand in China 2012–2014.
