Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization's mission is to protect nature, and its biodiversity, for the benefit of humanity.
CI is one of the largest conservation organizations headquartered in the United States, though its field work is done in other countries. It has 900+ employees, more than 30 global offices, and more than 1,000 partners around the world. Since its inception in 1987, CI has contributed to the protection of more than 260 million acres of land and sea — including places such as the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world.
From its origins as an NGO dedicated to protecting tropical biodiversity, CI has evolved into an international organization with influence among governments, scientists, charitable foundations, and business.
The organization has been criticised for links to companies with a poor environmental record such as BP, Cargill, Chevron, Monsanto and Shell and for allegations of offering greenwashing services. Conservation International has also been chastised for poor judgment in expenditure of donors' money.
Read more about Conservation International: History, Approach To Conservation, Criticism, Notable Leadership
Famous quotes containing the word conservation:
“The putting into force of laws which shall secure the conservation of our resources, as far as they may be within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, including the more important work of saving and restoring our forests and the great improvement of waterways, are all proper government functions which must involve large expenditure if properly performed.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)