Part 1 - Asian Apes: Gibbons, Siamang and Orangutans.

Part 2 - African Apes: Bonobos, Chimpanzees and Gorillas, Eastern and Western.

Part 3 - Apes and the New Economic Paradigm - keynote speech by Ralph Chami followed by panel discussion.

Between the UN’s CoP15*, tackling biodiversity loss, and CoP26**, tackling climate change, we are holding an event to bridge the gap between the two. It is clear how apes and their conservation is related to biodiversity, but how does this tie in with the climate?

We have invited experts to discuss their cutting-edge research on how apes themselves can help us mitigate against climate change through their role as keystone species. Towards the end of the conference, we will hear about how we can put a value on these ecosystem services which has the potential to pay for the conservation of many species. Apes’ role in helping us and the climate could be the very thing that helps them to survive.

Whilst the world is watching the CoPs, we must stress how intertwined the climate crisis is with biodiversity loss. We must not forget that conservation, rather than or as well as technological advances, could be the key to tackling climate change.

The “Apes, Biodiversity, Climate” conference will bring together speakers from academia, conservation, politics and even economics to first present their research and ideas, and then join each other in a panel discussion.

*CBD CoP15 is the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

** UNFCCC CoP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.