Conservation Community Charter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Conservation Community Charter  outlines a set of principles to help create a conservation sector that is more accessible, environmentally responsible, equitable, inclusive, and socially just. The Charter recognises that conservation is not only about protecting and restoring nature – including the climate, it is also about how we work with one another, who has access to opportunities, whose knowledge is valued, and how our actions affect both people and the planet. 

Read the Charter here, and click the button below if you like the principles. Please note, we are not collecting names or any other individual data; this is a personal activity to get you thinking about your contributions to a just conservation sector. 

The Charter won’t cover everything and we’re keen to hear other principles you’d like to see included, so please leave a comment using our contact form if there is something you’d like to add.

 

I aim to apply these principles in my work

The Charter sets out a series of shared principles that encourage ethical, reflective, and accountable conservation practice. It is intended as both a statement of shared values and a practical resource that can be used to guide decision-making, shape collaborations, and cultivate positive change across the conservation community.

How was the Charter developed?

The Charter was formed by a group of early-career conservationists who participated in the University of Oxford’s 2025 Interdisciplinary Conservation Network (ICN) founded by Professor Dame E.J. Milner-Gulland as part of her Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science. For the first time, the ICN workshop was designed to be in a hybrid working style, with international online participation. The in-person element took place in George, South Africa. These two developments reflected ongoing conversations around  conservation narratives, and questioning and interrogating how conservation can become more equitable. One of the discussion themes, ‘Just Conservation: Reimagining Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Conservation Careers’, addressed growing challenges within conservation, including unequal access to fieldwork and collaboration, the climate impacts of academic travel and the need to move beyond extractive models of research. This Community Charter is one of the outputs that stemmed from these discussions. 

The Charter was developed through an ongoing process of co-production, with contributing authors collaborating across different regions, institutions and conservation backgrounds. Following the 2025 ICN workshop, which lasted one week and included a hybrid component, participants from various countries, disciplines, and career stages continued to collaborate over several months; discussing ideas, sharing experiences, and refining the Charter through regular online sessions. Throughout this process, the group sought to embody the very principles that the Charter promotes – working inclusively, valuing diverse perspectives, and creating space for different voices to shape the direction.

The final product was strengthened by feedback from senior academics and conservation practitioners, who helped to ensure that the Charter is both ambitious and grounded in the realities of contemporary conservation research and practice. The Charter is intended to remain a living document that can continue to evolve as new perspectives and experiences emerge.

How can working both online and hybrid help Just Conservation?

Through providing online as well as in-person opportunities wherever possible, it may be possible to improve accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion in conservation while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint of our work – read more below.

How can you get involved?

The Charter belongs to the conservation community, and its impact depends on the people and organisations who choose to engage with it. The Conservation Community Charter is not intended to be a final statement on ethical conservation, but rather an invitation to join an ongoing dialogue on how conservation can become more equitable, collaborative, and environmentally responsible. We hope it continues to grow through the experiences, ideas, and commitments of the wider conservation community.

You can join this initiative and support the Charter by:

  • Clicking the button above to show that you commit to including the  principles of the Charter in your own research, teaching, or conservation practice 
  • Taking practical steps in line with the Charter, such as ensuring events are accessible through online options for those who can or choose not to travel, and designing conservation research, practice and education in line with the Charter.
  • Sharing the Charter and encouraging discussions about how its principles can be embedded into everyday practice.
  • Starting conversations about equity, inclusion, environmental responsibility, and ethical collaboration within your own networks and wider communities.
  • Contributing your ideas and experiences to help the Charter develop over time. We welcome feedback that reflects the diverse perspectives of the global conservation community.
  • Encouraging these principles in your daily approach to work.

Meaningful change in conservation will not come from a single document alone. It will come from a community of researchers, practitioners, educators, students, and organisations who are willing to reflect on their practices, learn from one another, and work together, creating a more just and sustainable discipline.