World Wildlife Day: connecting the people and the planet
World Wildlife Day, celebrated annually on 3 March, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 and coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES in an international agreement on the protection of endangered wildlife species aimed at ensuring that global trade does not threaten their survival.
The importance of wildlife for human wellbeing
Wildlife species are essential to nature conservation, from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean trenches. They are the building blocks of healthy ecosystems, regulating natural processes and supporting biodiversity and therefore the intricate web of life on Earth. They provide ecosystem services that sustain human wellbeing and survival, directly contributing to food security, clean water, climate regulation and numerous other benefits for people.
However, modern-day intense human activity, use of space, pollution and excessive resource utilisation are increasingly exceeding nature's capacities for adaptation and restoration.
Insufficient financing – an obstacle to biodiversity preservation
As the world faces the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution), the innovative and sustainable financing of nature preservation is more important than ever. Currently, the funds earmarked for nature restoration and conservation measures are insufficient to achieve the necessary targets.
The current funds for the preservation of biodiversity on a global level are estimated at approximately USD 143 billion per year, while USD 824 billion would be required to achieve the set aims. UN Secretary-General António Guterres thus called for increased funding that would contribute to the long-term financing of sustainable development goals, including those relating to nature and biodiversity preservation.
World Wildlife Day 2025 – a platform for cooperation
This year's World Wildlife Day serves as a global platform for presenting financial innovations and examining the challenges and cooperation approaches of various stakeholders to ensure sustainable biodiversity financing. The event will bring together governments, civil society organisations, the private sector and individuals to discuss and develop concrete strategies for closing the biodiversity funding gap and investing in the future of wildlife.
World Wildlife Day website (in English)
Financing nature and biodiversity preservation in Slovenia and the European Union
The European Commission estimates that achieving the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (website in English) will require at least EUR 20 billion annually, particularly for investments in nature restoration, the Natura 2000 network, and the green and blue infrastructures across EU member states.
In Slovenia, finding new sources of financing and boosting capacities for implementing biodiversity preservation measures have also been identified as key challenges and have been included among the measures of the National Environmental Action Programme 2020–2030 (the NEAP). Under the NEAP, the required funding for biodiversity preservation in Slovenia is estimated at EUR 47 to 53 million per year, while the 2025 national budget has allocated EUR 21 million for measures and projects aimed at the preservation and protection of biodiversity.
In addition to budgetary funds, funding from various EU financial mechanisms is also available for these measures. One of the major sources is the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy, with approximately EUR 16 million available every year for biodiversity (a total of 65 million in the 2025–2029 period). Furthermore, the European Commission's Life Programme finances biodiversity preservation projects in Slovenia to a total value of around EUR 4 million annually. Smaller sources of project funding are also available under Interreg programmes and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Despite these financial sources, a funding gap remains, requiring enhanced cooperation between ministries and stakeholders to secure additional investment.
The need for integration as a means to increase investments in biodiversity preservation is also addressed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning with projects, such as the ongoing LIFE Integrated Project for Enhanced Management of Natura 2000 in Slovenia and LIFE Capacity Building 2022.