Amid a funding squeeze that is impacting non-government organisations globally, the world’s largest conservation group, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), has seen more than 30 people retrenched, Eco-Business understands.
To continue reading, subscribe to Eco‑Business.
There's something for everyone. We offer a range of subscription plans.
- Access our stories and receive our Insights Weekly newsletter with the free EB Member plan.
- Unlock unlimited access to our content and archive with EB Circle.
- Publish your content with EB Premium.
The Switzerland-headquartered conservation group’s international division, which is located in four hubs including in Singapore, has been affected by the reorganisation, with all director-level roles made redundant, according to sources familiar with the process.
In response to Eco-Business’s queries, however, a WWF International spokesperson said the “adjustments” to WWF International only affected a “small number of teams”.
“These changes reflect our ongoing and proactive commitment to ensure that our organisational structure remains aligned with our strategy and is responsive to evolving needs. They do not constitute a major restructure – the vast majority of teams and roles are unaffected, and our priorities remain unchanged,” the spokesperson said.
Eco-Business understands that the organisation has merged a number of its key practices, including wildlife, freshwater, ocean, and forests, into a single biodiversity practice, with some personnel leading the practices leaving the organisation.
WWF International’s Asia Pacific operation has been split into two regions, Southeast Asia, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, and East, Central Asia, and the Pacific (ECAP), which comprises Mongolia, China, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
The WWF International spokesperson said the organisation is “always mindful of external factors, such as time-bound or project-linked funding, which can influence specific roles”. “We remain committed to managing these shifts responsibly, supporting colleagues, and maintaining focus on our priorities and impact.”
It added that the organisation has more than 9,400 staff in more than 100 countries worldwide.
The news emerges two weeks after Conservation International, another large conservation nonprofit, parted ways with its chief executive, Dr M. Sanjayan, in a move designed “to position the organisation for the future”.
A Conservation International spokesperson said Sanjayan had stepped down to “to pursue new opportunities” after eight years with the organisation, and chief conservation officer Dr Daniela Raik appointed as interim CEO.
A separate restructure began in summer 2024 with the aim of “strengthening our impact, streamlining operations, and focusing resources where they are needed most,” the spokesperson said.
The restructures come at a difficult time for non-government organisations, particularly those affected by United States president Donald Trump’s suspension of foreign aid since end-January.
