The Director of the Center for integrative Conservation at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), attended a meeting of the Steering Committee of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Climate Change Specialist Group (CCSG) during June 20-22 in Yorkshire, England. The CCSG advises members of the Species Survival Commission on issues related to climate change and the Steering Committee initiates and leads activities within the group. Assessments of the vulnerability of species to climate change are necessary for developing effective strategies to conserve them. The meeting was held in order to draw up a work plan for CCSG activities for 2017-2020. Past activities of the CCSG, in collaboration with other scientists, have included reviews of the scientific literature related to the vulnerability of species to climate change, published in Science and Nature Climate Change, publication of the ‘IUCN SSC Guidelines for Assessing Species Vulnerability to Climate Change’, and responses to queries from other groups in the Species Survival Commission.

The meeting was held at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which focusses on education and supports conservation activities around the world.