US lawmakers are running out of time to act for nature in 2024

WWF International calls on the US Congress and state leadership to finalize several pending bills before the end of 2024. Key priorities include reauthorizing the WILD Act to protect global species, passing the Indian Buffalo Management Act for tribal-led restoration, and enacting the US Foundation for International Conservation Act to leverage private funding. The document also emphasizes the need to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as a national security threat, improve recycling infrastructure through the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, and renew the Farm Bill with climate-smart agriculture investments. Additionally, it urges New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the TREES Act to prevent deforestation in state supply chains.

• WWF identifies three primary legislative actions for Congress to mobilize US support for conservation: the reauthorization of the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Act to fund programs for species like elephants and tigers, the passage of the Indian Buffalo Management Act to support tribal-led restoration in US grasslands, and the US Foundation for International Conservation Act to attract matching private and philanthropic investments for global nature protection.
• The document argues that illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing should be treated as a national security threat because it undermines regional stability, threatens ocean ecosystems, and is linked to labor and human rights abuses.
• To reduce plastic pollution, WWF advocates for the House to pass the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, which focuses on data collection and a national composting strategy, and the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, which would establish an EPA pilot program for rural and underserved areas.
• The renewal of the US Farm Bill is presented as a critical opportunity to implement climate- and nature-smart agriculture investments to halt food loss and waste and reverse nature loss caused by food systems.
• In New York, the Tropical Rainforest Economic & Environmental Sustainability (TREES) Act would require companies supplying state agencies to certify that products such as palm oil, beef, and cocoa do not contribute to tropical forest destruction.

APA

Marcos, C. (2024). US lawmakers are running out of time to act for nature in 2024. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/us-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-act-for-nature-in-2024/

Chicago

Marcos, Cristina. US lawmakers are running out of time to act for nature in 2024. WWF International, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/us-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-act-for-nature-in-2024/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Marcos |first1=Cristina |title=US lawmakers are running out of time to act for nature in 2024 |publisher=WWF International |date=13 November 2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/us-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-act-for-nature-in-2024/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{marcos2024lawmakers, author = {Marcos, Cristina}, title = {{US lawmakers are running out of time to act for nature in 2024}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/stories/us-lawmakers-are-running-out-of-time-to-act-for-nature-in-2024/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }