Introducing ECO Working Groups:

ECO has advanced its working group system to assist our work on environmental issues, to provide for more input by Members and Friends and for better collaboration with other groups.

Objectives common to all of the working groups include:

• Contributing to and at times coordinating analysis, discussion and responses to specific campaign areas and to on-going (‘pot boiler’) environmental issues.
• Improving the opportunities for member groups (and Friends of ECO and other individuals) to contribute to ECO’s work.
• Developing and pursuing especially for international, national and regional scale issues, analysis and work on issues for which there may be no existing interest group with ECO’s objectives in a position to investigate potential issues and solutions.

Each working group will function by preparing an action plan in consideration of current issues and the opportunities for ‘making a difference’, and the skills and time available to the working group.

A number of sub-projects will be identified and interested contributors identified for each of these, including from Member groups and other individuals. New project teams will be put together for each new idea.

Here is a list of the working groups we have established, so visit these pages to see the key topics:

• Improved environmental management and laws
• Conservation, biosecurity and biodiversity
• Oceans, marine and fisheries
• International, IUCN, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
• Climate Change and Energy
• Open Democratic and Participative Society
• Policy and promotion of our vision for the environment

Some examples of previous working group projects include writing background and review papers, preparing resources to share with other NGOs, and preparing submissions.

Working groups will also pick up on current issues and developments within their subject scope as these arise to the extent that resources permit and in the light of their importance and opportunities presented. Updates and news on working group activities are via email groups and other publications, and material posted on the ECO website.

Some activities might involve joint projects between or collaborative projects with other NGOs. We hope the working groups will function as a useful means for further collaboration in the sector and an effective way for smaller groups to contribute valuable ideas.

If you are a Member or Friend of ECO, you’re invited to participate in these working groups.