Background: UON started off as Earth Today around 2021. During that year, IUCN NL held discussions with them regarding potential funding for partners of the Land Acquisition Program. While we were initially impressed with their model to support area-based conservation, we struggled to fully grasp the underlying business model, leading us to decide not to move forward with a partnership. The program was notably successful at the outset, raising over 1 million euros in its first month.
Reputation and Criticism: However, in 2022, Earth Today faced serious criticism in the Dutch press. A journalist focused on the significant financial interests of the founders and the potential for substantial profits if the program succeeded, raising concerns about the ethics behind the model. This led many organizations, including IUCN members like ARK Foundation and Rewilding Europe, to withdraw from the partnership (Article in Dutch : Goede doelen lopen weg bij EarthToday van Winston Gerschtanowitz). Earth Today responded to the criticism: Uon.Earth - Collect uon. Protect Earth.
Our position
While we recognize the good intentions behind the new UON approach and the potential for this model to generate much-needed funding for partners, we remain cautious. The key concern lies in the complexity and opacity of the relationship between Earth Today Media, Earth Today.com, and the UON Foundation. The communication surrounding these entities remains unclear, and we believe that this lack of transparency makes it difficult to fully understand the structure and operations of the organization.
It is crucial that they improve communication and transparency to gain trust and ensure alignment with IUCN's values and standards.
To move forward, we suggest that an expert at IUCN conduct a thorough examination of UON’s operations and its links to Earth Today. It is essential that the founders provide clear explanations about the current structure and business model. Only after this in-depth analysis should a decision about UON’s membership be considered.
Yes to all, since the projects they support are all focusing on area – based conservation of biodiversity and natural resources.
Projects and more details can be viewed on Uon.Earth - Collect uon. Protect Earth. We are familiar with the work of most of the partners.
See UoN’s projects on Uon.Earth - Collect uon. Protect Earth.