ANNUAL REPORT 2025
Regenerating Nature, Together. Our Impact in the last year.
WWF-Australia’s Annual Report 2024-25 showcases the impact of our conservation efforts over the past financial year, highlighting the progress we’ve made together toward regenerating nature. These achievements are only possible thanks to the unwavering support of our partners, donors and communities.
In the second year of our Strategic Plan, we’ve accelerated our mission to Regenerate Nature by 2030. The urgency remains, but so does our resolve, and our reach is growing. Nature continues to call for bold action. In response, WWF-Australia has deepened its commitment to restoring Sky, Country and Saltwater through collaborative, community-led solutions and harnessing the power of technology and innovation. Guided by the wisdom of First Peoples and local knowledge holders, we are scaling impact across ecosystems and borders - for climate, nature and people. In 2024-25, WWF-Australia championed bold, collaborative action for nature. Here’s a snapshot of the impact and contribution we helped achieve together:
Together for Nature: Our Impact
- 512,000 hectares declared as new Indigenous Protected Areas—an area double the size of the ACT.
- Supporting the land hand-back case of Wadja Country.
- 71% of projects engaged Indigenous Peoples or local communities.
- The Strong Women for Healthy Country Network welcomed 164 more Indigenous women, growing the community to 647 members.
- 3 international Indigenous Knowledge exchanges.
- 1 national Indigenous women rangers exchange.
- Over 4.9 million hectares of land restored or managed more sustainably- an area larger than Switzerland.
- 75,000 koala habitat and food trees planted.
- Eastern quoll and parma wallaby returned to protected areas, reigniting hope for biodiversity.
- 2.7 million hectares of tiger habitat under improved management across 5 countries—that's more than twice the size of the Daintree Rainforest.
- 50 Indigenous villages supported to reduce human and wildlife conflict and improve livelihoods in tiger landscapes.
- 31 million hectares of ocean protected for marine life.
- Helped secure the Future Made in Australia Act, unlocking $22 billion to accelerate clean energy.
- Over 50,000 voices raised to speak up for nature.
CEO’s message
Over the past 12 months, we’ve made powerful strides for nature, guided by First Nations Knowledge, community leadership and your support. From combining AI technology and Indigenous ecological practice to rediscover species to launching the world’s first interactive whale migration map, our progress toward Regenerating Nature by 2030 is accelerating. Thank you for being part of it.
Our work
Finding Ngunba (Platypus): Hope in the Wet Tropics
For many years, this cultural and ecological symbol of healthy waterways had been visibly absent from many creeks in the region but sightings in 2024 sparked joy and renewed hope. Rangers used Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and AI-powered image recognition to monitor waterways, and their work paid off: Ngunba were spotted in three distinct locations confirming their presence. More than species conservation, this project encompasses cultural connection, community pride and ecological restoration. The rediscovery of Ngunba sparked national media coverage and community celebration, reinforcing the importance of Indigenous-led conservation and what’s possible when Traditional Owners lead the way in caring for Country.
Restoring reefs and strengthening communities in Fiji
In Fiji, rising ocean temperatures due to climate change are placing coral reefs under stress, leading to increased coral bleaching. In response to this, WWF-Australia has been working with our partners, Kyeema Foundation and Corals for Conservation, to support local communities in restoring coral reefs and building climate resilience. Through identifying, collecting and propagating bleach-resistant ‘super corals’ and mangrove restoration, ecosystems are being revived while livelihoods are being diversified. This inclusive project work demonstrates how nature-based solutions can regenerate ecosystems and empower communities to thrive in the face of climate change.
Impact for koalas, landholders and climate
In a groundbreaking effort to protect one of Australia’s most beloved species, the Koala Friendly Carbon Initiative empowers local landholders to restore vital habitat for endangered east coast koalas while generating high-integrity carbon credits. This first-of-its-kind carbon farming program sets a bold vision for the future, and the impacts of delivering climate, nature and community benefits have already been seen with the first sale of carbon credits and 75,000 trees planted.
Through our eyes: tigers, communities and the future we share
WWF-Australia’s tiger conservation efforts continued to build on a legacy of protection, driven by the WWF offices in tiger range countries and by the WWF global Tigers Alive Initiative. With wild tiger numbers reaching 5,771 (Global Tiger Forum, 2025) across Asia, WWF celebrated progress while remaining focused on the challenges ahead- poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict.
A standout story from Sumatra in December 2024 highlighted the cultural connection between people and tigers, where villagers shared their lived experiences through a participatory photography project, using human connection, cultural depth, and shared responsibility to build better community-focused tiger conservation projects.
Mapping lifelines: protecting whale migration corridors in Australian waters
In June 2025, WWF and partners launched the world’s first interactive whale migration map—BlueCorridors.org—using satellite data from over 1,400 whales and 3.2 million kilometres of oceans. WWF-Australia helped lead the development of the innovative platform, which reveals threats like ship strikes and climate change along key whale migration routes. The map is already informing marine planning, helping WWF and other organisations to advocate for the protection of 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 and protected areas to provide safe passage for whales.
Forging a greener future that benefits people and nature
Over the past year, WWF-Australia has been at the forefront of shaping Australia’s clean energy future, championing the shift from fossil fuels to renewable exports through bold advocacy and strategic partnerships. WWF’s joint advocacy with industry, unions, the social sector, and other environment and climate organisations helped to secure the historic Future Made in Australia Act, a $22 billion commitment to clean energy and advanced manufacturing, including support for green hydrogen, green metals and community benefits. Building on this momentum, WWF-Australia continued to advance its vision for a clean energy transition that benefits both people and nature, with the launch of two influential reports that helped influence policy debates, reinforce calls for reforming environmental laws and lead global decarbonisation through green iron production.
Acknowledgements
We are deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity shown by the thousands of individuals and organisations who joined us in our mission to Regenerate Nature.
WWF-Australia is proud to collaborate with a diverse community of supporters and partners, including families, bequestors, philanthropists, communities, governments, businesses, innovators, investors and foundations. Each has played a vital role in our shared journey. We warmly acknowledge those who were instrumental to our achievements over the past year.
Accreditations
WWF-Australia is accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). WWF-Australia is also a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct, a voluntary, self-regulatory sector code of good practice. We are committed and fully adhere to the ACFID Code of Conduct, performing our work with transparency, accountability and integrity. We are also a signatory to the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) Code of Conduct. More information about the ACFID Code of Conduct is available from www. acfid.asn.au/code-of-conduct or by contacting ACFID at main@acfid.asn.au or +61 2 6285 1816. Complaints relating to alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct by any signatory agency can be made by any member of the public to the ACFID Code of Conduct Committee by emailing: code@acfid.asn.au
We welcome feedback on this report and on our operations and conduct in general. Please send any feedback or complaints to enquiries@wwf.org.au. Complaints can also be made via the Ethics Reporting Hotline here.
Monitoring and Evaluation
WWF-Australia is committed to continuous improvement through evaluation and reflection. In financial year 2024-25, several key evaluations were undertaken to assess program effectiveness and inform future delivery. An independent review of DFAT’s nature-based solutions (NbS) portfolio, including the Climate Resilient by Nature (CRxN) initiative, identified opportunities to strengthen programming. In response, CRxN updated its monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework, conducted joint reviews against NbS criteria, and tailored technical support to project needs. Six-monthly reflection events with partners continue to foster shared learning. A final program evaluation is underway, with a learning exercise planned for late 2025. Additional evaluations conducted included the final review of the Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund, which highlighted strengths in Indigenous co-design, emergency readiness and innovation; an internal accreditation review aligned with DFAT and ACFID standards to ensure compliance and accountability; and the annual 2024 Science and Research Review, which examined 76 activities involving 131 collaborating organisations and 37 WWF-Australia staff, emphasising strong partnerships and mutual benefit while identifying the need for greater investment in science.