The world’s leading conservation body, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has signalled a major shift toward embracing genetic innovation, rejecting a sweeping moratorium on engineering wild species and adopting a pragmatic, science-based policy for synthetic biology.
The decision, made at the World Conservation Congress, is being hailed as a critical vote of confidence in emerging tools, from gene drives to advanced cloning, necessary to match the scale and urgency of the escalating global biodiversity crisis.
At the heart of the outcome was the successful adoption of Motion 087 (Policy on Synthetic Biology) and the decisive rejection of Motion 133 (Moratorium on Genetic Engineering of Wild Species).
This dual action confirms the IUCN’s commitment to a case-by-case approach, ensuring that governments and scientists can rigorously assess and, if warranted, deploy genetic technologies where existing conservation tools have failed.
The move comes at a time when traditional conservation methods are increasingly struggling to keep pace with threats such as habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive species. The conservation community is now tasked with protecting more than a million species at risk of extinction, making the search for transformative, scalable solutions paramount.
The Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research immediately welcomed the decision, calling it a victory for scientific collaboration and evidence-led policymaking.
“We welcome the adoption of IUCN’s Policy on Synthetic Biology as a constructive, balanced and science-based approach towards the potential application of this emerging field for conservation,” the network stated.
They stressed that the vote does not constitute a blanket endorsement but rather provides an essential framework for informed, responsible decision-making tailored to each nation’s unique priorities and contexts.
The decision underscores a sober reality: the severity of the biodiversity crisis demands that no effective tool be automatically ruled out. Synthetic biology, the redesign of organisms for useful purposes, offers a new hope for solutions that can scale to the challenge.
Susan Lieberman, Vice President for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), noted that synthetic biology offers “enormous potential to complement existing conservation tools at a time when current approaches are no longer sufficient to keep pace with the ongoing rate of biodiversity loss”.
The new IUCN policy requires that any application be considered on a case-by-case basis, guided by scientific evidence and rigorous risk assessments, aligning the IUCN with international frameworks established under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartagena Protocol.
The implications of the vote extend far beyond protecting endangered wildlife, touching directly on some of the world’s most persistent public health crises.
By adopting the policy, the IUCN has implicitly endorsed ongoing research into the use of genetic technologies to control vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, a critical issue particularly in Africa.
Yacine Djibo, founder and Executive Director of Senegal-based NGO Speak Up Africa, called the outcome “significant because it helps keep all potential options on the table for addressing Africa’s most pressing challenges.”
“Across Africa, malaria remains one of the biggest public health challenges, killing one child nearly every minute,” Djibo stated. “The potential to use genetic technologies to reduce the population of malaria-carrying mosquitoes is a promising area of research, offering hope to help reverse stalled progress and save lives.”
The resolution upholds governments’ fundamental right to consider the development and use of genetic tools, opening the door to new, cost-effective, and scalable solutions for public health control where existing methods are faltering due to insecticide resistance and climate change impacts.
For many field scientists, the rejection of a moratorium provides the assurance needed to continue developing tools to address specific, well-defined threats.
The decision is a huge boost to the future of conservation, according to Oliver Ryder, Director of Conservation Genetics at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He highlighted how genetic technology is already being used to reverse loss.
“Synthetic biology has evolved significantly and has already shown potential to help restore genetic diversity among endangered species,” stated Ryder. “For example, our work to preserve living cells in our Frozen Zoo enabled the birth of the first cloned black-footed ferret in 2020, reintroducing previously lost genetic variation back into the population.”
One of the most immediate and impactful applications of genetic engineering is in the fight against invasive species, which are massive drivers of extinction, particularly on isolated ecosystems.
David Will, Director of Impact and Innovation at Island Conservation, noted that invasive species like mice and rats are responsible for 60 per cent of known extinctions, most of which occur on islands.
“With projections that the total number of alien species will increase by an estimated 36 per cent by 2050 compared to 2005, these fragile but vital ecosystems urgently need new tools to protect native species,” Will stressed.
By rejecting the moratorium, the IUCN ensures that research into promising new technologies, such as gene drive technologies, which could selectively eliminate invasive rodents, can continue, offering hope for islands where existing physical removal methods are insufficient.
The policy’s ripple effects also affect agricultural science and global food security. Dr Leena Tripathi, Director of the Eastern Africa Hub at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), followed the discussions closely.
“This decision upholds the value of scientific research and the significant potential that synthetic biology has for tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including achieving the 70 per cent increase in food production needed to meet demand by 2050,” Tripathi confirmed.
The policy provides governments with an evidence-based framework for navigating new applications of biotechnology to enhance crop resilience and output, ensuring suitability on a case-by-case basis.
While supporting innovation, the adopted policy commits the IUCN to a responsible and equitable implementation path.
Dr Seth Appiah-Kubi, the National Director of the environmental NGO A Rocha Ghana, applauded the move, reiterating the policy’s commitment to ethical standards.
“I applaud the adoption of the IUCN Policy on Synthetic Biology, which sets out a responsible path forward based on evaluating each application on a case-by-case basis, guided by science-based risk assessments, ethical standards, and respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities,” Appiah-Kubi said.
Moving forward, the focus shifts to ensuring that all member countries can effectively engage with and implement this policy. The Outreach Network highlighted the value of further collaboration with the CBD as it develops its Thematic Action Plan to build capacity in synthetic biology.
This coordination is deemed critical to ensure inclusive, informed, and effective implementation, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where biodiversity loss is accelerating most rapidly.
The World Conservation Congress has established the policy framework; now, the challenge lies in strengthening nations’ capacity to utilise this toolkit responsibly, ensuring that innovation complements rather than overrides the enduring principles of conservation ethics.
