Speech by Princess Laurentien WWF inaugural Panda Ball in Asia, Singapore, 21 November 2008

Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends of conservation,

The inspiring as well as realistic words of James Leape no doubt leaves all of us thoroughly convinced about the urgency and relevance of supporting the Coral Triangle Initiative and WWF's work in this important region. I am delighted to join you at this inaugural Panda Ball in Asia and I'm grateful for the kind welcome and hospitality of Singapore. Having lived during my formative teenage years in Asia, it always feels like coming home. More importantly, it is timely for a uniquely global conservation organisation such as WWF to hold its prestigious annual event in this part of our world.

What seems particularly encouraging about the Coral Triangle Initiative is the notion of sharing of responsibility put into practice. I applaud the six Coral Triangle countries for forging such strong cooperation, and WWF for its work as facilitator and provider of expertise. Sharing of responsibility is also a reality by linking the practice on the ground - in the ocean, I should say - with consumer behaviour elsewhere. Humans across the globe depend on healthy ecosystems. Without them, the planet would be uninhabitable and they truly sustain life in all its forms.

My grandfather-in-law and WWF Founding President Prince Bernhard already said decades ago: "I believe that we have no more important duty than to leave to future generations a beautiful and healthy planet and to impart to them the ethic that is everybody's responsibility to take care of our Earth." His unique contributions and commitment to conservation live on - through WWF and initiatives such as the 1001 Trust and the scholarship in his name. But also through the Prince Bernhard Fund for Nature that stands ready to rally the forces of conservation. And it continues to provide modest amounts to help getting projects off the ground. My husband now chairs the fund. He regrets not being able to join us tonight - but he's certainly here in spirit.

Protecting biodiversity and reducing our footprint means balancing local needs and global requirements. In ecology, all things are connected. Clearly, what we do in one spot affects another and vice versa. So global is by no means an abstract notion. Overwhelming as the issues facing us may be, from east to west, north to south, we need to share responsibility to find solutions to the range of urgent and complex pressures on the one planet we have. Protecting the Coral Triangle is a prime example of the importance of acting now before it is too late. From pollution to over-fishing and consumption choices to global warming... the impact of these and other pressures on our ecosystems is an alarming reality. So it's wonderful to be together tonight in support of preserving this unique and productive ecosystem.

We should dare holding up a mirror to ourselves. Our demand on the planet's resources and life support systems has more than doubled over the past 45 years. The WWF Living Planet Report notes that "in 1961, (when WWF was established), nearly all countries in the world had enough capacity to meet their own demand". And in 1964 Prince Bernhard observed that, "Twentieth century Man has power in his hands undreamed of a generation ago to alter the natural world around him. He understands as yet only dimly the consequences and side effects of using that power. He can destroy and is destroying, so much that is irreplaceable without realizing what he is doing".

Today, we are in a dramatically different situation: we do know most of what needs to be done to curb this profligacy of resources; most solutions exist. But we're not getting the results at the speed required. Something is missing. What will genuinely and ineluctably ignite our individual and collective determination to start living within the means of our planet? Self-interest? A big bang? Morality? All three?

Rational scientific, economic, security and other arguments tend to rule our debates and decisions affecting the planet, be it biodiversity or climate change, rightly tagged as some of the biggest challenges of our time. The rational aspects are important , of course. But calling on our moral values and obligations seems to me to be a much needed perspective to move from a defendable minimum to a desirable maximum of urgent actions on the ground and long overdue changes in the realms of policy.

Morality is not to be confused with being moralistic or dogmatic. Morality is on the one hand a highly personal matter, but it is also firmly rooted in human values. It therefore has the power to inspire and ignite exactly the determination we need - individually and collectively. We need to remind ourselves of our moral values and apply them to those debates and decisions affecting the planet.

Sharing of responsibility in finding solutions calls for leadership - moral leadership to be more precise. To my mind, we're all leaders, in all of our different roles: as individuals, consumers, parents, corporate representatives as well as political leaders, from local to global. Representatives of civil society, many of you here tonight - non-governmental organisations active on environmental issues, health, education and many other social issues - are in fact leaders of civil engagement with moral leadership responsibilities. When we lose sight of morality, we may ultimately find ourselves adrift in an uncertain world full of turmoil.

Conservation is not a stand alone. It is intricately interwoven with all that's important to us: from our cultural heritage to our moral obligations and business opportunities. Logically, we can only achieve our conservation goals by joining forces. This is a festive gathering. Your presence tonight is a valuable and much needed signal of interest in conservation and the Coral Triangle. My plea is to continuously strengthen and expand our commitments. It's up to us to decide. And in doing so let us not forget: business as usual is not an option.

Thank you.