Indigenous Framework Reshapes WWF's Conservation Strategy

50% of WWF's work now involves Indigenous-led conservation, says WWF Australia CEO O'Gorman.

WWF Australia's strategic pivot towards Indigenous-led conservation represents a fundamental shift in how environmental organisations approach the climate crisis. In a wide-ranging discussion at the Impact X Summit Sydney, WWF Australia CEO Dermot O'Gorman and Indigenous leader Susan Moylan-Coombs explored how business leaders can move beyond traditional extractive models to create regenerative solutions.

WWF Australia has embarked on a strategic transformation, with O'Gorman recently visiting partners at Girringun Aboriginal Corporation to listen to community needs as part of their 2023-26 strategic plan. The organisation now operates under an Indigenous framework of "sky, country and salt water" rather than conventional environmental categories.

From Scarcity to Abundance Thinking

O'Gorman argued that Australia's colonial mindset continues to limit its potential as a global sustainability leader.

"Part of the challenge is as a country that was colonised, our job was to export resources to the rest of the world. 230 years later we still haven't got the confidence to say, no, no, that's not our role in the world"

O'Gorman drew parallels with the Green Revolution of the 1960s, warning that environmental movements risk repeating past mistakes. Central to this shift is what he calls an "abundance mindset" – recognising that "we have enough resources on this planet to feed 10 billion people. That's not the problem. It's around some of the equity issues and how it's done".

Indigenous Leadership as Strategic Imperative

WWF's commitment to ensuring 50% of programmatic work involves "inclusive conservation" emerged from a three-day strategy session with 30 Indigenous leaders and elders. "For those on the board and the senior team who sat for three days at a waterfall in Far North Queensland and just yarned with local elders, was a transformational experience," O'Gorman said.

Moylan-Coombs, whose Gaimaragal Group facilitates Indigenous voices in contemporary social spaces, emphasised the urgency of this approach. "As First Nations people, as the original sustainability practitioners, we probably wouldn't have got us, and when I say us, it's humanity, to this point," she observed.

The conversation highlighted how organisations can move beyond consultation to genuine partnership. "Listening is a very powerful tool. And we all say we should listen, but often we don't. We try and tell everybody," O'Gorman noted.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Green Steel Innovation

O'Gorman positioned current environmental challenges within the context of a fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by renewable energy transitions and social polarisation. He cited emerging opportunities in green steel production, where hydrogen and renewable energy can make iron ore processing 95-98% carbon neutral.

"7 to 9% of all global emissions is from the steelmaking industry. And Australia, which exports 38% of all global iron ore is really well positioned because we've got a lot of renewable energy," he explained.

Strategic Implications for Business Leaders

The discussion revealed several key imperatives for sustainability executives. First, organisations must move beyond traditional consultation models to embed Indigenous knowledge systems in strategic planning. Second, leaders need to reframe environmental challenges as abundance rather than scarcity problems.

Most critically, O'Gorman advocated for a "not asking permission" approach to innovation. "We just have to start innovating, use our innovators and get doing, because as a country, we're very good at that".

The concept of "co-opetition" – cooperating with competitors to lift industry standards – emerged as a key strategy for accelerating systemic change. This approach challenges traditional competitive dynamics in favour of collaborative solutions.

Looking Forward

As Australia grapples with its role in the global economy, these leaders argue that Indigenous-led conservation offers a pathway to both environmental restoration and economic transformation. The challenge lies in scaling these approaches across industries while maintaining authentic partnerships with First Nations communities.

The conversation suggests that Australia's next phase of development will be defined not by resource extraction but by its capacity to integrate traditional ecological knowledge with cutting-edge technology – a synthesis that could position the nation as a global leader in regenerative business practices.