On March 4th, the United Nations hosted its annual World Wildlife Day event. Peter Houlihan, XPRIZE Executive Vice President of Biodiversity and Conservation, delivered the keynote address for the celebration.

Peter Houlihan, XPRIZE Executive Vice President of Biodiversity and Conservation, sits alongside Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner.

© CITES Secretariat

Aligning with the event's theme, Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation, Houlihan's speech highlighted the role of innovation in biodiversity conservation. He emphasized the current progress of XPRIZE Rainforest and how it is bringing together experts from diverse fields to develop innovative solutions for biodiversity assessments.

By using advanced technology and fostering collaboration among conservationists, engineers, and Indigenous Peoples and local communities, the solutions developed through XPRIZE Rainforest will have a far-reaching impact beyond species preservation. They will help protect rainforest biodiversity, combat climate change, support sustainable bioeconomies, and provide additional data that can support indigenous land rights.

Peter Houlihan, XPRIZE Executive Vice President of Biodiversity and Conservation, and Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), stand with a group of World Wildlife Day 2024 speakers, including XPRIZE Rainforest judge Dr. Jorge Ahumada and Biodiversity + Conversation Brain Trust member Dr. Sara Beery.

© CITES Secretariat

To learn more about XPRIZE Rainforest and its significant ties to this year's World Wildlife Day, explore our XPRIZE Rainforest finalist teams.