An environmental and social complaint is a concern about how a WWF activity may negatively impact the environment or people’s wellbeing and rights. Environmental impacts include things like air or water pollution or improper waste disposal. Social impacts include things like communities not being properly consulted about an activity, or people losing access to land or resources. More information about WWF’s environmental and social commitments can be found in its Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework.

Submitting a complaint provides people who are (or may be) negatively affected by the environmental and social impacts of a WWF activity with a predictable and independent process to address their concerns. The Office works with complainants, WWF and other stakeholders to find solutions to the issues raised, and to help WWF improve the social and environmental outcomes of its activities.
 

Complaints can be submitted in the following ways:
 

• Completing an online complaints form.
• Emailing a complaint to info@wwfombudsoffice.org. 
• Mailing or delivering a complaint, addressed to the WWF Ombudsperson, to any WWF office.

Complaints should include the following information:

 

• Location and name of the WWF activity that is the subject of the complaint.
• Reason for the complaint and how the WWF activity has (or may have) negative environmental and social impacts on the complainant(s).
• Name(s) of the individual(s) submitting the complaint and their contact details.
• If the complaint is submitted by a representative of the individual(s) affected by the WWF activity, written proof of authority to submit the complaint on behalf of the complainant(s).

Individuals or communities who believe they are, or may be, negatively impacted by the environmental or social impacts of a WWF activity.  Complaints can also be submitted by the complainant’s authorized representatives.

Anonymous complaints are not eligible because the Office of the Ombudsperson actively engages with complainants to help address their concerns. The Office does not share complainant or complaint information without consent, including with WWF staff or management outside of the Office. 

All complaints are treated as confidential unless the complainant provides consent for the information to be shared. The Office does not share the complaint or complaint information without consent, including with WWF staff or management outside of the Office.

Personal data shared via a complaint will be treated in accordance with the Office’s Privacy Policy.

Complainants can submit a complaint in any language. The Office of the Ombudsperson will make best efforts to engage with the complainants in their local language. Process timelines may need to be extended to facilitate translation.

To be accepted by the Office, a complaint must meet all the following conditions:

 

1. The complaint relates to environmental and social concerns about a WWF activity or an activity that is actively being considered by WWF;
2. The complaint is brought by individuals or communities (or their authorized representatives) negatively impacted or potentially negatively impacted by the concern;
3. The complaint relates to an incident or situation in or after June 2019.

Complaints that do not meet all three of the above criteria will not be found eligible. In addition, none of the following are eligible:

 

• Complaints that are clearly fraudulent, frivolous or malicious
• Complaints that raise only allegations of fraud and/or corruption
• Complaints that relate exclusively to WWF procurement decisions
• Complaints that focus exclusively on global impacts of a global public good
• Complaints that are anonymous
• Complaints brought by an individual that relate exclusively to an individual’s working conditions and terms of employment
• Complaints brought by a WWF employee and relate to that employee’s terms and conditions of employment with WWF
• Complaints brought by a commercial entity and only relate to issues of economic loss
• Complaints brought by a WWF donor or similar entity
• Complaints that are the same in all material respects as a complaint that has previously been handled by the Office of the Ombudsperson, unless there has been a material change in the circumstances
• Complaints that relate to an incident or situation before June 2019

The Office is WWF’s independent accountability and grievance mechanism for the global WWF Network.  WWF also has local grievance mechanisms – at a project, landscape and country level − in the countries where it operates. Given their proximity and understanding of WWF activities, WWF’s local mechanisms are an important channel for raising and addressing environmental and social grievances.  That said, the Office offers an additional and independent channel for addressing environmental and social complaints − particularly where further independence is sought, where local grievance mechanisms may not have been able to address the concerns, or where complainants have concerns about local mechanisms.

Lodging a complaint directly with a WWF or other local mechanism does not, at any time, restrict access to the Office. If the same complaint is submitted to, and accepted as eligible by, the Office, it will engage with the complainant to understand the forum they would like to use.  If the complainant opts to have the complaint processed by the Office, the local mechanism will defer to the Office.