Following the announcement of China's landmark 2017 ban on domestic sales of elephant Ivory, WWF seized the opportunity to close ivory markets in Asia and reduce consumer demand for ivory products in order to reverse the decline of wild elephant populations. From 2018 until 2022, the Ivory Initiative used two tightly linked and mutually reinforcing approaches, focusing on reducing consumer demand and policy engagement to strengthen laws and law enforcement in order to close the ivory markets that drive hunting of elephants in Africa. This report outlines the legacy of the Initiative, what it set out to do and what it achieved, while also highlighting some of the main lessons learned by WWF and its partners in implementing this ambitious global goal.
