HH, Red Panda Network Nepal launch Red Panda carpet at IUCN World Conservation Congress

ABU DHABI, THE UAE: Hoste Hainse (HH), in collaboration with Red Panda Network Nepal, launched the Red Panda Carpet at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, 2025, in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

The launch, held at the China Pavilion in the exhibition hall, formed part of the Congress, the world’s largest gathering on nature conservation and sustainable development, which brought together governments, civil society, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, businesses and youth leaders.

More than 30 delegates from the IUCN Nepal National Committee, the national coordination body under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, attended the event to mark the unveiling. HH presented the Red Panda Rug, hand‑crafted by its sister concern, Formation Carpets, as a symbol of Nepal’s weaving traditions and a tribute to the endangered red panda.

The rug was hand‑knotted from 100% New Zealand wool, which organisers said is finer and softer than many other wool types and is fully renewable and compostable. Production employed a dedicated women's workforce, and organisers said proceeds from sales will support education for marginalised children at HH schools and fund red panda conservation efforts led by Red Panda Network Nepal.

Speakers at the launch included Ranjita Dahal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal in the UAE, and Adele Guidot, Programme Lead at Global Compact UAE, who highlighted the role of the private sector in environmental initiatives. HH Executive Director Krishna Bikram Shah outlined the organisation’s mission and its work in rural Nepal, while Deependra Joshi, Chief Technical Advisor at UNDP Lao, spoke about grant opportunities through the Global Environment Facility for habitat restoration and similar initiatives.

Roshani Adhikari Pathak, a candidate for the IUCN Regional Council for South and East Asia, sought support for Nepal’s candidacy in the IUCN election 2025 and urged delegates to back Nepal’s representation on the IUCN Council. The launch emphasised sustainability, community empowerment and the link between cultural heritage and conservation.