- Partnership to Create, Distribute Original Content about the Natural World and Conservation -

Nairobi, Kenya & New York: UN Environment and Discovery Communications today announced a dynamic multimedia partnership to raise further awareness about the planet's most pressing environmental challenges and to highlight innovative solutions to address them.

UN Environment and Discovery will together develop original content about the natural world with a strong conservation angle, highlighting important stories about our planet and empowering individuals and communities to make a difference. The content will be distributed through the wide-reaching linear, digital and social media channels offered by Discovery Communications and the United Nations.

'This is a fantastic opportunity for us at UN Environment. Discovery Communications is known the world over for its compelling storytelling; entertaining as they educate and inspire viewers with its programming,' said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. 'This partnership will help to bring to life positive environmental action and motivate viewers around the world.'

'Telling the most important stories about our natural world is part of Discovery's DNA, and shining a light on what we can do to protect our planet is core to who we are as a purpose-driven company,' said David Zaslav, President and CEO, Discovery Communications. 'Together with the UN, Discovery will use its global platforms and reach to amplify our shared stories and message around the world and make a lasting difference for our planet.'

The collaboration further encompasses the development of initiatives around wildlife protection and conservation, the inclusion of UN Environment's expert and celebrity voices, and the participation of Discovery's executive leadership in UN Environment events and programmes.

A central focus of the partnership will also be to get the world's attention, and action, on the illegal trade in wildlife, through the UN campaign Wild for Life. The campaign seeks to make wildlife crime personal by asking participants to discover their kindred species, create a 'morph' image with the endangered animal, and then share on social media to inspire others to learn more. Since its launch one year ago, the campaign has reached over 1 billion people with engagement from 30 global celebrities. UN Environment and Discovery Communications have successfully collaborated at two major conferences, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in South Africa and the Hanoi Conference in Vietnam, to mobilize the public on this critical issue.

Discovery Communications has, since its inception more than 30 years ago, been committed to telling stories about the natural world and protecting the creatures that make our planet extraordinary, leveraging its formidable creative resources and unparalleled reach to more than 3 billion cumulative viewers worldwide across linear, digital and social media channels.

In 2016, Discovery launched Project C.A.T., Conserving Acres for Tigers, a groundbreaking partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help double the wild tiger population by 2022. As part of the WWF partnership, Discovery in 2016 agreed to fund efforts to conserve protected habitat in India and Bhutan to protect and increase the wild tiger population, which has shrunk an astonishing 96% over the last century.

The partnership between UN Environment and Discovery is effective as of September 19, with an official launch in New York.

About Discovery Communications:
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a purpose-driven company which satisfies curiosity and captivates superfans around the globe with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids content brands including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. Available in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery's programming reaches 3 billion cumulative viewers, who together consume 54 billion hours of Discovery content each year. Discovery's offering extends beyond traditional TV to all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio and Discovery Kids Play; over-the-top streaming services such as Eurosport Player; digital-first and social video from Group Nine Media; and virtual reality storytelling through Discovery VR. In July 2017, Discovery announced an agreement to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, in a transaction that is expected to close by early 2018. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About UN Environment:

UN Environment is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.

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Discovery Communications Inc. published this content on 20 September 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 20 September 2017 14:44:08 UTC.

Original documenthttps://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/un-environment-and-discovery-communications-partner-to-engage-world-on-environmental-action/

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