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“System in peril”: Average wildlife populations’ size declined by 73% in just 50 years, warns WWF
There has been a catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations* in just 50 years (1970-2020), according to WWF’s Living Planet Report (LPR) 2024. The report highlights that the next five years will be crucial for the future of life on Earth as we already have solutions to transform conservation, food, energy and finance systems to tackle the dual climate and nature crises.
The warning comes as fire outbreaks in the Amazon reached their highest level in 14 years in August. At the same time, the European Commission just announced a one-year delay for implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation, the first in the world to tackle global deforestation.
“The findings of this report are alarming, and EU consumption continues to be a major driver of global biodiversity loss, particularly in critical ecosystems like the Amazon, which is nearing an irreversible tipping point. Despite this, the European Commission has recently proposed delaying the implementation of the EU deforestation law—a law that could help alleviate this destructive pressure. How much more forest must we lose before policymakers grasp the urgency of immediate action?” asked Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, Manager, Forests, of the WWF European Policy Office.
The report makes clear that a huge collective effort will be required over the next five years. While we have global agreements to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030, the EU has an especially powerful tool at its disposal - the European Green Deal, which brought about critical laws that can transform conservation, food, energy and finance systems to deliver for our people and planet. It is imperative for the EU to respond to the warnings of the Living Planet Report and to implement and enforce all Green Deal initiatives.
“When the previous Living Planet Report was published in 2022, we advocated for the game-changing EU Nature Restoration Law. Two years later we finally have our first-ever EU law to restore degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Today’s alarming numbers make it evident that the EU must now fully commit to implementing this law and key legislation like the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Birds and Habitats Directives. For our planet to avoid the irreversible tipping points, nature restoration and conservation in the EU must remain a priority and cannot be sidelined,” said Sabien Leemans, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at the WWF European Policy Office.
In addition, the report’s findings show that food production is the primary driver of habitat loss and is depleting our water resources, accounting for 70% of water use. “Here is yet another science-based report telling us the same story about our food system - a story we’ve ignored for far too long. In Europe, we have treated nature as an infinite resource, and we are now seeing the consequences through the increasing impacts of floods and droughts on our produce. The new Commission must fundamentally reform the foundations of the Common Agricultural Policy and incentivise farmers to transition to sustainable farming with dedicated public funding. This is our only path to a thriving future,” said Giulia Riedo, Sustainable Farming Officer at the WWF European Policy Office.
Furthermore, the report shows how climate change is pushing nature to the brink, with tipping points looming for places like the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs. “The new Living Planet Report sends a stark warning: the clock is ticking and our biodiversity is hanging in the balance. Luckily, saving nature is an important ally in the relentless fight against climate change and for this the European Green Deal is crucial. The solutions are clear: restoring ecosystems and preserving biodiversity is one of the most powerful solutions we have to reduce emissions apart from breaking free from fossil fuels,” said Alex Mason, Head of Climate & Energy at the WWF European Policy Office.
A vital part of the solution is finance. The report emphasises the need to redirect finance away from harmful and towards sustainable activities. "Our current economic systems fail to prioritise the wellbeing of people and environment, but the shift is possible and now more needed than ever before. The good news is that money is available, but it must be urgently reallocated to accelerate the green and just transition of companies, and stop harming our planet Earth. Right now, the consequences of inaction are putting our own society at risk of collapse”, said Sebastien Godinot, Senior Economist at the WWF European Policy Office.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- *The Living Planet Index (LPI), provided by ZSL (Zoological Society of London), includes almost 35,000 population trends of 5,495 species from 1970-2020. The LPI shows an average 73% decline in monitored vertebrate wildlife populations (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish). Freshwater populations have suffered the heaviest declines, falling by 85%, followed by terrestrial (69%) and marine populations (56%). The percentage change in the index reflects the average proportional change in monitored animal population sizes at sites around the world, not the number of individual animals lost, nor the number of populations lost.
- The LPR 2024 is the 15th edition of WWF's biennial flagship publication. The full report and summary versions of the report are available HERE, along with B-roll footage and images.
- Please note that successive iterations of the LPI are not directly comparable as they contain different sets of species. It is also important to note the significance of the 1970 baseline for the various regions monitored. In both Europe and North America large scale impacts on nature were already apparent before the start of the index in 1970, explaining why there is less of a negative trend. North America registered an average decline of 39%, while Europe and Central Asia registered a decline of 35%.
- Global tipping points would pose grave threats to humanity and most species, and would damage Earth’s life-support systems and destabilize societies everywhere (see full report and Lenton et al. 2023). In the Amazon, as climate change and deforestation lead to reduced rainfall, scientists believe a tipping point could be reached where conditions become unsuitable for tropical forest. This would change regional and global weather patterns, impacting food production, and see the Amazon shift from being a carbon sink to a source of emissions. Coral reefs are also under extreme threat from climate change, with a fourth global mass coral bleaching event confirmed this year. Each bleaching event weakens the coral, leaving it unable to cope with other pressures, like pollution and overfishing. The mass die-off of coral reefs would destroy fisheries and reduce storm protection for coastal communities, as reefs act as buffers from waves, storms and floods.
- Energy and food systems are the main drivers of climate change and nature loss. Fossil fuels contribute approximately 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Food production is the leading cause of habitat loss, accounts for 70% of water use, and is responsible for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Nature-based solutions harness the power of nature to boost natural ecosystems, biodiversity and human well-being to address major societal issues, including climate change. For example, regenerative farming and the restoration of forests, wetlands and mangroves can boost carbon storage, enhance water and air quality, improve food and water security, and help protect against erosion and flooding.
- Countries are due to submit revised national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) aligned to the Global Biodiversity Framework before biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia (21 October - 1 November 2024). WWF is urging countries to ensure these are ambitious and comprehensive and to boost biodiversity finance. You can read more about WWF’s expectations for COP16 here.
- Under the Paris Agreement countries must present new climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions - NDCs) in 2025, providing a blueprint for how they will contribute to limiting warming to 1.5oC. These plans should include roadmaps for equitably phasing out fossil fuels and transforming food systems. At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (11 November - 22 November), WWF hopes to see the agreement of a new, ambitious climate finance goal to meet the mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries. You can read more about WWF’s expectations for COP29 here.
WWF is an independent conservation organisation, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.
About ZSL
Founded in 1826, ZSL is an international conservation charity, driven by science, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world; by protecting critical species, restoring ecosystems, helping people and wildlife live together and inspiring support for nature. Through our leading conservation zoos, London and Whipsnade, we bring people closer to nature and use our expertise to protect wildlife today, while inspiring a lifelong love of animals in the conservationists of tomorrow.
© WWF Living Planet Report
Nature is disappearing: the average size of wildlife populations has fallen by a staggering 73%