Posted on October, 10 2024

• Steepest declines in monitored wildlife populations recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (-95%), Africa (-76%) and Asia–Pacific (-60%)
• WWF: What happens over the next five years will be crucial for the future of life on Earth but we have the power − and opportunity − to change the trajectory

GLAND, Switzerland (10 October 2024) -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 warns that, as the Earth approaches dangerous tipping points posing grave threats to humanity, a huge collective effort will be required over the next five years to tackle the dual climate and nature crises.

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 strongest decline is in freshwater ecosystems (-85%), followed by terrestrial (-69%) and then marine (-56%). Habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by our food system, is the most reported threat to wildlife populations around the world, followed by overexploitation, invasive species and disease. Climate change is a particular additional threat for wildlife populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have recorded a staggering 95% average decline. 

Declines in wildlife populations can act as an early warning indicator of increasing extinction risk and the potential loss of healthy ecosystems. When ecosystems are damaged they cease to provide humanity with the benefits we have come to depend on - clean air, water and healthy soils for food - and they can become more vulnerable to tipping points. A tipping point is when an ecosystem is pushed beyond a critical threshold resulting in substantial and potentially irreversible change. 

Global tipping points, such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest and the mass die-off of coral reefs, would create shockwaves far beyond the immediate area impacting food security and livelihoods. The warning comes as fire outbreaks in the Amazon reached their highest level in 14 years in September and a fourth global mass coral bleaching event was confirmed earlier this year. 

Dr Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, said: “Nature is issuing a distress call. The linked crises of nature loss and climate change are pushing wildlife and ecosystems beyond their limits, with dangerous global tipping points threatening to damage Earth’s life-support systems and destabilize societies. The catastrophic consequences of losing some of our most precious ecosystems, like the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs, would be felt by people and nature around the world.”

Some of the species populations captured in the LPI include a 57% decline in the number of nesting female hawksbill turtles between 1990 and 2018 on Milman Island in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; and a 65% decline in Amazon pink river dolphins and 75% decline in the smaller tucuxi between 1994 and 2016 in the Mamirauá reserve in Amazonas, Brazil. Last year, more than 330 river dolphins died in just two lakes during a period of extreme heat and drought.  

The index does reveal some populations that have stabilized or increased due to effective conservation efforts, such as an increase in the sub-population of mountain gorillas of around 3% per year between 2010 - 2016 in the Virunga mountains in East Africa, and the comeback of European Bison populations in central Europe. However, isolated successes are not enough.

Countries have already agreed on ambitious global goals to halt and reverse nature loss (the Global Biodiversity Framework), cap global temperature rise to 1.5ºC (the Paris Agreement), and eradicate poverty (the UN Sustainable Development Goals). But the Living Planet Report says national commitments and action on the ground fall far short of what’s required to meet targets for 2030 and avoid dangerous tipping points. 

The international biodiversity and climate summits taking place shortly – COP16 and COP29 – are an opportunity for countries to rise to the scale of the challenge. WWF is calling for countries to produce and implement more ambitious national nature and climate plans (NBSAPs and NDCs) that include measures to reduce global overconsumption, halt and reverse both domestic and imported biodiversity loss and cut emissions – all in an equitable manner. 

WWF urges governments to unlock greater public and private funding to allow action at scale and to better align their climate, nature and sustainable development policies and actions. Both governments and businesses should act to rapidly eliminate activities with negative impacts on biodiversity and climate, and redirect finance away from harmful practices and towards activities that will deliver on the global goals.  

Dr Kirsten Schuijt continued: “Although the situation is desperate, we are not yet past the point of no return. We have global agreements and solutions to set nature on the path to recovery by 2030, but so far there’s been little progress on delivery and a lack of urgency. The decisions made and action taken over the next five years will be crucial for the future of life on Earth. The power − and opportunity − are in our hands to change the trajectory. We can restore our living planet if we act now.” 

Dr Andrew Terry, Director of Conservation and Policy at ZSL, said: “The Living Planet Index highlights the continued loss of wildlife populations globally, and this thinning of the tree of life is putting us at risk of breaking dangerous tipping points. We are not locked into this loss. We know what to do and we know that, given the chance, nature can rebound - what we need now is an increase in action and ambition. We have five years to reach international commitments to restore nature by 2030. World leaders will be coming together soon for COP16, and we need to see strong responses from them and an urgent upscaling of resources to reach those commitments and to put ourselves back on the path to recovery.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• *The Living Planet Index shows an average 73% decline in monitored vertebrate wildlife populations (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish). 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 now available.
• 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. 
• For further information on the hawksbill turtle, Amazon river dolphin, mountain gorilla and European bison local population case studies above and for other examples please see pages 32-33 of the full report. 
• 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.

About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, 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.