Living Planet Report 2016

Every two years, WWF International releases The Living Planet Report, the world’s leading, science-based analysis on the health of our planet and the impact of human activity. WWF is one of the largest conservation organizations in the world, working in 80 countries. Here is a summary of the 2016 Living Planet Report:

Main Findings:

·      The size and scale of the human enterprise have grown exponentially since the mid-20th century.

·      As a result, nature and the services it provides to humanity are subject to increasing risk.

·      Scientists suggest that we have transitioned from the holocene into a new geological epoch, calling it the ‘anthropocene’.

·      The future of many living organisms is now in question.

·      Species populations of vertebrate animals have decreased in abundance by 58% between 1970 and 2012.

·      The most common threat to declining animal populations is the loss and degradation of habitat.

·      Increasingly, people are victims of the deteriorating state of nature: Without action the earth will become much less hospitable to our modern globalized society.

·      Humans have already pushed four planetary systems beyond the safe limit of their safe operating space.

·      By 2012, the biocapacity equivalent of 1.6 earths was needed to

·      provide the natural resources and services humanity consumed in that year.

·      To maintain nature in all of its many forms and functions and to create an equitable home for people on a finite planet, a basic understanding must inform development strategies, economic models, business models and lifestyle choices: We have only one planet and its natural capital is limited.

·      A shared understanding of the link between humanity and nature could induce a profound change that will allow all life to thrive in the anthropocene.

Living Planet Index

The Living Planet Index (LPI) measures biodiversity by gathering population data of various vertebrate species and calculating an average change in abundance over time. The LPI can be compared to the stock market index, except that, instead of monitoring the global economy, the LPI is an important indicator of the planet’s ecological condition. The global LPI is based on scientific data from 14,152 monitored populations of 3,706 vertebrate species (mammals, birds, fishes, amphibians, reptiles) from around the world.

From 1970 to 2012 the LPI shows a 58% overall decline in vertebrate population abundance (Figure 1). Population sizes of vertebrate species have, on average, dropped by more than half in little more than 40 years. The data shows an average annual decline of 2% and there is no sign yet that this rate will decrease.

The Path Ahead

The facts and figures in the 2016 Living Planet Report tend to paint a challenging picture, yet there is still plenty of room for optimism. If we manage to undergo the critical transitions necessary, the reward will be immense. Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch. There are several countries that have managed to raise the standards of living for their populations while using resources at much less intensity than industrial countries.

Furthermore, the world is reaching a solid consensus regarding the direction we must take. In 2015, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted. And at the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015, 195 countries adopted a global agreement to combat climate change, and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future. Finally, we have never before had such an understanding of the scale of our impact on the planet, the way the key environmental systems interact or the way in which we can manage them.

Ultimately, addressing social inequality and environmental degradation will require a global paradigm shift toward living within Planetary Boundaries. We must create a new economic system that enhances and supports the natural capital upon which it relies. The speed at which we transition to a sustainable society is a key factor for determining our future. Allowing and fostering important innovations and enabling them to undergo rapid adoption in a wider

arena is critical. Sustainability and resilience will be achieved much faster if the majority of the Earth’s population understand the value and needs of our increasingly fragile Earth. A shared understanding of the link between humanity and nature could induce a profound change that will allow all life to thrive in the Anthropocene.

UN Ocean Conference June 5-9, 2017

The high-level UN Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development) was convened at UN Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, coinciding with World Oceans Day.

On June 9, 2017, the 193 Member States of the UN unanimously agreed to a set of measures that will begin the reversal of the decline of the ocean’s health. The outcome document, together with more than 1300 commitments to action, marks a breakthrough in the global approach to the management and conservation of the ocean.

The Ocean Conference, the first UN conference of its kind on the issue has raised global consciousness of ocean problems ranging from marine pollution to illegal and over fishing, from ocean acidification to lack of high seas governance. By including all stakeholders in the discussions, the Conference produced a comprehensive and actionable range of solutions.

Conference Outcomes

Recognizing that the wellbeing of present and future generations is inextricably linked to the health and productivity of the ocean, countries collectively agreed in the Call to Action ‘to act decisively and urgently, convinced that our collective action will make a meaningful difference to our people, to our planet and to our prosperity.’

While the ocean partnership dialogues focused on the multiple problems and challenges the ocean is facing, all participants offered solutions and commitments to reverse these challenges.

The Call to Action

·      Countries agreed to implement long-term and robust strategies to reduce the use of plastics and microplastics, such as plastic bags and single use plastics.

·      Countries also agreed to develop and implement effective adaptation and mitigation measures that address ocean and coastal acidification, sea-level rise and increase in ocean temperatures, and to target to the other harmful impacts of climate change on the ocean. The Call recognizes the importance of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

·      The Call for Action also includes measures to protect coastal and blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrass and coral reefs, and wider interconnected ecosystems, as well as enhancing sustainable fisheries management, including to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield.

·      Countries are called upon to decisively prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Commitments:

·      Commitments made at the Conference indicate that the world is well on track to protect over 10% of the globe’s marine areas by 2020. The commitments made during the conference add 4.4% of marine areas to the existing number.

·      Many countries announced steps to reduce or eliminate various single use plastics, such as plastic shopping bags, which ultimately find their way to the ocean.

·      Numerous countries announced that they were stepping up their efforts to reduce the amount of sewage and pollution entering the ocean from land-based activities.

·      Many commitments focused on expanding scientific knowledge about the ocean and developing and sharing innovative technologies to address ocean challenges.

·      There were new commitments to protect and manage fisheries. Some countries announced ‘no-take zones’ for certain fishing.

·      Commitments were made to establish systems that allow consumers to source sustainable fish.

·      New commitments were also made to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and to curtail fishing subsidies that are working to deplete fish stocks.