unsustainable human activity
is pushing the planet’s
natural systems
that support life on Earth
to the edge
in 2020 the international community
did not fully achieve
any of the 20 Aichi
biodiversity targets
agreed in Japan in 2010
to slow the loss of the natural world
along with missed targets
$500bn (£388bn) in government subsidies
is still being invested
in environmentally damaging
agriculture, fossil fuels and fishing
the UN's global biodiversity outlook 5
reported that more than
60% of the world’s coral reefs
are under threat
because of overfishing
and destructive practices
the living planet index (LPI)
tracks almost 21,000 populations
of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles
and amphibians around the world
the 2020 LPI show
an average 68% fall
in almost 21,000 wildlife populations
between 1970 and 2016
a two-thirds decline
in less than half a century
due in large part
to the very same
environmental destruction
which is contributing
to the emergence
of zoonotic diseases
such as COVID-19
1 in 5 plants are threatened with extinction
the current rate of plant extinction
is twice that of mammals
birds and amphibians combined
since 1970 the average decline
in freshwater population size
is 84%
the starkest population decline
in any biome
equivalent to 4% per year
why are we losing nature?
we are the cause
overconsumption
overexploitation
pollution
changing land use
for food production
is the biggest driver
of nature loss
about 50% of the world’s
habitable land area
is already used for agriculture
for livestock such as cattle and pigs
and for crops that feed
both people and livestock
if we continue to destroy the natural world
we will see more outbreaks like COVID-19
and the next pandemic
could be even more deadly and costly
business-as-usual will result
in even more steep population declines
we need nature
nature is a solution
nature can help
to address climate change
directly
or to reduce vulnerability
to the negative impacts
of climate change
Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is published by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The Living Planet Index (LPI) is provided by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) - Living Planet Report 2020
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