Global biodiversity in crisis: wildlife populations plummet 73%

The Living Planet Report 2024 tracks population sizes of 5,495 vertebrate species, highlighting some stark declines.

The report highlights the need for governments and organisations to consider ecological factors when it comes to planning and delivering strategies. Biodiversity sustains human life and activity, yet between 1970 and 2020, the average size of monitored wildlife populations has shrunk by a staggering 73 per cent.

The Living Planet Index (LPI) is based on almost 35,000 population trends. The most significant impacts were suffered by freshwater populations, which saw an 85 per cent decline, terrestrial populations which fell 69 per cent, and marine populations which fell 56 per cent.  

The tipping point

The LPI indicates severe global tipping points are approaching, including:

• The mass death of coral reefs, destroying fisheries and storm protection for millions living in coastal regions.
• The Amazon Rainforest tipping point would release tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.
• The collapse of subpolar gyre, a circular current south of Greenland, which would drastically impact European and North American weather patterns.
• The melting of Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets contributing to sea level rises and large scale permafrost thawing which will trigger carbon and methane emissions.

The report’s key findings

Focussing on the key impact areas outlined by the report, the steepest declines in wildlife populations have occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a 95 per cent decline. Africa saw population declines of 76 per cent, and the Asia-Pacific region hit declines of 60 per cent.

The biggest threat to wildlife populations is currently food systems. As the human population expands, soaring food demand is causing excessive strain on animal populations used to service this need. At present, food production uses 40 per cent of all habitable land and accounts for 70 per cent of all water use, and 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In spite of this, a reported 735 million people go to bed hungry each night.

Refining the way habitats are used to service food demand is a key area of policy focus. Today, 30 – 40 per cent of all food produced is wasted and never eaten, accounting for one-fifth of agricultural land and water use, and 4.4 per cent of global emissions. What’s more, the hidden costs of ill-health and environmental degradation in the food system is estimated at around USD $10-15 trillion annually, or 12 per cent of global GDP in 2020.  

Food systems as a threat to wildlife are closely followed by overexploitation of wildlife for materials and goods, and invasive species and disease, the frequency of which occur at higher rates as global temperatures rise.

While global policies to protect wildlife and key habitats do exist, not enough is being done to guarantee protection. Currently, protected areas focused on conservation efforts cover just 16 per cent of the planet’s land and 8 per cent of its oceans. As an example of the scale at which these policies need to be expanded, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for 30 per cent of lands, waters and sea to be protected by 2030, with another target aiming to restore 30 per cent of degraded areas by the same deadline.

Finance and energy systems

Abiding by the Paris Agreement is integral to abating global warming and emissions which negatively impact wildlife and populations. A greener energy transformation is a key tool for delivering this.

In the last decade, global renewable energy capacity has doubled while costs for key technologies have fallen by as much as 85 per cent, emphasising the opportunity for delivery. At current rates, global renewable energy capacity must triple by 2030, with energy efficiency and the modernisation of energy grids needed to support this growth. However, habitats and wildlife need to be considered in this growth trajectory. If not managed properly, hydropower could fracture water systems, bioenergy could drive excessive land use, and the development of transmission lines and grid connections could disrupt land, freshwater and ocean systems.  

This change doesn’t occur without cost. Globally, 55 per cent of GDP is moderately to highly reliant on nature and its services, yet biodiversity and ecological policy is notably absent from global net zero policies. Money needs to be directed away from climate-damaging activities and used to support sustainable development projects with wildlife included in its plans, such as the UK’s biodiversity net gain regulation for developers.

Rolling out strategies with a focus on wildlife and ecosystems calls for a significant shift in policy angling and financing. Without significant emphasis on the living planet in our policy, we risk losing the wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems our livelihood depends on.

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