The latest Living Planet Report was published by the WWF today with the headline statement being that population sizes of wildlife fell an average of 60% globally since 1970.
This figure has lead the WWF to declare that current efforts to protect nature are failing and are not ambitious enough to match the scale of the threat the planet is facing.
The report also predicts that if current rates of impact continue only one-tenth of the earth’s surface will be free from human impact by 2050.
Tanya Steele, Chief Executive at WWF said:
“We are the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last one that can do anything about it. Our wanton destruction of nature, coupled with the brutal chaos of climate change, is the biggest threat to humanity. The collapse of global wildlife populations is a warning sign that nature is dying. But instead of putting the world on life support, we’re using a sticking plaster.”
The report also highlighted the huge value nature provides to the global economy, estimated to be around US$125 trillion a year.
The full Living Planet Report (2018) can be viewed here…
As the report mentions we need to be more ambitious in our efforts to match the scale of the threat and a key to this is to ensure net-gains for biodiversity on all new development sites in the UK. Environment Bank help ensure this is achievable by brokering conservation credits for use on biodiversity offsetting schemes.
Rob joined the Environment Bank team in 2018 and works on biological impact assessments, offset site searches and delivery. Rob also has experience in botanical surveying and in creating habitat management plans which he helps to monitor and advise on for Environment Bank’s offset sites.
Rob has over 6 years experience working as an ecological consultant in the private sector.