How can we fix the biodiversity emergency?
The solutions are out there
There are many ways in which we can reverse nature loss which include bolder and more ambitious conservation efforts. However, we also need transformational changes in the way we produce and consume, such as making food production and trade more efficient, reducing waste and favouring healthier and more sustainable diets.
Bending the curve to reverse nature loss
Cutting-edge modelling shows that without further efforts to counteract habitat loss and degradation, global biodiversity will continue to plummet.
However, it also shows that we can 'bend the curve' of this unwelcome trend, and begin to stabilise and reverse the loss of nature so that there is more nature in the world than there is now.
It requires more conservation efforts, more sustainable production and more sustainable consumption.
None of these actions alone are enough. Only when all three actions are taken together will we see the reversal of nature loss at the speed we need.
Enforcing the global right to a healthy environment
In 2021 the United Nations recognised that everyone, everywhere has the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This is no longer an option for those in power but an obligation. Costa Rica added the right to a healthy environment to its constitution in 1994. Renewables now deliver 99% of its electricity; laws ban open pit mining and oil and gas development; and carbon taxes pay Indigenous Peoples and farmers to restore forests, which have since doubled in size.
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Removing dams to restore nature to rivers
WWF is a driving force behind the removal of dams in Europe. More than 6,000 obsolete dams have been removed to bring life back to rivers. Blocking rivers is one of the primary causes of collapse of freshwater species populations and removing dams is a proven solution. Despite the war, WWF-Ukraine has recently removed an obsolete dam. Restoring the river will bring back endangered species and iconic predators like the brown bear and otter as well as build resilient ecosystems.
How to make technology work for the planet
Ever since the agricultural revolution, we have been designing increasingly clever ways to strip the world of its natural resources – usually ways that pollute, deplete and degrade the ecosystems we rely on.
But today, we’re using tech around the world to repair some of the damage – with amazing results.The wonder of whales for climate and biodiversity
Whales are essential to a healthy ocean and planet and are an example of how the many different parts of the natural world are interlinked.
Whales play a critical role in maintaining ocean health, fertilizing marine ecosystems they move through and support the marine life inhabiting them. Their iron-rich fecal plumes help boost phytoplankton production, tiny plant life that plays an important role in our ocean - capturing about 40% of all carbon dioxide produced and generates over half of the atmosphere’s oxygen.
Over its lifetime, one whale captures the same amount of carbon as thousands of trees. Yet whales encounter multiple and growing threats from humans in their critical ocean habitats. Threats include entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships due to noise pollution and the impact of climate change on prey populations which makes it harder for whales to find food. Eight million tonnes of plastic are entering the sea every year and research shows whales near large cities ingest around three million microplastics per day.
Recently, WWF, University of California Santa Cruz, Oregon State University, University of Southampton and other researchers used 30 years of scientific data to visualize the satellite tracks of more than 1,000 migratory whales worldwide, providing the first comprehensive look at whale migrations and the threats they face across all oceans.
As the threats to whales evolve, our conservation approach must evolve with them across their entire range. Protecting whale superhighways will help whales and many other marine species thrive, restore ocean ecosystems and build resilience to climate change.
Working with nature to benefit people, biodiversity and climate
A major ally when tackling climate change and biodiversity loss is nature itself.
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.
COP15: Where global leaders can act against biodiversity loss
World leaders have a vitally important opportunity to reverse nature loss and secure a nature-positive world that will benefit people and the planet. In December 2022 at the UN biodiversity conference (COP 15), key decision-makers will determine global efforts for biodiversity for the coming decade. WWF is urging countries to step up ambition and deliver a comprehensive and science-based plan for nature that is ready to be put into practice immediately.
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Age of Change
In the face of a planetary crisis, we can only achieve meaningful change if we work collaboratively and act globally. The Age of Change series showcases some of the organisations and innovators who are driving that change to create a future where we exist in harmony with nature.
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A million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. Discover the main drivers behind biodiversity loss
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Balancing the consumption of animal-sourced foods without risking the future of life on Earth
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