The world is moving the 'wrong way' on this vital issue: Planet report
The most recent Living Planet Report showed a 39 per cent drop in the average size of North America's monitored vertebrate wildlife populations, with habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, disease and climate change among the most impactful drivers of biodiversity erosion
The latest report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) paints a grim picture of the global's ecosystems and where they are headed, with a call to action for more conservation efforts to stave off further loss of our biodiversity.
According to the 2024 Living Planet Report, there has been an average decline of 73 per cent of monitored vertebrate wildlife populations across the world in 50 years (1970–2020). In North America, the median drop was reported at 39 per cent. Habitat degradation and loss is cited as the most reported threat in each region.
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The examination takes into account 35,000 population trends and 5,495 amphibian, bird, fish, mammal and reptile species from 1970 to 2020. The analysis also shines a spotlight on the connection between biodiversity loss and climate change, offering recommendations that restoring natural ecosystems can mitigate both calamities.
Monarch butterfly. (Letian D/ 500px/ Getty Images)
"The Living Planet Report is that know that next piece of evidence that shows just really how clearly we are seeing the decline of biodiversity, characterized by some as a mass extinction event, certainly in terms of the pace and scale of [the] loss of biodiversity around the world," said James Snider, vice-president of science, knowledge and innovation at WWF-Canada, in a recent interview with The Weather Network.
"The Living Planet Report, certainly this most recent version of it, is another piece of evidence to show that the trend is moving in the wrong direction. Certainly, urgent action is required to stop the loss of biodiversity and reverse that trend in terms of the recovery of wildlife populations and our natural ecosystems around the world."
Canada sees drop in populations of threatened species
While the 2024 examination didn't specify any Canadian tendencies, "we're not able to escape these trends," Snider said.
The 2020 edition of the Living Planet Report Canada (LPRC) mentioned species that are of global conservation concern--listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List––saw a 42 per cent reduction in Canada, on average, from 1970 to 2016.
Snider wasn't surprised by the results of the newest Living Planet Report as the scientific evidence is "clear," he said.
Vancouver Island marmot. (Tony LePrieur/Getty Images/2174544643-170667a)
"There's a mountain of science to show the trajectory of wildlife populations, of biodiversity at large and the loss of our ecosystems," said Snider. "Now the question is...is taking the necessary steps at a commensurate scale [enough] to respond to that crisis?"
He said North America's reduction in observed wildlife populations is "consistent with trends" around the world, with the same drivers of biodiversity loss.
"So, we do know very clearly what the drivers of biodiversity loss are, and now [it is about] implementing the necessary interventions to stop that loss and to ensure broad-scale restoration [and] recovery of our natural ecosystems," said Snider.
Grizzly bear. (Warren Howes/Submitted to The Weather Network)
Perhaps "most troublesome to me" is the species of global concern that are recognized as being red-listed by the IUCN, the WWF-Canada conservation biologist said.
What Canada is doing well on so far
While it looks dire, there are some reasons to be optimistic about Canada's biodiversity.
The 2020 version of the LPRC found the populations of species that have been earmarked by broad-scale conservation actions have risen by 40 per cent on average in the same time frame (1970–2016). The next edition of LPRC is due for release in 2025.
Snowy owl. (pchoui/Getty Images/1126023387-170667a)
Another reason to be optimistic is the federal government's commitment to protecting 30 per cent of the country's terrestrial lands and waters, and restoring 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems by 2030 in its 30-by-30 initiative.
"I have great optimism in terms of Canada's leadership role in bringing forward the scale of programming to deliver the necessary steps to reverse the decline of wildlife," said Snider.
As well, it's not just the progress made that is positive, but also "how we are doing it," Snider said. The government has brought forward a rights-based approach that supports and prioritizes Indigenous Peoples, with respect to self-governance and self-determination through "the lens" of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA).
Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area. (Connor O'Donovan/The Weather Network)
"To me, that is absolutely an international example of Canada bringing forward leadership on an international stage, and where I believe we can do so, as well. In terms of broad-scale restoration, Canada has made commitments in terms of restoration of 30 per cent of degraded lands by 2030," said Snider.
"There really is an opportunity, including in the southern parts of our country, where there is a history of human development over the last century, that there are opportunities to bring back these natural ecosystems by bringing forward restoration efforts and wetlands, grasslands and forests, commensurate in parallel to what we're doing."
What will it take to reverse biodiversity loss?
The resulting biodiversity losses have prompted a need for a whole-of-society approach, including government policies, industry actions, and individual efforts like planting native plants, Snider said.
Amazon rainforest wildfires in Brazil. (Jacqueline Lisboa/WWF-Brazil)
"There's a central role of government in terms of the policies and programs that we support, as well as the role of public finance in terms of bringing the financial resources to the table to see those programs implemented," said Snider.
While there is a pivotal role that governments and conservation groups play, Snider acknowledged there are things the individual can do in their own neighbourhood to help increase our biodiversity.
"It can start with on-the-ground activities, in terms of our balconies and our backyards, but it's also about getting engaged in your local community, looking for opportunities to volunteer, and being part of collective action in our natural spaces," said Snider.
That can include activities such as removing invasive species at your nearby park or in the "small decisions that you make every day in terms of what you buy, how you buy [and] what you recycle," Snider said.
(Spwidoff/Getty Images/158174289-170667a)
"Furthermore, make sure that people know the protection of nature and recovery of biodiversity is a priority to you. You bring that forward in terms of how you vote, you bring that forward in terms of the information that you share across your social media and beyond," said Snider.
Climate change link to biodiversity loss
The loss of biodiversity across the globe "underscores how closely linked" it is to the climate change crisis we're in the midst of, Snider said. Many of the same drivers of the biodiversity drop are also the primary factors contributing to climate change.
Another contribution Canada is making to improving the future of the planet is a new, US$1.48-billion (C$2.07 billion) blended finance platform called GAIA, announced at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP29 summit, in November 2024. It will organize climate-centred investments for the world's vulnerable regions most impacted by extreme weather.
Wildfire in Hope, B.C, in September 2022. (Mitch Miller Miller/Submitted to The Weather Network)
"There is an opportunity, through the protection of nature and through the restoration of our natural ecosystems, to be actively fighting climate change in terms of the emissions that nature can actually store out of the atmosphere," said Snider.