Living Planet Report 2002

The Living Planet Report is WWF’s periodic update on the state of the world’s ecosystems - as measured by the Living Planet Index - and the human pressures on them through the consumption of renewable natural resources - as measured by the Ecological Footprint. There is a cause-effect linkage between the two measures.The Living Planet Index (LPI) is derived from trends over the past 30 years in populations of hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish and is the average of three ecosystem-based indices. Over the 30 year period between 1970 and 2000:The forest species population index declined by about 15%the marine species population index fell by about 35%the freshwater species population index dropped 55%As such the LPI declined by 35% over that period, a very rapid loss of biodiversity comparable with only five or six mass extinction events in the Earth’s history.The Ecological Footprint (EF) is a measure of the consumption of renewable natural resources by a human population, as measured by the total area of productive land or sea required to supply its needs and compared with the biologically productive capacity of the land and sea available to that population.While the EF of the average African or Asian consumer was less than 1.4 hectares per person in 1999, the average Western European’s footprint was about 5.0 hectares, and the average North American’s was about 9.6 hectares.The EF of the world average consumer in 1999 was 2.3 hectares per person, or 20% above the earth’s biological capacity of 1.90 hectares per person. Furthermore current trends are moving humanity away from achieving sustainability, not towards it. The global ecological footprint has grown from about 70% of the planet’s biological capacity in 1961 to about 120% in 1999 and is likely to grow to about 180% to 220% by the year 2050.If we are to return to a sustainable development pathway, the report outlines 4 required changes: First, it is necessary to improve the resource-efficiency with which goods and services are produced. Second, we must consume resources more efficiently, and redress the disparity in consumption between high and low income countries. Third, population growth must be controlled through promoting universal education and health care. Finally, it is imperative that we protect, manage and restore natural ecosystems in order to conserve biodiversity and maintain ecological services, and so conserve and enhance the planet’s biological productivity, for the benefit of present and future generations.