Living Planet Report 2026

The Living Planet Report 2026 highlights a 73% average decline in monitored vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2022, while emphasizing that targeted conservation has successfully recovered species like tigers and green sea turtles. It identifies the energy, food, and financial systems as the primary drivers of nature loss and argues that while the energy transition has reached an 'accelerating' phase, the food and finance systems remain in an 'enabling' phase. The report calls for a whole-of-society approach, including the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and the redirection of trillions in harmful subsidies, to trigger positive tipping points by 2030.

• The Living Planet Index (LPI) indicates a severe decline in global biodiversity, with monitored vertebrate populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians decreasing by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2022.
• Targeted, long-term conservation efforts have led to the recovery of several iconic species: wild tiger populations grew by over 70% between 2010 and 2025, and the green sea turtle was downlisted from Endangered to Least Concern in 2025.
• Three global systems are identified as the primary drivers of nature loss: the energy system (responsible for roughly three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions), the food system (the largest cause of habitat loss and degradation), and the financial system.
• The global financial system heavily favors activities that harm nature; in 2023, approximately US$7.3 trillion was invested in nature-harming activities, compared to only US$220 billion for protection or restoration.
• The energy transition has passed a 'positive tipping point' and is now in an acceleration phase, evidenced by solar power becoming the cheapest electricity source in most countries and electric vehicles making up over 25% of global new car sales in 2024.
• The food and financial systems are currently in the 'enabling phase' of transformation. To reach a tipping point by 2030, the report suggests closing a biodiversity finance gap of around US$1.3 trillion annually and repurposing US$470 billion in harmful agricultural subsidies and US$7 trillion in fossil fuel supports.
• Conservation and systemic transformation are more effective when Indigenous Peoples and local communities have legal recognition and authority, as forest loss is significantly lower in Indigenous-managed territories.

APA

Barrett, M., Broekhoven, G., Chapman, S., Cooper, D., Deinet, S., Deutz, A., Freeman, R., Gaupp, F., Glaser, S., Loken, B., Madden, C., Maharaj, V., Marconi, V., McRae, L., Naidoo, R., Powell, T., Roberts, J., Schuijt, K., Shaw, M. R., ... Vacherand, E. (2026). Living Planet Report 2026. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2695/2026.LPR.Exec_Summary.9.23.26.pdf

Chicago

Barrett, Mike, Guido Broekhoven, Stuart Chapman, Dean Cooper, Stefanie Deinet, Andrew Deutz, Robin Freeman, et al. Living Planet Report 2026. WWF International, 2026. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2695/2026.LPR.Exec_Summary.9.23.26.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{barrett2026living, author = {Barrett, Mike and Broekhoven, Guido and Chapman, Stuart and Cooper, Dean and Deinet, Stefanie and Deutz, Andrew and Freeman, Robin and Gaupp, Franziska and Glaser, Sarah and Loken, Brent and Madden, Christine and Maharaj, Vishwanie and Marconi, Valentina and McRae, Louise and Naidoo, Robin and Powell, Tom and Roberts, Jennifer and Schuijt, Kirsten and Shaw, M. Rebecca and Smith, Steven R. and Vacherand, Elisa}, title = {{Living Planet Report 2026}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2695/2026.LPR.Exec_Summary.9.23.26.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }