Living Planet Report 2020

The Living Planet Report 2020 documents a severe global decline in wildlife populations and ecosystems, highlighting the interconnectedness of nature and human health. It identifies land-use change, overexploitation, and climate change as primary drivers of biodiversity loss and proposes a roadmap to 'bend the curve' of this decline through integrated conservation and food system reform.

• The 2020 global Living Planet Index (LPI) indicates an average 68% decrease in the population sizes of monitored vertebrate species—including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish—between 1970 and 2016.
• The most significant regional decline recorded in the LPI is in the tropical subregions of the Americas, which saw a 94% decrease.
• Human activity has significantly altered 75% of the Earth's ice-free land surface, and more than 85% of the area of wetlands has been lost.
• Humanity is currently overusing the Earth's biocapacity by at least 56%, meaning the human enterprise demands 1.56 times the amount the planet can regenerate.
• Land-use change, specifically the conversion of native habitats into agricultural systems, is the primary direct driver of biodiversity loss in terrestrial systems.
• Freshwater species are experiencing steep declines, with the Freshwater Living Planet Index showing an average decline of 84% since 1970, with megafauna (species over 30kg) being particularly vulnerable.
• Plant diversity is in serious decline; approximately 22% of sampled plant species are threatened with extinction, and documented plant extinctions are twice as high as those for mammals, birds, and amphibians combined.
• Terrestrial insect populations are declining, with a mean global loss of 8.8% per decade since 1925, although freshwater insects have shown a mean increase of 11.3% per decade.
• The global stock of natural capital per person has declined by nearly 40% since the early 1990s, while produced capital has doubled and human capital has increased by 13%.
• Agriculture is a major driver of environmental degradation, responsible for 80% of global deforestation, 70% of freshwater use, and 70% of terrestrial biodiversity loss.
• Approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, contributing to at least 6% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
• The 'Bending the Curve' modelling indicates that while increased conservation is the most effective single action to limit future losses, it must be combined with sustainable production and consumption to avoid increasing food prices and to reverse biodiversity trends by 2030.
• Only 25% of terrestrial Earth is considered 'wilderness' (areas with no human footprint), with the majority of these remaining areas located in Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.
• Marine ecosystems are under pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change; only 13% of the ocean area is considered wilderness.

APA

WWF International (2020). Living Planet Report 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/167/279c656a32_ENGLISH_FULL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Living Planet Report 2020. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/167/279c656a32_ENGLISH_FULL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Living Planet Report 2020 |date=2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/167/279c656a32_ENGLISH_FULL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020living, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Living Planet Report 2020}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/167/279c656a32_ENGLISH_FULL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }