The Living Planet Report, WWF’s flagship publication released every two years, is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet.

The 14th edition of the report features its biggest dataset yet through the Living Planet Index (LPI) provided by the Zoological Society of London. It shows an average 69% drop in monitored vertebrate wildlife populations between 1970 and 2018.

During this period, wildlife populations in Europe and Central Asia have declined by 18%, continuing a longstanding, negative trend with much biodiversity already depleted by the LPI’s 1970 baseline year. 

Europe has one of the world’s lowest levels of biodiversity intactness. If we are to reverse nature loss and secure a nature-positive world for people and the planet, urgent action is required.

WWF calls on leaders to deliver ambitious agreements capable of reversing biodiversity loss to secure a nature-positive world this decade.

Bringing nature back to Europe will be critical. In June 2022, the European Commission presented its proposal for a new EU law which aims to drive the restoration of ecosystems at land and at sea, and to contribute to the EU’s objectives concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The European Parliament and EU Member States must adopt an ambitious Nature Restoration Law which will drive large-scale restoration

WWF is calling for a comprehensive framework agreement for nature and people, which must galvanize action to protect and restore biodiversity.

At EU level, we need:

- Full endorsement and implementation of the Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission, obliging EU Member States to restore at least 20 % of Europe’s land and sea by 2030.

- The timely adoption of a strong new EU law on deforestation to curb the EU’s global footprint on forests around the world.

- Full implementation and enforcement of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and the Water Framework Directive.

- A timely adoption of the EU’s Fit for 55 climate package to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
 

At WWF, we envision a world in which people and nature thrive – but we’ll only get there if we all play a role and we work together.

Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable; and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

At EU level, WWF advocates on the EU level for a more sustainable future for people and planet helps shape EU policies that impact on the European and global environment. The EU is responsible for approximately 80% of environmental laws in the member states and for policies such as agriculture, fisheries, regional aid, climate and energy, trade and development cooperation.