WWF: Canadians must choose environment and economy for strong future
WWF’s Living Planet Report, launched today from the International Space Station, calls for greater economic value to be placed on natural capital. As a resource-based economy, Canada will benefit from securing long-term economic and ecosystem health by valuing the goods and services provided by nature. We must also reduce our ecological debt by limiting demand on the planet’s resources. This forward-looking approach will ensure that the burdens of a damaged environment and economy are not passed on to future generations.
The Living Planet Report reveals that Canadians are using approximately 3.5 times their share of the Earth’s annual productivity, part of a global trend of increasing demand for resources by a growing population. This trend is putting tremendous pressures on our planet’s biodiversity and is threatening our future security, health and well-being. The correlated decline in biodiversity threatens not only the balance of our ecosystems, but economic opportunities.
Key Findings
- Biodiversity has declined globally by around 30 per cent between 1970 and 2008; by 60 per cent in the tropics
- Demand on natural resources has doubled since 1966 – we are currently using the equivalent of 1.5 planets to support our activities
- High-income countries have a footprint five times greater than that of low-income countries
- “Business as usual” projections estimate that we will need the equivalent of two planets by 2030 to meet our annual demands
- Canada has the 8th highest ecological footprint per capital of the 130 countries included, behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, United States of America, Belgium, and Australia
Quotes
“We only have one Earth. From up here I can see humanity’s footprint, including forest fires, air pollution and erosion – challenges which are reflected in this edition of the Living Planet Report. While there are unsustainable pressures on the planet, we have the ability to save our home, not only for our benefit, but, above all, for generations to come.
– Dutch astronaut André Kuipers from the International Space Station on his European Space Agency mission
“We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal. We are using 50 per cent more resources that the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast – by 2030 even two planets will not be enough.”
– Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International
“Canadians are blessed with vast natural resources, but without better stewardship and reduced demand on our planet, these will be lost for future generations. As a resource rich country with a resource-based economy, Canada has an important opportunity to protect our environmental and economic future by valuing the natural capital that is fundamental to Canada’s economy and identity.”
– Gerald Butts, President and CEO of WWF-Canada
About the Living Planet Report
The Living Planet Report uses the global Living Planet Index to measure changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems by tracking 9,000 populations of more than 2,600 species. The global Index shows almost a 30 per cent decrease since 1970, with the tropics the hardest hit – where there has been a 60 per cent decline in less than 40 years. Just as biodiversity is on a downward trend, the Earth’s Ecological Footprint, one of the other key indicators used in the report, illustrates how our demand on natural resources has become unsustainable.
The Living Planet Report outlines a number of solutions needed to reverse the declining Living Planet Index and bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits. These are set out as 16 priority actions, and include improved consumption patterns, putting an economic value on natural capital, and creating legal and policy frameworks that manage equitable access to food, water and energy.
The report is launched just five weeks before nations, businesses and civil society gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 ). Twenty years on from the last Earth summit, this meeting is a key opportunity for global leaders to reconfirm their commitment to creating a sustainable future.
To view the full report or the report summary, please visit wwf.ca/lpr.
For more information, please contact:
Riannon John
[email protected]
416-347-1894
About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. www.wwf.ca
About ZSL
Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. ZSL runs ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, carries out scientific research in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation in over 50 countries worldwide. www.zsl.org
About GFN
The Global Footprint Network promotes a sustainable economy by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a tool that makes sustainability measurable. Together with its partners, the network coordinates research, develops methodological standards and provides decision makers with robust resource accounts to help the human economy operate within the Earth’s ecological limits. www.footprintnetwork.org
About ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is an international organization with 19 member states. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. The Agency’s various programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our solar system and the universe. www.esa.int
