Tuesday 9 July 2002

"In other words," declared Jonathan Loh, the report's author, "humanity now exceeds the planet's capacity to sustain its consumption of renewable resources."

The report is based on WWF's Living Planet Index, which tracks trends in populations of hundreds of species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. It reveals that since 1970, populations of the world's forest species declined by some 15 per cent, marine species populations by 35 per cent and freshwater species populations by a particularly alarming 54 per cent.

Published just weeks before political leaders gather in Johannesburg for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the report is "the clearest wake-up call there could possibly be", said Dr Claude Martin, International Director General of WWF. "The fact that we live on a bountiful planet, but not a limitless one, presents world leaders with a clear challenge. If we do nothing to reverse the trends revealed in the report, standards of living and human development will start to plummet throughout the world by 2030."

According to the report, the Earth has around 11.4 billion hectares of productive land and sea space, which works out at 1.9 hectares of land for each of the six billion people on the planet. But our consumption of natural resources - our "ecological footprint" - is 2.3 hectares per person.

But that figure is a global average. Broken down further, the report shows that people in the West are consuming resources at an unsustainable level. In 1999, the average western European consumed five hectares, and the average north American 9.6 hectares - whereas the average Asian and African consumed less than 1.4 hectares.

"It's very unlikely that the Earth will be able to run an overdraft of this magnitude for another 50 years without some severe ecological backlash undermining future population and economic growth," Jonathan Loh warned. But, he said, we "needn't head into the abyss. Negative trends can be reversed, if we make changes now."

What's to be done?
So what's to be done? According to the Living Planet Report, it's up to government, business and industry, and each of us to:

• adapt the production systems that provide us with food, energy, raw materials and water, so that they use resources more efficiently;
• consume our natural resources more carefully and efficiently;
• minimise consumer waste and maximise recycling;
• eliminate the use of toxic chemicals;
• close the gap in consumption between rich and developing countries;
• provide health care and birth control facilities for all; and
• protect, manage and restore the natural ecosystems (such as croplands, forests, grasslands and river basins) upon which we and future generations depend.

Of pressing importance is for governments to move energy supplies away from fossil fuels - oil, gas and coal - and promote energy-efficient technologies, buildings and transport systems. At the same time, we must more and more ensure that the polluter pays the full environmental costs of food, materials, water and energy.

Another major step towards sustainability would be setting up international trade agreements that give poorer countries fair access to markets in high-income countries. And sustainably-produced goods and services should be regulated by stringent environmental standards and certification for food, materials and energy.

"If we carry on as normal and do nothing," predicts Jonathan Loh, "the Earth will not be able to sustain human life as we currently live it. On the other hand, we can act now and totally embrace the path to sustainable living. The World Summit on Sustainable Development is a magnificent opportunity - perhaps the last opportunity - to set us on that path."