World must seize shrinking window to save nature as wildlife decline continues, warns major WWF report

• While average monitored wildlife populations showed a continued decline of 73%, WWF says nature’s recovery remains within reach
• Recovery of tigers, turtles, tuna and elephants demonstrate that it is still possible to reverse the global loss of nature when action is taken
• But to do so ‘positive tipping points’ must be triggered - one is already underway in energy, how food is produced must be next
• Recent extreme weather shows nature loss is sending us the bill through higher costs, greater insecurity and growing risks to food, water and economic stability

The world must seize a shrinking window to reverse the steep decline of wildlife and nature by seeking to trigger positive tipping points in food and finance, following the path of the one already underway in energy, a major new report from WWF warns today.

Using more wildlife population data than ever before to provide the most detailed picture yet, the Living Planet Report 2026 shows that monitored vertebrate wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970, highlighting the devastating impacts that habitat loss, overexploitation and climate change are having on species around the world.

The decline was most pronounced in Latin America at -95% and in freshwater populations at -85%, showing the impact of deforestation and the diverting, drying and pollution of rivers. The figures are drawn from the Living Planet Index, compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the most comprehensive measure of wildlife populations, and reinforce other indicators on nature loss.

Nature loss is not only an environmental challenge but an economic and societal one, with half of global GDP dependent on nature in some way. Earlier this year, the UK Government published the summary of a national security assessment on global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse which found that every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse, threatening UK national security and prosperity. This was underscored by the extreme heat that affected the UK and Europe over the summer, causing wildfires and shrivelling crops. This year’s UK harvest is estimated to be the worst on record.

Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF-UK, said: “Nature loss is not just a crisis for wildlife. It's already sending us the bill through growing risks to our food security, water supplies, economy and resilience to climate shocks. The extreme weather we've seen this summer is a stark reminder of what's at stake.

“We stand at a fork in the road: either we continue paying the rising price of nature loss, or we invest in nature's recovery and a future where people and wildlife can thrive together.

“The window to secure that future is closing fast, but successful conservation efforts from tuna to tigers show that we can succeed. Governments, businesses and communities must pull together to drive the transformations we need to see in food, energy and finance to bring our world back to life.”

The WWF report also finds that nature can recover faster than we think. Subtitled 'The Science of Hope', it highlights examples of wildlife and ecosystems already recovering, from Atlantic bluefin tuna returning to UK waters, to recovering tiger populations in parts of Asia. Working alongside local communities to drive conservation has also helped lead to recoveries in green sea turtle and southern African elephant populations. 

But these successes remain fragile and the challenge is no longer identifying solutions but delivering them at the speed and scale needed. While conservation is working, it cannot succeed alone. Global recovery depends on ending the activities that drive the destruction of nature.

A positive tipping point can already be seen underway in the energy system, where the falling price of solar, wind and battery power is driving sweeping changes away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy and electrification around the world, including in China and India. Having passed the tipping point, the transition to renewable energy looks unstoppable, but the report argues that the exponential growth of solar power was not inevitable – it was brought about by deliberate policy and investment and can and must continue to be encouraged to move faster.

The next set of positive tipping points that must be triggered in order to halt the loss of nature and wildlife are in how food is produced. Many of the items on UK supermarket shelves are helping to drive climate change and nature loss overseas, for example through soybeans grown in formerly wild areas of Brazil and Argentina used to feed British chickens – the numbers of which have tripled over the last 50 years.

At a moment when climate change is undermining farming and food security in the UK and beyond through extreme and unpredictable weather, the case for switching to nature-positive production and more sustainable diets that require less land at home and overseas is becoming ever-stronger, but the pace of change lags years behind the energy system.  The report points to national food strategies and the overhaul of agricultural subsidies as the main policy interventions that can help accelerate the way food is produced into a more nature-friendly state.

While the finance system is still in the early stages of building toward a tipping point, the sector needs to work rapidly towards shifting finance away from unsustainable investments that drive nature loss, valuing nature and climate as material risks and creating regulatory certainty.

WWF is calling on leaders to make nature recovery a priority by scaling proven solutions that work through five key actions:

• Expanding clean, affordable energy;
• Supporting nature-friendly farming;
• Requiring credible climate and nature transition plans from major businesses;
• Ensuring products on UK supermarket shelves are not linked to deforestation and habitat loss;
• Directing investments towards activities that restore nature rather than drive its decline.

The Living Planet Index includes 35,803 population trends of 5,790 vertebrate species from 1970-2022. The steepest declines in monitored wildlife populations were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (-95%), followed by Africa (-80%) and Asia–Pacific (-49%).  The strongest decline is in freshwater ecosystems (-85%), followed by terrestrial (-69%) and then marine (-59%).

Habitat loss and degradation, driven by the expansion of agriculture to produce food, is the most frequently reported driver of biodiversity loss, followed by overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease. 

Dr Louise McRae at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, who leads the research behind the Living Planet Index, said: “This year's Living Planet Index shows the need for rapid action to address the continued decline in biodiversity. However, behind every global statistic is evidence of wildlife populations rebounding and habitats recovering, driven by people working together to reverse biodiversity loss.

"As the extreme weather of recent months reminds us, our wellbeing is intrinsically linked to the health of the planet. Access to affordable food, economic security and resilience to climate-related risks here in the UK all depend on thriving wildlife at home and across the globe, and on functioning ecosystems that can adapt to change. Through immediate and coordinated action across all sectors of society, nature can recover.”

Dr Steve Smith from Exeter University said: “For years the Living Planet Index has recorded nature’s decline, but this report also shows how quickly recovery can happen. Tigers, green turtles, and bluefin tuna have gone from being the unwanted poster children of overhunting and overfishing to being among the greatest recovery stories of our time, within a single generation, because governments, businesses and the public all pulled in the same direction at once. The same positive tipping points can transform our energy, food and finance systems. Just as solar power went from niche to dominant in a generation, nature’s decline is not inevitable. It’s the sum of our choices, and these choices can tip.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Click here to read the Living Planet Report 2026 
• The Living Planet Index shows an average 73% decline in monitored vertebrate wildlife populations (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish). The percentage change in the index reflects the cumulative average proportional change in monitored animal population sizes at sites around the world since 1970, not the number of individual animals lost, nor the number of populations lost.
• The LPR 2026 is the 16th edition of WWF's biennial flagship publication. The full report and summary versions of the report are available as well as B-roll and images
• Successive iterations of the LPI are not directly comparable as they contain different sets of species (967 more populations and 295 more species have been added to the dataset since 2024) and cover a longer period each time. As each edition build in more data, it increases the accuracy of and confidence in the findings. It is also important to note the significance of the 1970 baseline for the various regions monitored. In both Europe and North America large scale impacts on nature were already apparent before the start of the index in 1970, explaining why there is less of a negative trend. North America registered an average decline of -28%, while Europe and Central Asia registered a decline of -23%. The steepest declines in monitored wildlife populations recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (-95%), Africa (-80%) and Asia–Pacific (-49%).  The strongest decline of species is in freshwater ecosystems (-85%), followed by terrestrial (-69%) and then marine (-59%).
• 35,803 population trends and 5,790 species are included in the dataset behind the global Living Planet Index (LPI). This data is collected from monitoring sites around the world and include populations that are increasing, decreasing, or stable over time. Although the overall global trend is negative, around half (50%) of the populations included in the LPI are stable (7%) or increasing (43%). The magnitude of the declining trends, however, exceeds that of the increasing trends resulting in an average decline of 73% for the global LPI. 
• Global wild tiger numbers increased by over 70% between 2010 and 2025 - a rise from 3,200 to around 5,700 individuals. Tiger recovery is a testament to what can be achieved through coordinated, long-term investment and collective action by governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, NGOs, donors and other partners. This included national tiger recovery plans, intergovernmental commitments through the Global Tiger Initiative, professionalized ranger units, protected area expansion, cross-border anti-trafficking work, and demand reduction campaigns.
• By 2010, Atlantic bluefin tuna populations had fallen by 80% since the mid 20th Century, and the species was listed as Endangered. Pacific bluefin tuna had collapsed to 2% of unfished levels and was classified as Vulnerable. Nations and industry took decisive action to reverse the trend, with public campaigns for sustainably sourced fish, reductions in fishing quotas and increased monitoring. Today both have recovered to the point where neither is considered overfished or a species of concern.
• While African savannah elephants are declining across much of their range and remain Endangered overall, there are populations in southern Africa which, in some places, are increasing. Southern African countries have built legal frameworks that give local communities direct stakes in elephant stewardship through community-based natural resource management. These on-the ground efforts are reinforced by anti-trafficking work, judicial reform and reduced corruption.
• In 2025, the green sea turtle became the first marine turtle ever downlisted from Endangered to Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The recovery reflects 50 years of coordinated work across some 80 nesting countries: protection of nesting females and eggs, beach management, lighting regulations, turtle excluder devices and other bycatch reduction measures on fishing gear, enforcement against illegal take, and sustained community engagement.
• The way the world produces and consumes food is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss. The food and agriculture system is the leading cause of habitat destruction, overharvest, and a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.   
• Burning coal, oil and gas to power homes, transport and industry is responsible for about three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions globally and is the principal cause of climate change – a driver of biodiversity loss across all ecosystems. 
• The financial system determines where the money goes. In 2023, around US$7.3  trillion (£5.5 trillion) flowed into activities which harm nature, while only US$220 billion (£166 billion) went towards activities that protect or restore it. 

About ZSL (Zoological Society of London) :
ZSL is a science-driven conservation charity working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world. We work to help wildlife and people thrive together. Guided by a scientific approach and passion for nature, we lead conservation, shape agendas and influence change to protect and restore nature. We are committed to protecting species, restoring habitats, training conservationists and creating change for nature. Visit www.zsl.org for more information.