The new WWF "Living Planet" report for 2026 paints an alarming picture: over half a century, tracked populations of wild vertebrates have declined by an average of 73%. Behind this figure lie nearly 36 thousand trends covering 5790 species — from amphibians to reptiles. Yet behind the grim numbers another reality emerges: nature can recover when people stop getting in the way and start lending a hand.
The Living Planet Index records not the overall disappearance of animals, but the average change in the abundance of tracked groups. The heaviest losses fell on Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. In Europe and North America, the strongest blow to biodiversity came in an earlier period, so after 1970 the decline looks less dramatic. The main causes are habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species.
The systemic roots of the problem lie deeper: in the way energy, agriculture and finance are structured. In 2023, 7,3 trillion dollars went to industries harmful to nature, while only 220 billion went to protection and restoration. Such imbalances feed a vicious circle in which climate change and habitat loss reinforce each other.
Nevertheless, the report cites concrete examples of situations that have been turned around. Tiger numbers rose from 3200 individuals in 2010 to roughly 5700 today. The Atlantic bluefin tuna has left the endangered species category. The green sea turtle has been moved into the "least concern" category for the first time. In South Africa, elephant populations are stable or growing where local communities manage shared space themselves.
These successes are the result of many years of purposeful work: hunting bans, the creation of protected areas, international agreements and the involvement of local residents. They show that nature responds to the right actions, even if the overall backdrop remains unfavourable.
The shift to renewable energy is already demonstrating how systemic changes can accelerate. In 2025, solar power generation in the EU overtook fossil fuels for the first time. Such tipping points arise when technology and policy overcome a threshold of resistance and begin to reinforce each other.
To scale these local victories up to a global level, financial flows and production systems must be restructured so that protecting nature becomes more profitable than destroying it. The WWF report reminds us: there is still time for such changes, and every success story proves that it is possible.
