The 2012 Reports' conclusions, backed by Global Footprint Network's updated National Footprint Accounts, indicate that biodiversity has decreased nearly 30 percent in the last 40 years and humanity is using nature 52 percent faster than its capacity to keep up, meaning that the equivalent of approximately 1.5 Earth's worth of ecological assets are used every year.
In response to these staggering statistics, the WWF proposes a "One Planet" perspective for managing, governing and sharing natural capital within the Earth's ecological boundaries. It outlines a set of top priorities for living within the means of one planet, including better choices along the entire system of production and consumption and a redirection of financial flows to support the safeguarding of natural capital. WWF enlists the work of sustainability standards and certification as critical tools in achieving these goals and relieving the strain on the earth's resources.
WWF's work with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in Chile, as well as the Better Cotton Initiative, an ISEAL affiliate, in Pakistan are provided as examples for reducing human demand for water and land through the use of standards as well as addressing the overexploitation of natural resources. In addition, the WWF is working with leading financial institutions to promote the adoption of the International Finance Corporation's performance standards, which include credible standards such as MSC and FSC. Attaching such conditions to investments helps to drive financial flows that support sustainability.
© WWF/Moccu
To download a full suite of interactive graphs and resources relating to the Living Planet Report and created by WWF/GFN/ZSL, visit the WWF site.
To download the full report click here
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