Category: World Wildlife Fund

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Washington, D.C. (November 18, 2023) – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced the launch of its Oceans Futures platform, a first-of-its-kind initiative that projects seascapes surrounding the Arctic Ocean and within the Gulf of Guinea, Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Tropical Pacific, and Central Pacific will experience increased fisheries conflict as a result of climate change.

The analysis, based on global climate and fisheries models, highlights 20 regions of the world that will likely see conflict, food insecurity, or geo-political tensions over fisheries rise by 2030. These regions include the waters surrounding the Arctic Ocean, Cameroon, Syria, Ecuador, Indonesia, and Micronesia. This early warning enables the international community to take bold, collaborative action on conservation and conflict prevention to foster a peaceful environment for people and nature.

“We have a unique opportunity to predict and prevent future fish wars that will have devastating impacts on people and nature,” said Johan Bergenas, Senior Vice President for Oceans at World Wildlife Fund-US. “In launching Oceans Futures, we are bringing together the partners, the science, the data, and the solutions to deliver a more sustainable and peaceful future.”

Fisheries conflict over the last four decades has increased 20-fold and 23% of all fish stocks will move in the next 8 years. These changes will result in new fish-rich and fish-poor locations, and the resulting changes will have significant impacts on coastal communities and relationships between countries. Oceans Futures has been designed to match the inevitable challenges fisheries will face and provide future-proof solutions for more peaceful oceans, more sustainable communities and economies, and nutritious blue food on which billions of people depend.

Oceans Futures is powered by partnerships with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), and Ode Partners. The platform’s initial rollout combines projections for how fish stocks will shift over time due to climate change, and how those movements will increase the risk of competition and conflict over fisheries. Hotspots were identified by combining data projecting fisheries movement by 2030 with socio-economic and security variables—including nutrition profiles, economic levels, the presence of foreign fishing vessels, and contested maritime borders—that help assess a country’s risk to fisheries conflict.

By early 2025, Oceans Futures will expand the available body of data and use machine-learning models to understand what causes low-level conflicts to escalate and, most importantly, what solutions can prevent that escalation from continuing.

“As a career seagoing service member, I’ve witnessed first-hand how dwindling global fish stocks drive conflict and threaten communities’ main source of nutrition and economic stability,” said Admiral Paul Zukunft (Retired), the 25th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “These dynamics will have geopolitical consequences as competition over ocean resources are likely to escalate. Oceans Futures will be the go-to handbook for nations around the globe to chart a new course for the future security and environmental stability of our oceans and the world.”

“Climate change and national security are irrevocably linked; this has never been clearer than with depleting fish stocks around the globe due to illegal fishing and overfishing,” said Sherri Goodman, Secretary General, International Military Council on Climate & Security and Senior Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center. “With the Oceans Futures initiative, the international community will be able to visualize how these challenges are impacting fisheries and the lives of key coastal communities; encouraging us to come together and take action to preserve these vitally important resources.”

For Editors

Halifax International Security Forum Livestream: Watch Johan Bergenas, Senior Vice President for Oceans at World Wildlife Fund-US, announce Oceans Futures during the forum’s plenary session on blue foods security.

Oceans Futures landing page

Oceans Futures Explainer Video

Photo and Video Assets

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

• The third round of UN global plastic pollution treaty talks ended with no plan for how to move the negotiations forward, despite a majority of countries supporting a robust treaty grounded in global rules.
• The deadlock was caused by a week full of delaying tactics from a handful of low-ambition countries calling for a loose voluntary agreement.
• WWF calls on countries who want to see a meaningful treaty emerge to remain resolute and take the process in their own hands by advancing information gathering and sharing over the next five months in the lead up to the fourth round of negotiations in April 2024.

NAIROBI, Kenya (November 19) – Despite an overwhelming majority of countries ready to move forward on a robust and ambitious treaty, countries with deep petrochemical interests delayed progress throughout the week and blocked the final decision on how to advance work leading into the fourth round of UN talks for a global plastic pollution treaty. There will now be no formal work before the next round of negotiations, delaying discussions on critical measures that can end the plastic pollution crisis.

Every day, more than 30,000 metric tonnes of plastic leak into our oceans. In the face of ongoing opposition from a small minority of oil-producing states, WWF urges high-ambition countries to be courageous and willing to move ahead with developing an effective treaty despite this opposition. With the next round of negotiations in Ottawa, Canada, only 5 months away, progressive countries must use this time wisely and stay focused on developing the set of legally binding rules, which the majority of governments and many leading businesses have already called for.

“UN country representatives came together this last week to make progress on negotiating a treaty to end plastic pollution. The majority had the best intentions and worked to find commonalities among diverse global perspectives, but the entire process was continually delayed by a small number of Member states prioritizing plastic and profit before the planet,” said Erin Simon, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste & Business at WWF-US. “The job is clearly not done, and negotiators leave Nairobi without a plan in place to get to work before INC-4. With just over a year to deliver on our promise of a future free from plastic pollution, countries must stand strong and bring collective action to reject the tactics to block the treaty process. It’s time to muster the political will to course correct and solve this crisis before it’s too late.”

Despite obstruction by a small number of countries, a significant majority of countries support moving forward with a comprehensive and robust treaty. More than 100 countries support global bans and phase-outs of the most harmful and avoidable plastics, and 140 countries want to establish global binding rules as opposed to a treaty based solely on voluntary actions, which some countries are pushing for.

“An overwhelming number of countries understand the urgency of the problem and are ready to put us on the path to ending plastic pollution. In the face of ongoing challenges, it is critical that these countries continue to demonstrate their determination to fight for strong and legally binding measures that can enable the historic shift needed to undo what decades of indifference and ignorance have brought upon us,” said Eirik Lindebjerg, Global Plastics Policy Lead, WWF International.

Despite obstruction by a small number of countries, a significant majority of countries support moving forward with a comprehensive and robust treaty. More than 100 countries support global bans and phase-outs of the most harmful and avoidable plastics, and 140 countries want to establish global binding rules as opposed to a treaty based solely on voluntary actions, which some countries are pushing for.

At this round of talks, negotiators worked on a draft treaty text for the first time, with many bringing forward constructive options to strengthen proposed global rules across the whole plastic ‘lifecycle’ – from extraction of oil and gas to make plastic, through to design for reuse and repair, and safe disposal.

With no formal plan for work over the next six months, WWF is calling on countries to advance information gathering and sharing on their own to ensure that the process does not stagnate in the next five months.

Over the week, negotiators, especially those from low- and middle-income regions including Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands, showed strong leadership in proposing rules to tackle plastic pollution. These regions stood firm on the need to regulate the uncontrolled production and design of plastic materials and products that are currently overwhelming their management capacities. WWF recently released a report warning that the true cost of plastic on the environment, health and economies can be as much as 10 times higher for low-income countries, even though they consume almost three times less plastic per-capita, than high-income ones.

“Proposals for voluntary national measures and a sole focus on waste management will only continue to increase the burden for the countries that are today the hardest hit by the plastic pollution crisis. A global treaty with binding rules for elimination and safe circulation of plastics, along with robust financial support, is our best hope for the level playing field which is desperately needed if we are to tackle the challenges felt by people and the environment in the Global South,” said Alice Ruhweza, Senior Director for Policy and Engagement, WWF International.

With only two negotiating sessions left to agree on a global plastics treaty before the end of 2024, WWF calls on countries to make the most of the time leading up to the Ottawa talks to mobilize the political support and prepare the technical basis needed to make the meeting a turning point in the negotiations. The talks in Nairobi have brought concrete proposals to the table and identified areas of disagreement. In Ottawa, countries need to start actual negotiations and rally around provisions with majority support.

“The negotiators must be guided, not by what the least ambitious countries are prepared to accept, but by the urgency of the plastic pollution crisis happening outside the conference rooms. The meeting in Ottawa can be this turning point,” added Eirik Lindebjerg, Global Plastics Policy Lead, WWF International.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Key battlegrounds at the third round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3):

What to ban: One of the key focus of the intersessional working groups should be to decide a definitive list of polymers, chemicals and plastic products that the treaty must regulate. As a starting point WWF calls for the treaty to focus on high-risk products, polymers and chemicals (those that cause the most harm or have the highest risk of becoming pollution) while expanding the treaty over time to incorporate all plastic products, applications and materials. Without agreeing which products, polymers and chemicals fall within the remit of the treaty, we can’t expect to make meaningful progress on these negotiations.

Scope of the treaty: Despite all nations agreeing to a global treaty that would address plastic pollution across the entire lifecycle of plastic, we have already seen a handful of countries try to refocus the treaty only on waste management. This approach prioritizes short term benefits and profits over the health of people and planet.

Voluntary vs mandatory measures: While we have seen some of the low-ambition countries agree to a full lifecycle scope in Contact Groups, we are concerned that the compromise will come with a caveat that takes binding global rules off the table and demands that some measures, particularly those on production, become strictly voluntary. While voluntary and national-based measures will play a role in the treaty, they have proven again and again to be too fragmented and unreliable to create the change we need to curb the plastic crisis.

Financial support: It ultimately comes down to money. In particular, how much will be needed, who will pay it (i.e. public and/or private funding) and where it will come from (i.e. the biggest polluters through schemes like Extended Producer Responsibility and changes in subsidies to direct finance away from polluting industries and products).

Process: Whether it must come down to a formal consensus or a majority vote. Low-ambition countries continue to call for a formal consensus, which gives them the power to delay progress and ultimately veto any text. While WWF supports a formal consensus as option A, when a consensus cannot be met, the decision to adopt the treaty must come down to a vote with a two-third majority.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Source: World Wildlife Fund

• New report estimates low-income countries, despite consuming less plastic, incur a total lifetime plastic cost that is 10 times higher than wealthier countries.
• The structural inequities built into the current plastics value chain not only distribute the burdens of plastic pollution unequally among countries, the burdens are also disproportionately borne by those least equipped to remedy them, thereby worsening the crisis.
• WWF calls on all governments to agree on a treaty with harmonized, binding global rules that can remove inequities reinforced and exacerbated through our current take, make, and waste plastics system.

A WWF-commissioned report developed by Dalberg¹ warns that the true cost of plastic on the environment, health and economies can be as much as 10 times higher for low-income countries, even though they consume almost three times less plastic per-capita, than high-income ones. The report estimates that the total lifetime costs of a kilogram (2.2.lbs) of plastic is around $150 in low- and middle-income countries, which is eight times the $19/kilogram (2.2 lbs) incurred by high-income countries². When comparing just low-income countries and their wealthier counterparts, the cost differential rises to 10 times with low-income countries hit with costs of $200 a kilogram.  

These unequal costs have substantial implications for low- and middle-income countries like Kenya, where negotiators will converge from November 13-19 for the third negotiations of the global treaty to end plastic pollution. Six years ago, Kenya took a bold step against plastic pollution by banning single-use plastic bags. Today, the country continues to struggle with illegal imports of single-use plastic bags, highlighting the problem’s transboundary nature and the crippling inequities inherent in the current plastics value chain that put countries like Kenya at a disadvantage no matter what bold action they take.

“Our take, make, waste plastics system is designed in a way that unfairly impacts our planet’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged countries. Instead of resolving the world’s plastic pollution crisis in the most efficient way, the system shifts the bulk of the costs to those least equipped to manage them, with no accountability placed on those who produce and use the products in the first place,” said Alice Ruhweza, WWF International’s Senior Director of Policy, Influence and Engagement.

“The report signals the urgency of an immediate overhaul of the current plastic system. Business-as-usual could be a death sentence, not only for a growing number of animals but also for many of our world’s vulnerable and marginalized communities as a result of increased health risks including ingestion of harmful, toxic chemicals and increased risk of flooding and disease. The global plastic pollution treaty is our chance to change this by including binding and equitable global rules on production and consumption.”

The report finds that low- and middle-income countries bear a disproportionately large burden of the costs associated with plastic pollution as a direct result of three structural inequities that reinforce the current plastic system. 

The first inequity is that the system places low- and middle-income countries at a disadvantage in that they have minimal influence on which plastic products are produced and how they are designed and yet are often expected to manage these products once they reach their end-of-life. Product and system design considerations are typically made further upstream in countries with extensive plastic production and by multinational companies headquartered in high-income countries. As of 2019, only 9% of plastic waste is being recycled. Currently, around 60% of global plastic production is for single-use products, which are designed to be (and so cheaply valued that they can be) thrown away after just one use.

The second inequity is that the rate of plastic production, particularly for single-use plastic, is far outpacing the availability of technical and financial resources for waste management when it reaches its end-of-life in low- and middle-income countries. Without reducing plastic production and consumption, low- and middle-income countries will continue to bear the highest burden of plastic pollution’s direct environmental and socio-economic impacts.

The third inequity is that the system lacks a fair way for holding countries and companies to account for their action, or inaction, on plastic pollution and its impact on our health, environment and economy (for example, through mandatory extended producer responsibility schemes in each of the countries they operate in). With no common obligations across all jurisdictions and companies for supporting a circular, just and non-toxic plastics economy, low- and middle-income countries end up paying the steeper price.

Establishing and implementing a UN global plastic pollution treaty based on harmonized and binding global rules can help us create a fairer system that empowers low- and middle-income countries and prioritizes the most effective and efficient solutions. An example of such a rule would be regulating the most high-risk plastic products, polymers and chemicals – those that can cause the most harm or are most likely to cause pollution – so that we can lessen the strain on countries, especially those with fewer resources, in managing plastic waste. Similarly, the opportunity to create global product design rules can help to ensure that products are designed to be reused and/or recycled regardless of which country they are produced or used in.
In November, countries will join the third of five negotiating sessions on a global treaty to end plastic pollution3. WWF calls on all governments to agree on a treaty that includes:

• Banning, phasing out or phasing down high-risk and avoidable plastic products, polymers and chemicals of concern.
• Global requirements for product design and systems that can secure a safe and non-toxic circular economy, which prioritizes reuse and improvements in recycling.
• Robust measures for supporting considered and effective implementation that includes sufficient financial support and alignment of public and private financial flows, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.

“Ahead of the next round of negotiations, this report underscores the need for countries to choose a path forward that is guided by science and calls for global rules and requirements to curb plastic production and consumption. It is not economically, socially or environmentally sustainable to prioritize the production of single-use plastic products,” said Erin Simon, Vice President & Head of Plastic Waste and Business, WWF-US. “By elevating the voices of those most impacted by plastic pollution, we will get closer to a treaty that ensures a more equitable future. Securing a truly sustainable, healthy future for humans and our planet is too important to leave up to voluntary action. Without a just transition to an equitable plastics value chain, communities in the US and around the world will continue to pay the price of inaction.”

ENDS

1. How is the “true cost” of plastic calculated: The ‘true cost’ of plastic is based on a model devised by experts at WWF and Dalberg that considers the minimum lifetime cost of both upstream production and downstream waste management, and compares these costs between high, middle and low-income countries as of data from 2019. While many of the costs cannot be quantified, reflecting the gaps in available data and understanding of the full impact of plastic pollution, it does include quantifiable costs such as the cost of producing virgin plastic, greenhouse gas emission costs, costs on ecosystem services of marine ecosystems and direct waste management costs.

Though presented as ‘monetary costs’ of one kilo of plastic, it’s important to note that countries do not actually pay these costs, the costs are used as an indication of the disproportionate burdens plastic poses on countries with different national incomes.

The multiplier of eight and 10 are predominantly linked to the mismanagement of plastic waste and costs to the marine environments. Wealthier countries for example often displace and reduce their waste management costs by exporting their plastic waste to lower-income countries to process. The total lifetime cost for one kilogram block of plastic waste in a high-income country for example, is US$19, compared to eight times that for middle and lower-income countries at an average of US$150, and 10 times that for lower-income countries, at US$200. When we compare costs across lifetime marine ecosystem services, and how plastic leakage impacts these, it yields a cost of US$149 for low and middle-income countries compared to US$17 for high-income countries. Even still, the true impact borne by low and middle-income countries from plastic pollution is likely to be far greater.

The third session of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a globally binding treaty on plastic pollution (INC-3) will run from 13-19 November in Nairobi, Kenya.

• For a briefing note on what to expect from INC-3, and what WWF would like to see the negotiations accomplish, click here.
• For an explainer on the Zero Draft, the first version of the treaty text that will form the basis of the upcoming negotiations, click here.
• For WWF’s Global Plastic Navigator, a platform for tracking countries’ positions on the inclusion of global bans and phase-out requirements for certain plastic categories of concern in the global treaty to end plastic pollution, click here.

From the report – selected case studies by region:

Latin America
Brazil: Marine and terrestrial impacts of plastic pollution
• More than 10 million tonnes of plastic enter the Brazilian domestic market each year.
• In addition, Brazil imports 12,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year, a rate that grows by 7% annually. As waste imports increase, so does the amount of waste that is being mismanaged. If current trends continue, Brazil could become the 4th largest generator of mismanaged plastic waste.
• The growing rate of plastic pollution in Brazil results from system gaps, in particular limited infrastructure and capacity for waste collection and recycling. Only 22% of cities in Brazil collect waste for recycling
• Brazil’s precious coastal ecosystems, wildlife and communities bear the greatest brunt. And pollution is now threatening the Amazon Basin.

Africa
Kenya: Efforts to reduce pollution hampered by absence of global regulation
• Kenya banned single-use plastic bags in 2017 in a bold step to reduce plastic pollution, but a lack of similar rules in neighboring countries has resulted in plastic bags piling up in Kenya.
• Plastic bags continue to pollute Kenya through porous borders which give way to the smuggling of the bags in shipments of plastic materials exempt from the ban, like packaging products.
• Six years after the ban, plastic bags are piling up in Kenya’s Dadach Boshe dump. Locals have reported the deaths of goats from swollen stomachs and fatal health issues caused by the ingestion of plastic bags.

Asia Pacific
Fiji: Structural barriers in waste management
• Tourists, who arrive in the small island state of Fiji, generate seven times more plastic waste per person per day than Fiji’s residents.
• Despite developing environmental legislation and strategies for waste management, Fiji’s capacity constraints (small economic scale and workforce) has meant that only one of its eight disposal sites satisfy current environmental standards, resulting in a plastic leakage rate of 25%, or nearly 4,000 tonnes of plastic pollution each year, equivalent to filling 80 swimming pools with 500ml plastic bottles.
• In addition, Fiji’s remote location, limited scale and a lack of investment mean that Fiji has struggled to establish viable recycling markets and is seeing an increased reliance on burning its waste or filling up its landfills.

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About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Overview:

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) will convene a third time in Nairobi, Kenya from November 13-19, 2023, to develop an international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.

On the cusp of this once-in-a-generation opportunity for businesses, governments, and communities to create a world free of plastic pollution, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals will host “Visions for an Ambitious and Just Treaty,” a high ambition stakeholder event that will elevate rights-holders’ voices and emphasize plastics’ impact on health and climate, as well as the vital need for concrete commitments and decisive, global action to end plastic pollution.

Through a range of diverse, global speakers, the event will set an urgent tone for the negotiations taking place and will reflect directly on the treaty’s draft language. The event will include an in-person audience of government negotiators and key observers, with a public live stream available.

Plastic pollution is an urgent problem, but we can fix it. This event is an invitation to reimagine our world and how we can work together to source, design, use, and dispose of plastic to eliminate its negative impacts on nature and people.

Event Logistics:

Date: Sunday, November 12, 2023

Time: 5:00 – 7:30 pm EAT / 9 – 11:30 am EDT

Location: Trademark Hotel Ballroom [Village Market, Limuru Rd, Nairobi, Kenya] or available via livestream

Notable Speakers/Attendees:

• Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Senior Advisor on Programme UNEP
• Jo Banner, Descendants Project
• LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans (US)
• Nihan Karali, Policy Researcher, the Sustainable Energy & Environmental Systems (SEES) Department at Berkeley Lab
• Heather McTeer Toney, Executive Director, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign
• Griffins Ochieng, IPEN Steering Committee member, Center for Environmental Justice and Development
• Dr. Mei Ling Quezon-Brown, Vice Governor of the Siquijor Province in the Philippines
• Alice Ruhweza, Senior Director, WWF-Africa
• Erin Simon, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business for WWF-US

If you’re interested in attending in-person or live streaming the event, please RSVP here.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

November 3, 2023 (Washington, DC) – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) today released a first-of-its kind report of the potential risks and benefits of a rapid shift to renewable energy for people, wildlife and our planet. The findings provide a clear and tangible illustration of the stark differences between a rapid transformation to a renewable energy future and one reluctant to leave fossil fuels behind.

The report, Building a Nature-Positive Energy Transformation, estimates an energy transition’s overall impact through 30 key metrics across eight impact areas: air quality, water quality, ecosystems and biodiversity, area footprint, water use, free flowing rivers, society and human wellbeing, and mining. The results demonstrate that across those metrics, a renewable transition is dramatically better.

“The results help us focus on the big picture and make it clear that renewables are significantly better for nature and people, now and in the long-term. As we see a growing conversation on both the positive and negative impacts of a renewable transition, this report serves as important context to why a rapid transition to renewables is the right answer,” said Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change, WWF.

Key findings include:

• An energy system powered by renewables will be far better across a range of metrics — 2-16 times better — for nature and people. Rapidly transforming our energy system will have a positive impact on a range of key resources including air and water quality, human health, biodiversity and ecosystems.
• The largest differences are in actively mined areas, air and water quality impacts, biodiversity loss, land lost and degraded from climate impacts, poverty risk, exposure to chronic water scarcity, biome shifts, heat stress and flooding risk. These improved outcomes are possible largely due to the decommissioning of coal mines, reduction in fossil fuel combustion, and lower climate change impacts in the Rapid Transition future.
• Twice as many jobs are projected to be created under a rapid transformation, having a positive impact on the workforce.
• Reducing the frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters will save $2 trillion per year in infrastructure damage.
• The renewable transition could place additional demands on water use, land footprint, and free flowing rivers, but the report outlines strategies to avoid or dramatically minimize these risks.
• Although the demand for critical minerals will increase, the amount of land impacted by mining will actually decrease in a renewable powered future, compared to one powered largely by fossil fuels.
• In a fossil fuel-powered future, the amount of land lost to flooding, desertification and wildfires will be considerably larger than the footprint for renewable energy development.

“We can’t overstate the importance of an accelerated energy transition. Beyond the climate benefits, it is essential to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ecosystems that keep our planet healthy,” said Paulina Ponce de León, managing director and partner, Boston Consulting Group. “But for this potential to be realized, we need global, systemic change in our energy sector that puts nature and people at the heart of our efforts.”

In addition, the report provides policymakers, managers and stakeholders a toolbox of solutions to facilitate a transition that is both rapid and careful and lays out a framework for avoiding and minimizing the impacts of a rapid transition to the extent possible. To build at the necessary speed and scale, planning processes must involve affected stakeholders early and often, especially local communities, while simultaneously addressing environment and energy system needs. This will reduce conflicts that could slow the transition while ensuring that the transition contributes to an equitable and nature-positive future.

A copy of the full report is available here.

# # #

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

BOZEMAN, MONT., OCTOBER 26, 2023 – Annual analysis from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reveals 1.6 million acres of grasslands across the US and Canadian Great Plains were destroyed in 2021 – continuing a steady, devastating trend in the region. The Plowprint report once again identified row crop expansion as the primary driver of plow-up, erasing the equivalent of an area greater than the state of Delaware from the map in only 12 months.

“What would you say if I told you there’s a critical climate solution that we can implement right here in America that doesn’t require massive investment, new technology, or a huge shift in behavior? Let’s stop plowing grasslands; just allow them to keep storing and sequestering carbon—and providing irreplaceable habitat for wildlife and pollinators—as they have done for millennia.” said Martha Kauffman, vice president for WWF’s Northern Great Plains program.

The Plowprint also found the Northern Great Plains region of the ecosystem—currently one of the world’s last four intact temperate grasslands—saw a slight uptick in acreage loss with the number of plowed acres increasing to 400,000 up from 385,000 thousand acres in 2020.

The report points out that much of the land most suited for agriculture was plowed up decades ago, with newly plowed land unlikely to produce significant yields. Destruction of grassland habitat is driven by economics often underpinned by well-intentioned government policies that incentivize conversion rather than protection.

“We can no longer ignore the fact that these landscapes, which have sustained people and wildlife since time immemorial, are being destroyed by the acre,” added Kauffman. “With 32 million acres lost since 2012, steady elimination of grasslands year in and year out is cause for urgent action. This year we have an opportunity to change course and address policies that can help curb this destruction.”

Policies like the reauthorization of the next Farm Bill and the impending North American Grasslands Conservation Act, which, if passed, will allocate resources, and develop strategies that can support the livelihoods of producers and farmers across the Great Plains and across the US. Incentivizing grassland stewardship through smart policies is a win-win and will have lasting positive outcomes for rural communities, Native Nations and wildlife.

World Wildlife Fund’s 2023 Plowprint Report is available at plowprint.org

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

• First ever annual estimate of economic value of water and freshwater ecosystems is $58 trillion – equivalent to 60% of global GDP
• Degradation of rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers threatens their economic value and their irreplaceable role in sustaining human and planetary health

October 16, 2023 (Washington, DC) – Water, the world’s most precious yet undervalued resource, lies at the heart of a mounting global crisis that threatens both human and planetary health, warns a new report, published today by WWF.

Released on World Food Day, The High Cost of Cheap Water uncovers a stark reality: the annual economic value of water and freshwater ecosystems is estimated to be $58 trillion – equivalent to 60% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP)*. But the world’s freshwater ecosystems are in a downward spiral, posing an ever growing risk to these values.

Since 1970, the world has lost one-third of its remaining wetlands, while freshwater wildlife populations have, on average, dropped by 83%. This disastrous trend has contributed to growing numbers of people facing water shortages and food insecurity, as rivers and lakes have faced extremes of drought and flooding, pollution has increased and food sources, such as freshwater fisheries, have declined. The water crisis is also exacerbating economic pressures and undermining global efforts to reverse nature loss and adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change, from devastating droughts and extreme floods to sea level rise.

“Water and freshwater ecosystems are not only fundamental to our economies, they are also the lifeblood of our planet and our future,” said Stuart Orr, WWF Global Freshwater Lead. “We need to remember that water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature. Water for all depends on healthy freshwater ecosystems, which are also the foundation of food security, biodiversity hotspots and the best buffer and insurance against intensifying climate impacts. Reversing the loss of freshwater ecosystems will pave the way to a more resilient, nature-positive and sustainable future for all.”

For example, the report shows that here in the U.S. and in Mexico, the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo (RGRB) is drying up due to extensive human water withdrawals that are exacerbated by climate change. The RGRB supplies water for agricultural, industrial and municipal uses for more than 6 million people in the United States and slightly over 10 million people in Mexico. If actions are not taken today, we could see a 25% loss of river flows in parts of the RGRB basin by 2050, leading to devastating consequences for the people, wildlife and businesses that it sustains.

“The alarming impacts from droughts, floods, decline of critical species, and water availability for human use and agriculture are staggering,” said Michele Thieme, WWF Deputy Director, Freshwater. “There is still an opportunity to lessen and even prevent these impacts from causing further acute harm, but we must take action now to safeguard these vital life supporting ecosystems.”

The report finds that direct economic benefits, such as water consumption for households, irrigated agriculture and industries, amount to a minimum of $7.5 trillion annually. It also estimates that the unseen benefits – which include purifying water, enhancing soil health, storing carbon, and protecting communities from extreme floods and droughts – are seven times higher at around $50 trillion annually.

However, the degradation of rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater aquifers is threatening these values as well as undermining action on climate and nature and progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Extracting unsustainable amounts of water, harmful subsidies, alterations to river flows, pollution, and climate change-related impacts are endangering freshwater ecosystems. Shockingly, two-thirds of the world’s largest rivers are no longer free-flowing, while wetlands are continuing to be lost three times as fast as forests.

Combined with poor water management, the destruction of freshwater ecosystems has left billions of people worldwide lacking access to clean water and sanitation, while water risks to businesses and economies are growing. By 2050, around 46% of global GDP could come from areas facing high-water risk – up from 10% today.

To address the global water crisis, WWF calls for governments, businesses and financial institutions to urgently increase investment in sustainable water infrastructure. However, it cautions that outdated thinking, which focuses solely on more built infrastructure and ignores the source of the problem: degraded rivers, lakes, wetlands, and aquifers, will not solve the water crisis, especially in the era of climate disruption.

The key lies in recognizing the role of freshwater ecosystems as natural infrastructure that can support confronting the twin crises of climate change and nature loss. Investments need to focus on reversing the ongoing loss of freshwater ecosystems. Governments, for example, should join the Freshwater Challenge, a country-led initiative that aims to restore 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands globally by 2030 and to protect intact freshwater ecosystems. Meanwhile businesses must transform their approach to water and scale up collective action to build more resilient river basins.

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Notes to Editors

Media contact: [email protected]

• An interactive web summary of the report can be viewed here.

• The full High Cost of Cheap Water: The true value of water and freshwater ecosystems to people and planet report can be downloaded here

• Static and animated infographics for media use can be downloaded here

* GDP values are from the latest available annual datasets from 2021.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Source: World Wildlife Fund

Today Pope Francis released his apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum, an update to his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, an unprecedented call for combating climate change. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change:

“While we all have our own cultures or creeds, we all share the same planet. Today, Pope Francis has once again called on us to protect our common home by fixing our broken relationship with nature. His words are also a critical reminder of the importance of leaders everywhere speaking to the urgency of the climate crisis.

“The intertwined crises of nature loss and climate change are daunting. But as Pope Francis makes clear, they can also unite us. These environmental challenges know no boundaries, so our solutions must also scale from local to global. There is much work to be done, and we must all come all together despite our differences. To meet his call to action, we need everyone involved, from faith leaders to you, me, our neighbors, businesses, and governments.”