New research has confirmed that humanity is consuming the Earth’s renewable natural resources at an ever-increasing and unsustainable rate. According to the Living Planet Report 2016, published worldwide by WWF today, global wildlife populations could decline by more than two-thirds compared to their 1970 levels by the end of this decade, mainly as a result of human activities. Humanity’s demand for renewable natural resources now take 1.6 Earths to provide – in other words, it takes our planet more than 19 months to regenerate the resources that humanity consumes in one year.

New research has confirmed that humanity is consuming the Earth’s renewable natural resources at an ever-increasing and unsustainable rate. According to the Living Planet Report 2016, published worldwide by WWF today, global wildlife populations could decline by more than two-thirds compared to their 1970 levels by the end of this decade, mainly as a result of human activities.Humanity’s demand for renewable natural resources now take 1.6 Earths to provide – in other words, it takes our planet more than 19 months to regenerate the resources that humanity consumes in one year.

According to the Living Planet Report 2016, global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles declined by 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012, the most recent year for which data is available. This decline is set to continue through at least 2020, by which time, species populations will decline by an average of 67 per cent. The most common threats to species include habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species and diseases and climate change. Africa’s elephants, Bluefin tuna, river dolphins and numerous species of shark are just several high-profile species gravely affected by these threats.

Hong Kong is famous for being a “paradise for consumers”. However convenient and profitable this might be, our unsustainable consumption patterns have a dark side: they are driving the decline of species across the planet. Our per capita Ecological Footprint is much larger than the global average and is rising rapidly.

Research performed by WWF-Hong Kong and Global Footprint Network reveals that if everybody on the planet consumed renewable natural resources at the same rate as we do in Hong Kong, we would require 3.9 Earths to fulfil our resource needs. In fact our daily consumption at the individual, family and company level accounts for around 76 per cent of our local Ecological Footprint. The largest portion of this is our carbon footprint, which is related to local carbon dioxide emissions and carbon embodied in the products we consume.

Peter Cornthwaite, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Hong Kong described the situation by saying “Our planet is now at a crossroads – populations of even the most iconic species are plummeting, and our demand for renewable natural resources, globally and in Hong Kong, is increasing at a staggering rate. However, solving these problems is now firmly within our grasp – we know more than ever about these challenges and we know what we can do to alleviate them. Now, it rests with all of us to act. Hong Kong can turn these issues into opportunities to transform our city into the most sustainable one in Asia.”

Earlier this year, the Consumer Council released a report which found that Hong Kong people are open to adopting sustainable consumption, yet so far no action has been forthcoming. The Hong Kong government’s Council for Sustainable Development is currently in the midst of consulting the public as they seek ideas on how to make our consumption of biological resources more sustainable. Potential candidates for Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive will begin to announce their campaigns soon. After declaring their eligibility, these candidates will have an opportunity to make a strong stand for sustainability.

“Our government, and in particular our next Chief Executive, can play a leading role in providing more incentives to both individuals and businesses which will drive sustainable trade and consumption forward” explained CW Cheung, WWF’s Senior Head of Climate & Footprint Programmes. “The effort by the Council for Sustainable Development is the city’s first consultation on sustainable consumption. This shows that our government is listening, and we expect that the next Chief Executive candidates will be open to ideas as to how they can chart a more sustainable course for our city. It is vital that people speak up for a sustainable future for our city and our planet”.

WWF-Hong Kong is requesting public support for our petition calling for the government to implement policies and actions which will promote sustainable trade and consumption in Hong Kong. The petition webpage can be found here: https://apps.wwf.org.hk/support/SDC-petition/en

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Living Planet Report 2016

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Living Planet Report 2016 - Summary version

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Ecological footprint leaflet

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