The World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF’s) 2014 Living Planet Index (LPI) indicates that there has been a 52% decline in vertebrate species since 1970.

The index tracked the trends of 10 000 discrete populations of over 3 000 vertebrate species between 1970 and 2010.

The LPI for freshwater species populations is the worst affected and declined by 76% since the start of the index in 1970, while terrestrial and marine species populations declined by 39%, says WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morné du Plessis.

“The data on species suggest that ecosystems are under increasing stress. Healthy ecosystems underpin a healthy economy and, ultimately, human wellbeing. These trends are clear signals that we cannot continue with business as usual.

“The environmental footprint of the population in the US is about double that of India, despite India having four times as many people as the US. This demonstrates that consumption patterns in developed nations must be taken into account to reduce humanity’s ecological footprint and that developing nations must continue to follow a high-growth, low environmental- impact development model,” says Du Plessis.

New technologies and new understandings of natural systems mean that development and sustainable use of natural resources and species can be done in a mutually supportive way and can ensure that natural resources are present to support the continued development of future generations.

Sustainable management and wise use of countries’ natural resources and species are an effective way of underpinning sustained and sustainable development of people, the report finds.

“African countries are proving that it is possible to find innovative solutions to problems facing the natural environment,” according to the report.

The Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, if properly protected, provides an equivalent economic value of $1-billion a year and provides jobs for 45 000 people. A community hydropower project, which relies on water from the Virunga National Park, will provide electricity for 25 000 people, schools, a hospital and an orphanage, and incentivises the protection of the park’s forests and wetlands.

Du Plessis does not expect global responses to environmental concerns, including climate change risks, to be at the required level to remove the negative impacts on human society in the future. This is reinforced by the low impact of and flaccid resolutions adopted at successive United Nations Conferences of the Parties (COPs). However, more urgency is beginning to filter through to top political leaders and international structures.

“The increased urgency and burgeoning awareness of the importance of these issues are beginning to change political risks and, thus, State responses to environmental concerns,” he comments.

Every nation is being encouraged to make concrete commitments to mitigate climate change at the Paris COP in 2015 and there are positive signs from China and the US, the two biggest emitters and the countries that must act for there to be a broad global response, explains Du Plessis.

However, if the total commitments by all countries are not sufficient, then civil society must apply more pressure on its leaders to act decisively. Earth Hour is a very visible demonstration of the broad importance of environmental problems in the minds of people worldwide, with people in 7 000 cities and towns switching off their lights for an hour. The March 28, 2015, Earth Hour will, if necessary, be used to put more pressure on leaders to increase their commitments at the Paris COP.

“We are battling a bit against human nature because we are being asked to change our habits to ensure that others will benefit in the future. But that is exactly what we must do.”