OUR FOCUS

There can be no let-up in the fight for our world, and the strategy we embarked upon two years ago remains as urgent as ever. Our Living Planet Report 2020 shows that global wildlife populations have plummeted on average by 68% in 50 years.

We need more ambitious action now to tackle climate change, prevent the loss of natural habitats and species, and halve the footprint of production and consumption. Only by doing all these things together will the world halt nature’s decline and begin its restoration by 2030. Our focus is on tackling the problems that drive the loss of nature. We’re determined to transform the way food is produced and traded, and to restore land degraded by agriculture. We’re tackling food waste and promoting healthier diets. And we’re campaigning for greater ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the vital climate summit in the UK in 2021.These system-level changes must go hand-inhand with the scaled-up conservation efforts that will ensure we do not lose the iconic species we hold so dear. All our work is underpinned by science and evidence. The data in our own reports supports our work to influence and shape the decisions governments and businesses are making. For example, WWF’s Living Planet Report contains ground-breaking science about the state of the natural world. Our Riskier Business report outlines evidence about the scale of the UK’s consumption footprint on the environment overseas. And Global Futures highlights the cost to the global economy from the degradation of natural systems. We still have a long way to go – and the challenges facing our natural world, and all of us who depend on it, continue to grow. So we will work with even greater energy on food and climate change. We’ll campaign for new laws for nature in the UK. And for clear government and business pathways to net zero emissions – plans, not just pledges, with the UK leading the way. We’ll also press for obligations on business to avoid damaging the natural world we all depend on for our future prosperity. The road ahead can seem daunting, but there has been progress in recent years. Whether in the home, the boardroom or the corridors of power, people’s attitudes are changing and there is a growing understanding that change is needed. But as huge swathes of the Amazon burn and polar ice dwindles, that change needs to happen faster and at a much larger scale. The devastating Covid-19 pandemic has plunged the world into uncharted territory with untold impacts across our health, food, economic, political and social systems. It has also thrown up new challenges in the areas in which we work, with a decline in ecotourism and, in some places, an increase in deforestation and poaching while the world’s attention has been elsewhere. But there is also evidence that, amid the trauma and devastation Covid-19 has caused, people are rediscovering their connections to nature and looking for a recovery that prioritises action on the environment and climate change. At WWF, we are hugely grateful to our supporters and to our many partners – in business, civil society or communities across the world – who have continued to contribute to our work in so many ways, and in increasing numbers. Nothing we do would be possible without their passion and commitment, and we will manage the precious resources and support they give us very carefully in the difficult 12-18 months ahead.

In those coming months and years we will need to meet new and demanding challenges and increase our impact (see our chief executive’s message on page 12). The changes needed to restore the natural world are many and complex, and we are only at the start of a very ambitious journey. But humanity has shown we can all make a difference when we act together – such as waking politicians up to climate change, bringing rare species back from the brink and the sacrifices we’ve all made during the coronavirus lockdown. The goals and achievements set out in the following pages show some of the impact and difference we’re making.