Living Planet Report for Rio +20
At Rio 2012 we will be presenting the latest knowledge on the state of the planet’s biodiversity and ecosystem health, in collaboration with WWF. The special issue of the Living Planet Report for the conference will focus on natural capital, development and wellbeing, examining the future relationship between humans and the globe.
The Living Planet Report is the world's leading, science-based analysis on the health of the planet and the impact of human activity. The report is produced each year by integrating three approaches to monitoring our Planet’s health:
• The Living Planet Index (LPI) gauges the state of global biodiversity using trends in vertebrate populations from all regions of the globe. This index is a key focus for ZSL’s Institute of Zoology (IOZ), and provides a clear picture of how biodiversity is faring on a global, regional and country-wide scale. Find out more about the Living Planet Index.
• The Ecological Footprint Indicator tracks the strain on global ecosystems by measuring the area of biologically productive land and water required to provide the renewable resources we use and to absorb our waste CO2.
• The Water Footprint of Production measures different countries’ water use.
These three approaches combined give a clear picture of the strain that human activity is placing on biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as highlighting future threats to the natural capital and ecosystem services we depend on.
Living Planet at Rio +20
We will be presenting a special edition of the Living Planet Report for Rio 2012. This will have a particular focus on natural capital, wellbeing and development. IOZ's Indicators and Assessments Unit has produced the latest Living Planet Index for the new report with WWF, and we are working together to continually develop newer and more robust indicators for measuring trends in vertebrate species.
Find out more about the IOZ's work on the LPI and the Living Planet Report and download a copy of the report here.
