Living Planet Report: Wildlife Is Declining. But There's Hope.

WWF's 2026 Living Planet Report finds that monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Dr. Rebecca Shaw, WWF's Chief Scientist and editor-in-chief of this year's report, to unpack what that number really means — and why, despite the sobering data, this year's report is subtitled "The Science of Hope."

Rebecca explains how the Living Planet Index works, why a global average can hide real bright spots (nearly half of all monitored populations are actually stable or increasing), and how species like tigers, bluefin tuna, Southern African elephants, and green sea turtles have rebounded thanks to decades of coordinated, global effort. She also introduces the report's concept of "positive tipping points" — using the global renewable energy transition as a real-world example of a system that has already tipped toward self-sustaining change — and explains why food systems and finance are still in an earlier "enabling phase," with tipping points potentially just years away.

Links for More Info:

Dr. Rebecca Shaw bio

2026 Living Planet Report

Chapters:

0:00 Teaser

0:42 Intro

2:19 What is the Living Planet Report?

3:57 This year's topline number: a 73% decline

6:12 Why "The Science of Hope"?

8:37 The green sea turtle recovery story