It is a health-check for the planet, showing how the natural world is doing, what threats it faces and what this means for us humans. The conclusions and recommendations in the Living Planet Report are based on several different measures, one of the biggest being the Living Planet Index.
Our living planet operates as a living system, resulting in the conditions for life that have allowed humans and other species to thrive; clean air, fresh water, a breathable atmosphere and the conditions needed to grow food. The huge diversity of species is a very important part of this system. The planet cannot work in the same way if the amount of wildlife and wild spaces is reduced, or when the movement of wildlife or the flow of natural processes is disrupted.
The Report shows that in one lifetime, there has been a devastating 69% drop on average of monitored wildlife populations - mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish - since 1970.
For the 2022 Report a special edition for young people has been produced. It includes an introductory video, a summary of the report and a classroom presentation.
WWF-US has also created some additional learning activities centred around the Youth Edition including some comprehension assessment questions, maths lessons and reading exercise on understanding science texts are also available.
As well as outlining the problems, it offers ways that everyone can play a part in shaping a positive future for people and nature.