WWF links pressure on nature to food and finance systems

Half of global economic output depends on nature, while monitored vertebrate populations have declined by an average of 73 percent since 1970, WWF’s Living Planet Report 2026 says.

A report published on October 8 links pressure on biodiversity to habitat loss, intensive resource use and climate change. WWF estimates that about half of global GDP depends on nature.

Agriculture is identified as a major driver of habitat degradation. In Switzerland, the sector accounts for 16 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions while contributing less than one percent of economic output. Farmers speaking to SRF at the OLMA fair in St Gallen described measures including solar panels, CO₂-neutral greenhouses and technologies to reduce methane.

Thomas Vellacott, head of WWF Switzerland, said solutions must involve the entire food sector, including producers, retailers and consumers. He urged people to consider meat consumption, healthy diets and food waste, while cautioning against shifting all responsibility onto consumers.

WWF also highlighted financial flows. The organization says $7.3 trillion went to activities harmful to nature in 2023, compared with about $220 billion for protection and restoration. The Swiss Bankers Association told SRF that banks increasingly consider nature-related risks in lending and investment. WWF says governments, businesses and society must act together.