“Over the last 50 years, global wildlife populations have declined by 73%."

Ritchie, H., & Spooner, F. (2024, October 10). The 2024 Living Planet Index reports a 73% average decline in wildlife populations — what’s changed since the last report? Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/2024-living-planet-index

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth, from plants and animals to entire ecosystems.

Why is it a problem?
Biodiversity keeps our planet in balance. It supports our food, provides oxygen, and contributes to a stable climate.

But human activities are putting global nature under pressure. Oceans, in particular, are suffering greatly. They cover over 70% of our planet and form the largest ecosystem on Earth, but also one of the most threatened (1).

One of the biggest problems is overfishing: we catch more fish than nature can replenish. More than 1/3 of all global fish stocks are overfished (2).

Consequences

• Collapse of fish populations
• Disrupted food chains
• Loss of habitats
• Accelerated loss of marine biodiversity
  
  

Sources

1. Martin. (2025, September 10). Goal 14: Oceans - United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations Sustainable Development. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/
2. FAO. (2024). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2024. Food And Agriculture Organization. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/9df19f53-b931-4d04-acd3-58a71c6b1a5b/content/sofia/2022/status-of-fishery-resources.html

"The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2015."

Climate change: global temperature. (2025, May 29). NOAA https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature

What is climate change?
Climate change is the long-term shift in the average weather on Earth, primarily caused by the increase of greenhouse gases (such as CO₂) that trap heat in the atmosphere.

Why is it a problem?
The Earth is warming faster than ecosystems and societies can adapt. The natural energy balance is disrupted: more heat enters than the Earth can radiate.

Consequences

• More extreme weather: heatwaves, droughts, and storms
• Rising sea levels: floods
• Ocean acidification: ecosystems under pressure
  

"Every hour, 11 Olympic swimming pools full of plastic end up in the ocean."

Plastic soup | WWF | Cause and effect. (n.d.). - WWF.nl, https://www.wwf.nl/wat-we-doen/focus/oceanen/vervuiling/plastic-soep

What is plastic pollution?

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, from discarded bottles to microscopic particles. It ends up in rivers, oceans, and ecosystems and barely breaks down. As a result, it continuously accumulates in nature.

Why is it a problem?
Plastic production is enormous, while recycling lags far behind. Globally, we produce more than 400 million tons of plastic annually, of which less than 9% is recycled. The rest is incinerated, landfilled, or leaks into the environment (1). An estimated ~11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.

Consequences
Plastic in the ocean disrupts ecosystems and threatens marine life:

• Animals get entangled or mistake plastic for food
• Harmful substances accumulate in the food chain
  
  

Sources

• OECD (2022), Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/de747aef-en.

"1 in 11 people will go to bed hungry tonight."

733 million people in the world are hungry – The Hunger Project NL. (2024, July 25) - https://www.thehungerproject.nl/nieuws/733-miljoen-mensen-hebben-honger/


What is food security?

Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Why is the food system under pressure?
Our current food system is depleting the planet and cannot sustainably feed the growing population. Climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and intensive land use heavily impact agriculture and production.

Extent of the problem

• Globally, an estimated 733 million people are undernourished (1 in 11)
• 2.3 billion people (28.9% of the world's population) experience moderate to severe food insecurity (1)
  

Consequences

• Poor health and reduced immunity
• Prolonged deficiencies lead to stunted growth and development
• Communities facing food shortages remain trapped in poverty