Need for Global Action to Protect Nature

Landmark Documentary Series Our Planet Highlights Need for Global Action to Protect Nature, says WWF

“Greater awareness is vital to tackling issues as research shows only half (49%) of people in 10 countries are very convinced biodiversity -the total variety of all life on earth - is in decline.” - WWF

Gland, 5 April 2019 - As the long-awaited eight-part documentary series Our Planet, voiced by Sir David Attenborough, becomes available on Netflixglobally today, a new survey[1] for the conservation organisation shows that only half (49% ) of people across 10 of the world’s most biodiverse ountries are very convinced biodiversity -- our ‘safety net’ or ‘web of life’ -- is in decline. Just 39% realise that we depend on nature and biodiversity for key elements of life, such as food, water and clean air.

WWF is calling on the public to stand up for the planet and is asking global leaders to address our nature emergency by working together to develop a global plan of action, a New Deal for Nature and People.

Despite the lack of widespread awareness of the crisis our planet is facing, the survey showed a majority of respondents (70%) across the 10 countries feel personally responsible for protecting nature and biodiversity. Sixty-five percent say commitment from their governments to protect it is insufficient. The importance of protecting biodiversity for future generations is also considered as crucial to the majority (80%), while climate change, deforestation, and river and ocean pollution are seen as biodiversity’s biggest threats.

The figures highlight the importance of the global conversation that is being sparked by the ground breaking Our Planet Netflix series, created in collaboration with WWF and produced by Silverback Films, and aiming to reach millions of people to create a pivotal moment for nature. Thousands of people all over the world are adding their voices and calling for action via an online spinning globe demonstrating the scale of the movement worldwide. Go to www.ourplanet.com/voice/.

WWF Ambassador and naturalist Sir David Attenborough who narrates the series said: “Today we have become the greatest threat to the health of our home but there’s still time for us to address the challenges we’ve created, if we act now. If people can truly understand what is at stake, I believe they will expect business and governments to get on with the practical solutions. And as a species we are expert problem-solvers. But we haven’t yet applied ourselves to this problem with the focus it requires. We can create a world with clean air and water, unlimited energy, and fish stocks that will sustain us well into the future.”

The Our Planet project launches at a critical time when our nature and wildlife is under threat like never before. Recent figures[2] from WWF’s Living Planet Report 2018 show that global populations of vertebrate species have, on average, declined by 60 per cent since 1970 – less than a lifetime.

Colin Butfield, Executive Director of WWF-UK and Conservation Advisor for Our Planet, said: “We’re the first generation to know the full impact of what we’re doing to our planet, and the last that has the chance to do anything about it. If people around the world speak out and say our planet is worth protecting, our leaders will have no choice but to listen. We hope Our Planet will spark one of the most important conversations of our time - about the one home we all share.”

Through Our Planet initiative, WWF is taking the opportunity to raise awareness, educate, and shift attitudes towards conservation. An array of free online resources at OurPlanet.com have been created to help people of all ages understand the importance of Earth’s habitats and how they can help safeguard them for people and wildlife for generations to come. The website is focused around the eight biomes (regions of the world with similar climate, animals and plants) introduced in the series and enables visitors to take a deep dive into the most pressing challenges and solutions facing our natural world.

OurPlanet.com will also provide a wealth of educational resources for schools, youth groups and families to engage young people in the global conversation around the series. These include downloadable classroom materials and guides for educators, an ‘Our Planet Live’ platform offering live link-ups with experts for classrooms all around the world, and a ground-breaking free nature ID app called Seek, developed for Our Planet by iNaturalist, which helps budding naturalists to gain a better understanding of their local environment and global biodiversity.

Visit OurPlanet.com to view the ‘How Biodiversity Works’ film and find out more about why biodiversity is so important to our planet.

Go to OurPlanet.com to go behind-the-scenes of the Our Planet Netflix series and find out how you can help our planet to thrive again by adding your voice calling for urgent action, make a pledge, and be part of an interactive journey exploring our astonishing planet through an explorable globe.

Follow Our Planet on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and be part of the conversation with #ShareOurPlanet:

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