THE YEAR 2024 CLOSE WITH A NEGATIVE BUDGET FOR THE PLANET. INCREASINGLY EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS, THE DECLINE OF BIODIVERSITY AND THE KILLING OF ANIMAL SPECIES HAVE DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BUDGET. BUT LUCKNOWLY THERE IS NOT ONLY BAD NEWS. NEW NATURALIST DISCOVERIES AND PROGRESS IN SOME SUSTAINABILITY AREAS ARE UNDOUBTEDLY POSITIVE SIGNS. WWF ANALYSIS
A new sad record for global warming
2024 was likely the hottest year on record, with global temperatures more than 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels. The climate crisis has manifested itself in the form of extreme events around the world. From drought to devastating floods and approximately two thousand serious climatic events, calculated up to and including September.
In Italy there is the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change PNACCremains steadfast, a sign of serious institutional inaction in the face of an urgent problem. Making the situation worse is the loss of tropical forests, the beating heart of our planet’s climate balance. The highest number of fires ever recorded since 2007 occurred in the Amazon, especially in Bolivia.
Endangered species and fires are exacerbating the toll
The loss of biodiversity has been confirmed by Living Planet Report 2024edited by WWF and ZSL (Zoological Society of London), indicating an average decline of 73% in vertebrate populations over the past 50 years. To make the situation even worse in Europe, the extinction of some animal species has been confirmed. The wolf is at risk of losing its particularly strict protection.
COP 29 in Baku: disappointing result
The COP 29 in Baku on climate ended with a disappointing outcome given the very modest increase in financing for developing countries to enable them to deal with transition and adaptation. Even the COP 16 on biodiversity held last October in Colombia betrayed expectations: the countries attending the Conference of the Parties did not find agreement to provide the economic resources necessary to achieve the objectives of biodiversity protection.
Even on an issue where there seemed to have been a positive acceleration at global level, the fight against the spread of plastic in nature, which also poses a threat to human health, saw the Global Convention concluded without an agreement: the fifth round of negotiations that would finally end plastic pollution, he postponed everything until 2025.
Europe has also shown signs of retreat, with delays in the implementation of the anti-deforestation regulation and a Green deal less and less sharp.
Negative balance also in our country
In Italy, the institutions have further increased the protection of nature on the planet. A clear example comes from the decree proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, which penalizes organic farming.
In the field of biodiversity, the European Union is facing the extinction of a bird species for the first time: the curlew, a bird once common in Italy, was declared extinct after its tracks disappeared in the mid-1990s. . Its disappearance is due to the draining of wetlands and intensive hunting, which is a wake-up call for future risks.
To further deteriorate the picture of our planet, the recent killing of the M91 bear in Trentino highlights the risks to the survival of large carnivores in Italy and the need for a greater commitment to sustainable coexistence between human activities and wildlife animals.
Also positive discoveries in this 2024 budget
Despite everything, 2024 saw extraordinary naturalistic discoveries, such as a 300-year-old coral reef in the Pacific Ocean and new animal and plant species in the Congo Basin and the Mekong. In Europe, the number of Iberian lynx has increased thanks to conservation projects, and in Italy there has been a record number of nests of the Caretta caretta tortoise. Furthermore, the Nature Restoration Act The European Union represents a concrete hope for the recovery of degraded ecosystems.
Renewable energy is one of the positive aspects
The growth of renewable energy is one of the most positive signs. By 2030, renewable energy sources could meet half of the world’s electricity demand, while countries such as Albania and Bhutan already produce almost 100% from clean sources. However, Italy still has two coal-fired power stations in Sardinia that could remain active until 2028. On a legal level, the historic ruling of the ECtHR European Convention on Human Rightsagainst the climate, inaction has paved the way for new legal challenges in Europe.
Sustainable nutrition in a positive way
There was one in 2024 record increase in vegetarians and vegans in Italy, despite government policies that have hindered the development of sustainable alternatives such as cultured meat. Sales of organic products continue to grow, with organic agricultural land accounting for almost a fifth of the total. However, the problem of obesity and unhealthy eating styles remains critical with only 5% of Italians following the Mediterranean diet correctly.
