Changing the way we live

Globally, people are using about 25% more natural resources than the planet can replace and in Wales we’re consuming nearly three times our fair share of the planet’s natural resources. We face an ‘ecological overshoot’ that will have severe consequences for both people and nature unless we humans change the way we live.

Although advances in technology have helped people to produce things more efficiently, the benefits have been swamped by ever-higher levels of consumption by affluent Western economies and the growing middle classes in the developing world.

Some 70% of humanity’s global footprint arises from carbon emissions; other pressures are linked to commodities such as crops, meat, fish and wood, and the freshwater we take from rivers and lakes.

WWF Cymru is seeking a One Planet Wales where both people and nature thrive within their fair share of what’s available.  With an established track record in supporting the development of sustainable lifestyles, WWF Cymru is well placed to provide leadership in helping to reduce Wales' footprint and supporting other countries to do the same.

"Our very future depends upon our ability to live within the limits of the earth's natural resources, yet since the 1980s human demand has been exceeding the earth's ability to replenish and absorb. To meet the unprecedented global challenges we have before us, we need a shared vision and a shared plan. A vision, whereby everyone in Wales by 2050, can enjoy a high quality life, using our fair share of the earth's resources,"  - Anne Meikle, Head of WWF Cymru.