In 2090, scientists confirm that the human-caused extinction rate is now below 0.001 percent per year—a milestone that once seemed unimaginable. After decades of urgent warnings about biodiversity loss, the data show that sustained conservation, technological innovation, and global cooperation are changing the course of life on Earth. As the World Wildlife Fund explains, tackling drivers like habitat destruction, overexploitation, and climate change proves essential in reversing species decline.
From crisis to coordinated action
For most of the 21st century, the extinction rate was more than 1,000 times higher than natural background levels, prompting scientists to describe a sixth mass extinction. By 2090, that trajectory shifts. Governments expand protected areas, enforce anti-poaching laws, and restore ecosystems on a massive scale. Businesses align their supply chains with sustainability goals, while communities embrace regenerative agriculture and rewilding projects. The Natural History Museum reports that it is these overlapping efforts that bend the curve.
Science transforms conservation
New tools allow researchers to act quickly before species disappear. Genetic screening, satellite monitoring, and open biodiversity databases enable scientists to track populations in real time. This precision makes it possible to verify that the extinction rate is now at historically low levels. As Live Science notes, better data ensures that conservation resources reach the places where they are most needed, fueling early successes that inspire further action.
The benefits of a living planet
The rebound of species and ecosystems has cascading benefits. Pollinator populations strengthen food systems. Restored forests absorb carbon, stabilizing the climate. Healthy wetlands protect communities from floods while also supporting fisheries. According to The Guardian, renewed biodiversity boosts not only ecological resilience but also cultural and spiritual well-being, as people feel more connected to thriving landscapes.
Why this milestone matters
Reaching an extinction rate below 0.001 percent does not mean all threats are gone. Climate change, invasive species, and pollution continue to require vigilance. But the achievement of 2090 demonstrates that human choices reverse even the most dire trends. It shows that despair is never the only option and that restoring balance between people and nature is both possible and underway.
More Milestones
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Humanity eradicates malaria
Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants. However, through the widespread dissemination of a vaccine developed in the 2020s and other mechanisms, global efforts to eradicate perhaps the deadliest disease known to humanity finally find resounding success. In the 20th century alone, malaria claimed between 150 million and 300 million lives, accounting for 2-5% of all deaths globally. By the halfway point of the 21st century, these deaths had been effectively eliminated.
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Humanity reaches peak food waste
Though food waste rose for decades as more people around the world grew more affluent (and thus more willing and able to waste), total global food waste finally begins to decline due to new policies and increased consumer awareness.
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Humanity ends the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Through the development of effective, safe vaccines and treatment plans and reliable ways to send care to poor and rural populations, the world’s nations effectively eliminate HIV as a cause of death worldwide. As of 2023, over 42 million people had died of HIV-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic. By the 2050s, such deaths become mostly a thing of the past.
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Humanity achieves 100% renewable energy
In a stunning transformation, the global community completes the transition to 100% renewable energy, a monumental feat accomplished in just a matter of decades. By powering our lives and economies with clean sources like solar and wind, we not only save billions of human and non-human lives but also secure a livable, sustainable planet for generations to come. This incredible journey demonstrates that global cooperation and bold innovation can overcome our greatest challenges.
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Global commitment to Vision Zero principles achieves 50% drop in traffic fatalities since 1995
The adoption of Vision Zero principles represents a monumental global achievement in public safety. This human-centered approach to road safety has led to a $50 reduction in traffic fatalities worldwide […]