Planetary boundaries must include justice, say researchers

Humankind is crossing more and more planetary boundaries. To change this trend, one must consider justice in light of such boundaries. This is the central message of a new Earth Commission article published in Nature Sustainability.

The authors argue that it is important to include justice implications when designing pathways that help us stay within boundaries.

“While it is important to establish boundaries for climate change, biodiversity, water, and pollution that ensure a stable and safe earth system, we also need to consider how such boundaries can also be just in minimising harm to humans and nature,” says co-author Diana Liverman, Earth Commissioner and professor at the University of Arizona.

Earth system justice

In the article, the authors, including centre researchers Steven Lade, Juan Rocha, Laura Pereira and Johan Rockström, define a new theoretical framework: the concept of Earth system justice. In this new framework, they integrate methods to reduce harm to people, increase access to resources, address tradeoffs and challenge powerful interests whilst addressing inequality between generations and between humans and nature within discussions on Earth system boundaries.

“If we are to achieve truly just and sustainable futures, we need to grapple with what justice means in an Earth system and how it can be put into practice,” says centre researcher and Earth Commission associate Juan Rocha, who is one of the co-authors.

At the core of Earth system justice, the researchers consider the need for justice among present nations, communities and individuals (so-called intragenerational Justice), justice for future generations (intergenerational justice) and for other living things and Earth system stability.

Just access to resources

To operationalise the framework, they evaluate if safe ecological and physical Earth system boundaries reduce harm to the most vulnerable while ensuring 'just access’ to food, water, energy and infrastructure.

The research comes ahead of an associated Earth Commission report due in early 2023 that defines safe and just Earth system boundaries to safeguard a stable and resilient planet. These boundaries will underpin the setting of new science-based targets for businesses, cities and governments to address the poly-crises of: increasing human exposure to the climate emergency, biodiversity decline, and mass extinction of species that threaten the stability of the planet.

READ Earth system justice needed to identify and live within Earth system boundaries