The 2024 Earth Commission report outlines safe and just Earth-system boundaries, highlighting urgent action for global equity and sustainability.
This landmark report by the Earth Commission, published in The Lancet Planetary Health in September 2024, presents a comprehensive framework for defining "safe and just" Earth-system boundaries (ESBs). These boundaries are designed to maintain the planet’s biophysical stability while addressing inequalities that exacerbate harm to vulnerable populations. The concept of a safe and just corridor lies at the heart of this work, outlining the conditions needed for sustainable development and global equity.
The Safe and Just Corridor: A Guiding Framework
The report introduces the concept of the safe and just corridor, which represents the space within which humanity can thrive without overstepping planetary boundaries or compromising justice. The ceiling of this corridor is determined by ESBs, which limit human pressures on key Earth-system processes to prevent destabilization. The base is defined by the minimum resources needed for human dignity and escape from poverty, such as food, water, and energy.
Earth-System Boundaries (ESBs)
The Commission defines eight ESBs across five domains:
Climate: Limit warming to 1°C to minimize harm to human health and ecosystems. Current warming exceeds 1.1°C, already threatening millions globally.
Biosphere Integrity:
Maintain at least 50–60% of the Earth’s surface in a largely intact state to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Ensure functional integrity with 20–25% of semi-natural vegetation in human-modified landscapes to support pollination, soil health, and water regulation.
Freshwater Systems:
Surface water flow alterations should not exceed 20%, ensuring adequate water quality and ecosystem health.
Groundwater extraction must not surpass recharge rates to maintain aquifer stability.
Nutrient Cycles (Nitrogen and Phosphorus): Nitrogen surplus must remain below 57 Tg/year, while phosphorus inputs should stay under 9 Tg/year to prevent eutrophication and biodiversity loss.
Aerosols and Air Quality: Annual mean aerosol levels should not exceed thresholds to reduce air pollution’s health impacts, particularly in vulnerable regions.
Key Findings: A Planet in Crisis
The report reveals that seven of the eight ESBs have already been transgressed, with severe implications for human and planetary health.
Over 86% of the global population lives in areas where at least two ESBs are breached.
Climate, biodiversity, and nutrient cycles are among the most critically overstepped boundaries, creating cascading risks for ecosystems and societies.
The impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, exacerbating global inequalities.
Justice in Earth-System Management
The report emphasizes the integration of justice principles into ESB governance:
Interspecies Justice: Protect biodiversity and ecosystem services essential for all life.
Intergenerational Justice: Address the ecological debts inherited from past generations.
Intragenerational Justice: Ensure equitable access to resources and reduce harm to marginalized communities.
Achieving justice requires systemic transformations, including redistributing resources and responsibilities, incorporating Indigenous knowledge, and addressing structural inequalities.
Systemic Transformations: Pathways to a Sustainable Future
The Commission calls for transformations in key systems:
Food and Agriculture: Shift toward sustainable practices that enhance biodiversity and reduce emissions.
Energy: Accelerate transitions to renewable energy sources and improve energy equity.
Urban and Business Practices: Implement ESB-aligned resource budgets, prioritizing cities and corporations as key change agents.
The report also highlights the importance of cross-scale translation, adapting global ESBs to local contexts for actionable governance.
A Call to Action
The report concludes that achieving a safe and just future requires immediate action to halt ESB transgressions while addressing global inequities. Without systemic change, humanity risks further destabilization of the planet’s life-support systems and exacerbating harm to billions worldwide.
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