Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet

Johan Rockström; Joyeeta Gupta; Timothy M. Lenton; Dahe Qin; Steven J. Lade; Jesse F. Abrams; Lisa Jacobson; Juan C. Rocha; Caroline Zimm; Xuemei Bai; Govindasamy Bala; Stefan Bringezu; Wendy Broadgate; Stuart E. Bunn; Fabrice DeClerck; Kristie L. Ebi; Peng Gong; Chris Gordon; Norichika Kanie; Diana M. Liverman; Nebojsa Nakicenovic; David Obura; Veerabhadran Ramanathan; Peter H. Verburg; Detlef P. van Vuuren; Ricarda Winkelmann

doi:10.1029/2020EF001866

Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet

Johan Rockström^*, Joyeeta Gupta, Timothy M. Lenton, Dahe Qin, Steven J. Lade, Jesse F. Abrams, Lisa Jacobson, Juan C. Rocha, Caroline Zimm, Xuemei Bai, Govindasamy Bala, Stefan Bringezu, Wendy Broadgate, Stuart E. Bunn, Fabrice DeClerck, Kristie L. Ebi, Peng Gong, Chris Gordon, Norichika Kanie, Diana M. LivermanNebojsa Nakicenovic, David Obura, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Peter H. Verburg, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Ricarda Winkelmann

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/Letter to the editor › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Keeping the Earth system in a stable and resilient state, to safeguard Earth's life support systems while ensuring that Earth's benefits, risks, and related responsibilities are equitably shared, constitutes the grand challenge for human development in the Anthropocene. Here, we describe a framework that the recently formed Earth Commission will use to define and quantify target ranges for a “safe and just corridor” that meets these goals. Although “safe” and “just” Earth system targets are interrelated, we see safe as primarily referring to a stable Earth system and just targets as being associated with meeting human needs and reducing exposure to risks. To align safe and just dimensions, we propose to address the equity dimensions of each safe target for Earth system regulating systems and processes. The more stringent of the safe or just target ranges then defines the corridor. Identifying levers of social transformation aimed at meeting the safe and just targets and challenges associated with translating the corridor to actors at multiple scales present scope for future work.

Original language	English
Article number	e2020EF001866
Pages (from-to)	1-7
Number of pages	7
Journal	Earth's Future
Volume	9
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001866
Publication status	Published - Apr 2021

Keywords

Earth system
equity
human development
stability

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10.1029/2020EF001866Licence: CC BY

2020EF001866Final published version, 538 KBLicence: CC BY

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Rockström, J., Gupta, J., Lenton, T. M., Qin, D., Lade, S. J., Abrams, J. F., Jacobson, L., Rocha, J. C., Zimm, C., Bai, X., Bala, G., Bringezu, S., Broadgate, W., Bunn, S. E., DeClerck, F., Ebi, K. L., Gong, P., Gordon, C., Kanie, N., ... Winkelmann, R. (2021). Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet. Earth's Future, 9(4), 1-7. Article e2020EF001866. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001866

@article{88983baa45e6427483e7fc9842539dc9,

title = "Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet",

abstract = "Keeping the Earth system in a stable and resilient state, to safeguard Earth's life support systems while ensuring that Earth's benefits, risks, and related responsibilities are equitably shared, constitutes the grand challenge for human development in the Anthropocene. Here, we describe a framework that the recently formed Earth Commission will use to define and quantify target ranges for a “safe and just corridor” that meets these goals. Although “safe” and “just” Earth system targets are interrelated, we see safe as primarily referring to a stable Earth system and just targets as being associated with meeting human needs and reducing exposure to risks. To align safe and just dimensions, we propose to address the equity dimensions of each safe target for Earth system regulating systems and processes. The more stringent of the safe or just target ranges then defines the corridor. Identifying levers of social transformation aimed at meeting the safe and just targets and challenges associated with translating the corridor to actors at multiple scales present scope for future work.",

keywords = "Earth system, equity, human development, stability",

author = "Johan Rockstr{\"o}m and Joyeeta Gupta and Lenton, {Timothy M.} and Dahe Qin and Lade, {Steven J.} and Abrams, {Jesse F.} and Lisa Jacobson and Rocha, {Juan C.} and Caroline Zimm and Xuemei Bai and Govindasamy Bala and Stefan Bringezu and Wendy Broadgate and Bunn, {Stuart E.} and Fabrice DeClerck and Ebi, {Kristie L.} and Peng Gong and Chris Gordon and Norichika Kanie and Liverman, {Diana M.} and Nebojsa Nakicenovic and David Obura and Veerabhadran Ramanathan and Verburg, {Peter H.} and {van Vuuren}, {Detlef P.} and Ricarda Winkelmann",

note = "Funding Information: This study was made possible through the support of Global Commons Alliance, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, with support from Oak Foundation, MAVA, Porticus, and the Global Environment Facility and the Global Challenges Foundation. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021. The Authors. Earth's Future published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1029/2020EF001866",

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pages = "1--7",

journal = "Earth's Future",

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Rockström, J, Gupta, J, Lenton, TM, Qin, D, Lade, SJ, Abrams, JF, Jacobson, L, Rocha, JC, Zimm, C, Bai, X, Bala, G, Bringezu, S, Broadgate, W, Bunn, SE, DeClerck, F, Ebi, KL, Gong, P, Gordon, C, Kanie, N, Liverman, DM, Nakicenovic, N, Obura, D, Ramanathan, V, Verburg, PH, van Vuuren, DP & Winkelmann, R 2021, 'Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet', Earth's Future, vol. 9, no. 4, e2020EF001866, pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001866

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet

AU - Rockström, Johan

AU - Gupta, Joyeeta

AU - Lenton, Timothy M.

AU - Qin, Dahe

AU - Lade, Steven J.

AU - Abrams, Jesse F.

AU - Jacobson, Lisa

AU - Rocha, Juan C.

AU - Zimm, Caroline

AU - Bai, Xuemei

AU - Bala, Govindasamy

AU - Bringezu, Stefan

AU - Broadgate, Wendy

AU - Bunn, Stuart E.

AU - DeClerck, Fabrice

AU - Ebi, Kristie L.

AU - Gong, Peng

AU - Gordon, Chris

AU - Kanie, Norichika

AU - Liverman, Diana M.

AU - Nakicenovic, Nebojsa

AU - Obura, David

AU - Ramanathan, Veerabhadran

AU - Verburg, Peter H.

AU - van Vuuren, Detlef P.

AU - Winkelmann, Ricarda

N1 - Funding Information: This study was made possible through the support of Global Commons Alliance, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, with support from Oak Foundation, MAVA, Porticus, and the Global Environment Facility and the Global Challenges Foundation. Publisher Copyright: © 2021. The Authors. Earth's Future published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Geophysical Union.

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - Keeping the Earth system in a stable and resilient state, to safeguard Earth's life support systems while ensuring that Earth's benefits, risks, and related responsibilities are equitably shared, constitutes the grand challenge for human development in the Anthropocene. Here, we describe a framework that the recently formed Earth Commission will use to define and quantify target ranges for a “safe and just corridor” that meets these goals. Although “safe” and “just” Earth system targets are interrelated, we see safe as primarily referring to a stable Earth system and just targets as being associated with meeting human needs and reducing exposure to risks. To align safe and just dimensions, we propose to address the equity dimensions of each safe target for Earth system regulating systems and processes. The more stringent of the safe or just target ranges then defines the corridor. Identifying levers of social transformation aimed at meeting the safe and just targets and challenges associated with translating the corridor to actors at multiple scales present scope for future work.

AB - Keeping the Earth system in a stable and resilient state, to safeguard Earth's life support systems while ensuring that Earth's benefits, risks, and related responsibilities are equitably shared, constitutes the grand challenge for human development in the Anthropocene. Here, we describe a framework that the recently formed Earth Commission will use to define and quantify target ranges for a “safe and just corridor” that meets these goals. Although “safe” and “just” Earth system targets are interrelated, we see safe as primarily referring to a stable Earth system and just targets as being associated with meeting human needs and reducing exposure to risks. To align safe and just dimensions, we propose to address the equity dimensions of each safe target for Earth system regulating systems and processes. The more stringent of the safe or just target ranges then defines the corridor. Identifying levers of social transformation aimed at meeting the safe and just targets and challenges associated with translating the corridor to actors at multiple scales present scope for future work.

KW - Earth system

KW - equity

KW - human development

KW - stability

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U2 - 10.1029/2020EF001866

DO - 10.1029/2020EF001866

M3 - Comment/Letter to the editor

AN - SCOPUS:85104958449

SN - 2328-4277

VL - 9

SP - 1

EP - 7

JO - Earth's Future

JF - Earth's Future

IS - 4

M1 - e2020EF001866

ER -

Identifying a Safe and Just Corridor for People and the Planet

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Keywords

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