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

Abstract

Living within planetary limits requires attention to justice as biophysical boundaries are not inherently just. Through collaboration between natural and social scientists, the Earth Commission defines and operationalizes Earth system justice to ensure that boundaries reduce harm, increase well-being, and reflect substantive and procedural justice. Such stringent boundaries may also affect 'just access' to food, water, energy and infrastructure. We show how boundaries may need to be adjusted to reduce harm and increase access, and challenge inequality to ensure a safe and just future for people, other species and the planet. Earth system justice may enable living justly within boundaries.Rapid Earth system changes in the Anthropocene are harming nature and humans. The Anthropocene is also marked by increasing inequalities 1 and vulnerabilities 2 . Scientists have proposed planetary boundaries, such as climate targets, to reduce global environmental risks. Within the Earth Commission, we aim to propose 'safe and just Earth system boundaries' (ESBs) that go beyond planetary boundaries as they also include a justice perspective and suggest transformations to achieve them 3 . Safe and just ESBs aim to stabilize the Earth system, protect species and ecosystems and avoid tipping points, as well as minimize 'significant harm' to people while ensuring access to resources for a dignified life and escape from poverty. If justice is not considered, the biophysical limits may not be adequate to protect current generations from significant harm. However, strict biophysical limits, such as reducing emissions or setting aside land for nature, can, for example, reduce access to food and land for vulnerable people, and should be complemented by fair sharing and management of the remaining ecological space on Earth 4 . Behavioural experiments show that people contribute to common pool resource stewardship if they see the process and outcomes as just 5 . This perspective offers an approach to Earth system justice (ESJ) that can guide and operationalize the identification of 'just ends' in terms of Earth system boundaries (ESBs) and access indicators, and 'just means' in terms of sustainability transformations. It provides a discursive shift to reframe environmental science and policy to pay attention to distributive justice 6 .

Spread of the cycles: a feedback perspective on the Anthropocene

“…However, instead the modernist notion of 'progress' equated with production may need to be abandoned in favour of a different notion of prosperity anchored in a new worldview that redefines what we depend upon-and need to politically defend-as the Earth's life-support system [115]. The resulting shift in cultural values towards cherishing our lifesupport system, quality of (all) life, and 'Earth system justice' (including multiple forms of social justice) [114], would be profound indeed.…”

Whose growth in whose planetary boundaries? Decolonising planetary justice in the Anthropocene

“…Some have called this earth system justice (Gupta et al, 2021), whereby the focus has been on greater integration of social sciences with frameworks on planetary boundaries drawn from the natural sciences. The more recent focus on justice as being integral to 'safe space' demonstrates a shift in theorising and increased interdisciplinary collaborations (Gupta et al, 2023;Rockström et al, 2023). 3 Social scientists have paid critical attention to multifaceted concerns around planetary justice (Dryzek & Pickering, 2018), most notably planetary ethics (Biermann & Kalfagianni, 2020) and pro-poor planetary justice (Kashwan et al, 2020).…”

“…Nevertheless, this emergent literature is neither homogeneous nor settled. For example, the dominant focus has primarily been on distributive justice in planetary justice scholarship, in which respect Gupta et al (2023) and Rockström et al (2023) recently posited that adjusting boundaries and limits to reduce harm and increase access needs to also account for substantive and procedural justice for those who have been oppressed. Reflecting recent critiques, they flag that interspecies, intergenerational and intragenerational justice need greater attention.…”

“…Some have called this earth system justice (Gupta et al, 2021), whereby the focus has been on greater integration of social sciences with frameworks on planetary boundaries drawn from the natural sciences. The more recent focus on justice as being integral to ‘safe space’ demonstrates a shift in theorising and increased interdisciplinary collaborations (Gupta et al, 2023; Rockström et al, 2023). 3…”

Accelerating transformations for a just, sustainable future: 10 ‘Must Haves’

“…This Initiative is predicated upon a foundational vision of intra- and inter-generational and interspecies justice, where all are not only able to meet their basic needs, but have the opportunity to thrive in a sustainable relationship with Earth's life-supporting systems [e.g. see Gupta et al, 2023]. )…”