Researchers find that achieving access to minimum resources and services for all whilst safeguarding the stability of the Earth system requires redistribution and societal transformations.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability, an international team of scientists from the Earth Commission, convened by Future Earth, investigates the Earth system impacts of escaping poverty and achieving a dignified life for all. The research was inspired by discussions on potential trade-offs between achieving social and environmental goals. 

This new research comes ahead of an associated Earth Commission report due out in early 2023 that will outline a range of ‘Earth System Boundaries’ (ESBs) to safeguard a stable and resilient planet and underpin the setting of science-based targets for businesses, cities and governments. The Earth Commission is the scientific cornerstone of the Global Commons Alliance.

The authors conclude that redistributing resources and transforming society are key to ensuring universal access to basic needs while staying within Earth’s limits. These transformations include redistribution and improvements to water, food, infrastructure and energy provisioning systems. 

The study asked: what would be the additional pressures on the Earth system, in 2018, if adequate minimum access to food, water, energy and infrastructure was achieved? The authors looked beyond the international poverty line and instead defined ‘just access’ as minimum per capita requirements that would allow people to lead a dignified life and escape poverty. Their analysis showed an increase of pressures on the Earth’s natural systems, raising greenhouse gas emissions by 26% whilst raising water and land use, and nutrient pollution by 2-5%.

The analysis also showed that these pressures, arising from the poorest third of humanity achieving adequate resource access, equalled the pressures caused by the wealthiest 1-4%. It provides scientific evidence for concluding that in order to achieve societal and environmental goals, it is the wealthy (who appropriate the bulk of Earth’s resources and ecosystems – not those escaping poverty) who need to undergo transformative change. The authors therefore link the ‘Great Acceleration’ of rapid increases in human-driven environmental impacts with a ‘Great Inequality’. 

Lead author, Crelis Rammelt, Environmental Geography and Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam and Earth Commission expert says; “Our research is important because many people assume that meeting the needs of the poorest is possible without major redistributions and transformations in society.”  

“We show that in 2018 – so with 2018 levels of inequalities, technologies and behaviors – providing dignified lives for the poor would have led to further crossing of Earth system boundaries, especially for climate.”  

“However, it is important to frame these potential impacts in the context of wider inequalities in resource use and environmental impacts today. It is the wealthy who appropriate the bulk of the Earth’s resources, not the poor” Rammelt continued.

Wendy Broadgate, Global Hub Director (Sweden) for Future Earth says, “It is clear that we need to address inequalities and justice to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This research highlights the deep societal transformations needed to tackle overconsumption. This transformation is essential to secure fair access to the global commons for all, whilst ensuring the stability of the planet. This work is a key contribution to the Earth Commission’s forthcoming report defining safe and just Earth system boundaries.”

Read more from the authors on the Earth Commission website:

Read the full article in Nature Sustainability here.

Access the full press release here.