Reconciling safe planetary targets and planetary justice: Why should social scientists engage with planetary targets?

Joyeeta Gupta ,Chris Gordon ,Chukwumerije Okereke ,Lisa Jacobson ,Margot Hurlbert ,Cristina Yumie Aoki Inoue ,Crelis Rammelt ,Ilona M Otto ,J David Tábara ,Norichika Kanie ,David Obura ,Joeri Scholtens ,Laura Pereira ,Lauren Gifford ,Diana Liverman ,Klaudia Prodani ,Xuemei Bai ,Timothy M Lenton ,Peter H Verburg ,Daniel Ciobanu

doi:10.1016/j.esg.2021.100122

Abstract

As human activity threatens to make the planet unsafe for humanity and other life forms, scholars are identifying planetary targets set at a safe distance from biophysical thresholds beyond which critical Earth systems may collapse. Yet despite the profound implications that both meeting and transgressing such targets may have for human wellbeing, including the potential for negative trade-offs, there is limited social science analysis that systematically considers the justice dimensions of such targets. Here we assess a range of views on planetary justice and present three arguments associated with why social scientists should engage with the scholarship on safe targets. We argue that complementing safe targets with just targets offers a fruitful approach for considering synergies and trade-offs between environmental and social aspirations and can inform inclusive deliberation on these important issues.

Highlights

As human activities threaten to make the planet unsafe for humanity and other life forms, scholars are identifying planetary boundaries (Rockstrom et al, 2009; Steffen et al, 2015) and safe planetary targets set at a distance from thresholds beyond which critical Earth systems may collapse
While some scholars imply that safe targets are inherently just as they aim to preserve Earth system stability for the survival of humanity (Rockstrom et al, 2009), we argue that Earth system stability for the survival or even wellbeing of humanity is not necessarily just for all humans and that safe targets may even make things worse for some
While some Earth system scientists want to identify safe targets that will ensure the functioning of the Earth system for humanity, we argue that a justice perspective requires that, for each biophysical domain, these targets avoid significant harm to humans

Summary

Introduction

As human activities threaten to make the planet unsafe for humanity and other life forms, scholars are identifying planetary boundaries (Rockstrom et al, 2009; Steffen et al, 2015) and safe planetary targets set at a distance from thresholds beyond which critical Earth systems may collapse. Our analysis builds on literature reviews, workshops of invited speakers, and feedback on presentations at several international conferences This group guides the Earth Com mission and partners in the Global Commons Alliance including the Science Based Targets Network of cities and businesses on how to integrate justice in the setting of biophysical targets and transformation. Both crossing planetary boundaries and setting safe targets has profound implications for human wellbeing. To encourage productive and systematic engagement between the social and natural sciences on safe planetary targets, we cluster justice perspectives in relation to safe tar gets; explore three arguments for why social scientists should engage with biophysical targets from a justice perspective; and briefly discuss how this can be done

Clustering justice perspectives with respect to safe planetary targets

How social scientists could engage with the scholarship on safe targets

Findings

Conclusion