Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries



Juan C. Rocha
Associate Professor, Stockholm University



Paper: Rockström, et al 2023 Nature
Slides: juanrocha.se/presentations/safe_and_just

Inspired by… but improved

9 planetary boundaries, some of them qunatified

Rockström et al, 2009 Nature

7/8 globally quantified ESBs and at least two regional ESBs in over half of global land area are already exceeded.

Gupta et al, 2024 LancetPH

Gupta et al, 2024 LancetPH

Gupta et al, 2024 LancetPH

Translating ESBs to cities and companies

  • Developing translating protocols: methods and their pitfalls
  • Different ways to split the cake and share responsibility
  • All have a role to play
  • Empowering cities, countries and buisnesses to do their part

Bai et al, 2024 Nature Sustainability

Conclusions

  • ESBs for maintaining the resilience and stability of the Earth while minimizing exposure to significant harm: a necessary but not sufficient condition for justice
  • Seven of eight globally quantified ESBs and at least two regional ones are already exceeded
  • Over half of the planet is at risk (but oceans not assessed)
  • Quantitative foundation for translation and transformations