What businesses and cities must do to stay within “safe and just” environmental limits for carbon, water, nutrients, land and other natural resources is the subject of a new series of recommendations by Earth Commission experts. is.

Authors from academic institutions, including the University of Exeter Business School, are publishing critical knowledge gaps for researchers to help cities and businesses operate within the limits of the Earth system. Nature.

This comes ahead of an Earth Commission report due next year outlining a set of ‘Earth System Boundaries’ (ESBs) based on the latest science, modeling and literature review. .

A decade ago, scientists predicted a series of “safe” human activities in nine areas: climate change, the biosphere, nutrients, water, land use, ocean acidification, ozone depletion, aerosols, and new entities. defined the planetary boundaries of -Undefined ESB adds a social justice dimension, ensuring that quantified boundaries are ‘fair’ and ‘safe’.

Researchers will identify what cities and businesses must do to keep the world within the ESB, assessing the sharing of responsibilities against the global budget for carbon, water, nutrients, land and other natural resources. I argue that we need to develop methods to help and set goals to protect them.

The authors advocate “science-based goals”, arguing that goals must be “measurable, actionable, and time-bound,” and currently set science-based goals. It points out that there are very few cities or companies, only the top 200 cities with the highest emissions. 110 countries have “net zero” pledges in line with the Paris Agreement.

First author Xuemei Bai, Distinguished Professor in the Fenner School of Environmental and Social Studies at the Australian National University and a member of the Earth Commission, said: “It’s a long way to go, but humanity needs to stay within the planet’s limited budget. Yes, socially just ways of allocating natural resources and responsibilities are essential to respecting them.”

“Cities and businesses are key contributors to planetary-level change, but they also play an important role in solutions. There are gaps and our recommendations seek to fill those gaps.”

Co-author Gail Whiteman, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, said, “Their study uses science-based constraints to synergistically target urban hot spots within the boundaries of the Earth system. It provides a strong basis for ground-breaking joint action by businesses and cities to address the current silos of corporate and city goals. Initiatives such as the Commission and the Science-Based Goals Network unite the ESB and encourage joint action.”

Co-author Johan Rockström, co-chair of the Earth Commission and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said: “The boundaries of the Earth system are linked, so we need to coordinate our goals. Domain-focused measures are either beneficial or harmful to others.”

“Climate change, for example, relies on terrestrial processes such as methane emissions from thawing permafrost and weakened carbon uptake by deforestation. Several pressure points combine to reach tipping points faster. can.”

Co-author Syil Kurkush, Senior Research Fellow at the Turkish Council for Scientific and Technological Research, said: He is 360 of the top 500 emitters. “

“Across domains, more than 50% of these cities and companies are located in water-stressed areas such as Mexico City, Santiago, Beijing, Madrid, New Delhi, Rome, Istanbul, Turkey and Phoenix, Arizona.”

Co-author Anders Bjørn, a postdoctoral fellow at the Technical University of Denmark, said: It is more important than national pledges and requires more action from policy makers at many levels. We must step up and do our part to protect the boundaries of the Earth system.

Erin Billman, Executive Director, Science Based Targets Network, said: Freshwater, land, sea and biodiversity. “

The authors highlight seven recommendations for researchers aiming to transform ESBs into tangible steps for cities and companies.

1. Development of common procedures

Principles and procedures should be developed to clarify methods, indicators, assumptions and uncertainties. Without such clarity, cities and businesses may seek to minimize their liability and maximize the resources they claim. Powerful actors can have undue influence.

2. Focus on interactions

Since the boundaries of the Earth system are linked, we need to coordinate our targets. For example, climate change depends on land processes, from methane emissions from thawing permafrost to weakened carbon uptake by deforestation. Researchers should identify key activities across multiple her ESBs and assess what targeting them can achieve.

3. Recognize the dynamics

Most goals focus on a specific date, such as 2030 or 2050. But the route is important. For example, a linear reduction in carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 would do less warming than keeping it high for the next decade and then a steep decline. Researchers need to develop an agile approach of time-sensitive and dynamic goal setting that allows regular checks, adjustments, and updates.

4. Distribute for justice and fairness

Goals should reflect socioeconomic conditions such as income and consumption levels, environmental impacts and behavioral capacities. For example, cities with higher levels of consumption and higher past emissions and incomes will arguably have to adopt tougher targets than others.

5. Support oversight and accountability

Much work needs to be done to support oversight and accountability. Initiatives such as the new International Sustainability Standards Board are working with interdisciplinary scientists to ensure that the proposed Global Baseline of Sustainability-Related Disclosure Standards explicitly links cities and companies to ESBs. We recommend that you check An independent audit system is also required.

6. Establish governance mechanisms

New policies and regulations will be needed to encourage or require cities and businesses to adopt the targets. One approach is to recognize each ESB domain as a global commons. On climate change, the United Nations may launch an intergovernmental panel to urge governments to require large cities and companies to set science-based targets. There is no guarantee that this will solve the problem, but it will put the ESB on the policy agenda.

7. Incentive design

Widespread adoption of science-based target setting by cities and businesses is essential. These targets can encourage and incentivize governments to follow suit. You can publish quality trademarks for your products and services, such as “Kitemarks” and positive labels, to raise awareness and encourage others. Financial incentives need to be expanded and expanded.