• 2024.05.27 ｜

  Paper

  Center for Global Commons (CGC)

Transforming Global Production and Consumption for Earth’s Safe Operating Space
A new report by the Center for Global Commons, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, “Global Commons Stewardship Index 2024 (4^th edition)”

The Center for Global Commons (CGC) at the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, has released a new report, “Global Commons Stewardship Index 2024 (4^th edition): Transforming Global Production and Consumption for Earth’s Safe Operating Space”.
Human activities are jeopardizing the stability and resilience of the global commons, which provide the foundation for humanity’s prosperity and future well-being. Recent research indicates that six of nine critical planetary boundaries have been crossed. The fourth edition of the Global Commons Stewardship Index (GCS Index) Report provides updated data on domestic impacts and international spillovers affecting the global commons. This report, built on the latest research and modeling tools in industrial ecology and environmental science, aims to support policymakers in safeguarding the global commons.

Global production and consumption systems are destabilizing the Earth’s systems, with G20 countries being major contributors. Australia, Canada, and the United States have the highest negative impacts per capita, while China, the United States, and the EU score the worst in absolute terms. G20 countries are responsible for over 70% of global GHG emissions and deforestation through international trade, with no country achieving both high human development (HDI*) and low impact on the global commons.
Environmental stress from trade is significant, accounting for over 30% of GHG emissions and 50% of deforestation and water stress in many countries. For instance, over a third of the GHG emissions in South Korea, Japan, UK, and the EU are trade-related. Over half of the deforestation caused by Germany, India, Turkey, and others occurs outside their borders. Furthermore, more than half of the scarce water consumed in the EU, Japan, Australia, and other nations happens abroad to meet domestic consumption needs. Practical strategies to protect the global commons must address these substantial trade-based spillovers, requiring robust data and metrics.
There is no global governance mechanism to address the impacts of unsustainable global supply chains effectively. It is urgent to develop effective governance frameworks based on scientific data and insights. The Villars Framework for a Sustainable Global Trade System, published in 2023, is a significant step forward. The 2024 GCS Index report, released ahead of key international events, provides valuable data and statistics to help define policies and pathways to reduce domestic and international impacts on the global commons, guiding policymakers to focus on these critical challenges.

The GCS Index is part of a larger suite of instruments and reports prepared under the leadership of the Center for Global Commons at the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives since 2020, in cooperation with SDSN, the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, SYSTEMIQ, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and the World Resources Institute, to inform data and policy priorities to safeguard the Global Commons.

*The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living.