Policy recommendation on transforming energy, land use, production and consumption to safeguard Global Commons

Background of the Policy Recommendation

If transformative changes in energy use, land use, production and consumption patterns were implemented jointly, the climate, ice cover, oceans, ozone layer and land biosphere could all be safeguarded together, maintaining the integrity of the Global Commons, and keeping within the safe space of the Planetary Boundaries. The new Global Commons Stewardship report is a joint work of the Center for Global Commons (CGC) and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). It delivers an integrated assessment of the effects of those transformative changes and how they interact with each other.
Human activities have already pushed several planetary systems beyond the safe operating space defined by the Planetary Boundaries. Transformation of human activity and systems would allow for a reversal of this degradation of Global Commons – the shared resources that enable well-functioning ecosystem services – to levels very close to or within the Planetary Boundaries by 2050. Key measures include rapidly decarbonizing the electricity sector via renewable energy, electrifying public transport, shifting towards sustainable diets, cutting food waste by half, and enhancing material efficiency within the steel, cement, and chemical sectors. The report finds that an integrated, comprehensive design of policies is needed to safeguard the Global Commons effectively.

This report is the most recent iteration of collaborative efforts under CGC’s Global Commons Stewardship Initiative, launched in 2020 with international partners.

Transforming human systems to safeguard the Global Commons:
https://cgc.ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GCS_report_2024.pdf

The full report can be downloaded below.

Policy Recommendation(PDF)