Securing a safe and just corridor for humanity
A global temperature rise of 1.5C is a biophysical limit that is likely to be breached for the first time in the next five years. In this context, a safe and just corridor for climate, land, biodiversity, freshwater and atmosphere could be established to accelerate human well-being and planetary stability.
Join Qin Dahe from the Chinese Academy of Science and Xuemei Bai from Australia National University to explore how science is informing a new generation of interconnected science-based targets to avoid dangerous tipping points and ensure a future in which humans and nature can thrive.
Context
The climate crisis, extreme weather and ecosystem collapse are identified in the Global Risks report 2023 as the biggest threats to humanity’s long-term future. Breaching 1.5°C could trigger multiple climate tipping points in the Earth System risking further tipping cascades, exacerbating inequality around the world and diminishing human wellbeing. We are currently on a trajectory to well above that limit. Scientifically, this is not only a climate crisis, but a planetary and human justice crisis.
Objective
This BetaZone raises awareness and supports swift public-private action to return to safe and just Earth system boundaries. We are already outside most of the safe boundaries and all of the just boundaries – with implications for both the civilization of humans alive today, and the future of life on our planet.
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