Below is the introduction to our latest newsletter. To read newsletters in full, sign up now or subscribe on Linkedin.
Dear Planetary Steward, Dear friend of the Global Commons Alliance,
On July 22nd, Earth experienced its warmest day in recent history, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service data, pushing people and ecosystems to the brink. That heat, which became deadly in some places, is now being experienced on a regular basis by more and more of us. Over the last 12 months 6.3 billion people (about 78% of the global population) experienced at least 31 days of extreme heat, which is made at least two times more likely due to human-caused climate change. This stunning New York Times explainer on heat and how it’s leading us towards tipping points, informed by science from the Earth Commission and others, is well worth a look.
Adapting to a heating planet is just as critical as mitigating the emissions and harm to nature that are causing it. An all-of-society effort is required to change course. In September the Earth Commission’s new flagship paper on the Safe and Just Earth System Boundaries will be published in a major scientific journal, providing new guidance for the necessary course correction. This paper deepens our understanding of the boundaries, which consider the planet’s resilience, with a particular focus on justice across—and within—generations and species. It details where on the planet these boundaries are breached, and shows how this overlaps with the vulnerability of people exposed to, for example, harm from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and water shortages. Crucially, it also identifies the just transformations needed to set us on course for a liveable future: one that, if we act now, can help create a safer, more stable planet for us to live on, and more just societies for us to thrive in. Please keep your eyes on all our social channels from September 11th when we’ll begin sharing the findings from this critical research.
Also in September, we will release the second set of data from our survey with Earth4All and IPSOS Mori on attitudes to the global commons and economic transformations. The new data, set to be released in the first week of September, will show how the G20 public feel about the state of the planet today and some of the ways they think we should deal with the currently escalating damage to climate and nature. We’re holding an exclusive preview of these findings on September 3rd at 3pm CEST, just ahead of their public release. If you’d like an invite for this, please contact Mamata Dash.
Many of our team will be attending NYC Climate Week in New York and very much hope to see you there. Full details of all our events will be shared in our September newsletter.
Thank you so much for being part of our community and for reading our newsletter.
With all our best,
The Global Commons Alliance team.
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