overview of the big emerging sustainability issues:

Overview of theBIG

EMERGINGsustainability issues:

Rockstrom, J. et. al. (2009) “A safe operating space for humanity”, Nature 461, 472-475

Planetary Boundaries:

Planetary Boundaries: A Safe Operating Space for Humanity

Professor Johan Rockström, Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University:

“Human pressure on the Earth System has reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded.

“Transgressing planetary boundaries may be devastating for humanity, but if we respect them we have a bright future for centuries ahead”.

Rockstrom, J. et. al. (2009) “A safe operating space for humanity”, Nature 461, 472-475

Planetary Boundaries:

Climate change:

Change in global average surface temperature:

Source: International Scientific Congress Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions - Synthesis Report (2009)

Change in ocean heat since 1951


Greenland Seasonal Ice Melt

200520021992

Source: © 2005 ACIA

Photo: Roger J. Braithwaite,University of ManchesterSchool of Geology

Change mass of Greenland ice sheet, 2003 to 2008


Change in sea level from 1970 to 2008


Prediction of global mean sea level rise of 1m (+/- 0.5m) this century

...double IPCC predictions from 2007.

Stern Review

Source: Stern Review on The Economics of Climate Change (2006)

Risky business:

• Odds of surviving a round of Russian Roulette

– 5 in 6

• Odds of surviving a climb of MtEverest

– 9 in 10

• Odds of surviving a plane journey

- 999,999 in 1,000,000

• Odds UK Government is prepared for preventing “dangerous climate change”

– 44 in 100

Stern ReviewSource: Stern Review on The Economics of Climate Change (2006)

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Think;

‘Biodiversity’

Think;

‘Biodiversity loss’

How do you feel?

Think;

‘Climate Change’

How do you feel?

Linkages between ecosystem services and human wellbeing

Interactions between

biodiversity,

ecosystem services, human

well-being and drivers of change

The Economic of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB):

The Stern Review :

• cost of tackling climate change would be in the region of 1-2% of global GDP

• longer term benefits would be 5-20 times that figure

TEEB:

• costs of protecting the planet’s ecosystems will be higher, but so will the benefits; between 10 and 100 times the cost of protection

Resource Use

Four facets of the crisis

1. Climate

2. Land

3. Water

4. Materials

(biodiversity can be viewed as resource, which is being eroded through variety of causes)

The Land crisis

“Buy land, they’re not making it any more”Mark Twain

We rely on land within the UK, but also import ‘virtual land’ in products we buy from abroad

e.g. The land footprint of soya for animal feed

The water crisis

• You can’t grow things without water

• 62% of UK water footprint is imported

• As demand from food, biofuels, biomass, middle classes increases, areas of water stress are increasing– Leading to dry rivers, population movement and

biodiversity loss

University of California

How much?

1 pound of lettuce 23 gallons1 pound of tomatoes 23 gallons1 pound of potatoes 24 gallons1 pound of wheat 25 gallons1 pound of carrots 33 gallons1 pound of apples 49 gallons

1 pound of chicken 815 gallons 1 pound of pork 1,630 gallons

The material crisis

• Materials are essential to society, whether biological (e.g. biomass) or abiotic (e.g. metals)

• Increasing material extraction links through to other uses of resources, e.g.– Energy and sometimes water needed to extract

resources– Land for mining (and growing biotic resources)

How should companies respond to the challenges and opportunities of sustainability?:

Corporate sustainability strategies needs to address:

1. Business operations

2. Products and services

3. Staff recruitment, training, engagement, and rewards

4. Knowledge management and reporting

5. Communications (internal and external) and stakeholder engagement

6. Business model and business strategy

7. Interaction with public policy

Case Study on the limitations of ‘ethical consumerism’: Palm Oil

Palm oil is the biggest cause of rainforest destruction in SE Asia:

Palm oil is a vegetable oil made from the fruit of the palm oil tree:

Friends of the Earth (NGO) campaigning about palm oil outside UK supermarkets

6. Business model and strategy









7. Interaction with public policy

Membership of Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change:

Why might companies support policy measures to tackle climate change?

1. Policy clarity in medium to long term

2. New markets for low carbon technologies

3. Protecting or enhancing corporate image, reputation and brand

4. Seeking long term economic security and managing risk

5. Adaption and increased resilience of corporate operations and infrastructure

Why might companies support policy measures to tackle loss of ecosystem services?

1. Licence to operate

2. Corporate Image, Reputation and Brand Risk

3. Cost of capital and perceived investor risk

4. Access to Raw Materials

5. Operational Impacts and Efficiencies

6. New Business Opportunities

Who said what?

“Growth has to be dethroned if the planet is to survive surging population and climate change”

Adair Turner, Chair of the Financial Services Authority

Who said what?

“If the climate was a bank, [the West] would have saved it by now”

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela

"I am convinced that the world is changing from a market-driven economy to a 'green' economy. This is the future."Roger Agnelli, President & CEO,

VALE S.A.

overview of the big emerging sustainability issues:

Documents

acia slide

drivers of change slide

think climate change

think biodiversity slide

ecosystem services slide

human wellbeing slide

resource use slide

variety of causes slide