How much land, water, and other resources does our way of living consume? How can we adjust our lifestyle to fit within the Earth’s capacity? A recent article addresses these critical questions.
With a global population of eight billion, our consumption of the Earth’s resources is on a course that is probably unsustainable. Klaus Hubacek, a Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, assesses the current state of affairs. He explores how much land, water, and resources our lifestyle truly demands and how we can modify it to remain within the planet’s limits. Hubacek argues that it is achievable, but it will require evidence-based policies to make it happen.
It is well-known that our consumption habits impact the environment. A clear illustration of this is the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which has surged more rapidly since the 1960s, contributing to global warming and its severe consequences. There is a threshold for the Earth’s consumption capacity, and in 2009, scientists identified nine ‘planetary boundaries’ that indicate when we might exceed that threshold. Breaching these boundaries could lead to irreversible harm to the planet’s stability. These boundaries encompass factors like ocean acidification and freshwater usage. By 2023, six of these boundaries had already been crossed.
Hubacek has dedicated his career to examining humanity’s standing concerning these planetary boundaries and what changes are necessary to avoid exceeding them even further. He posits, ‘The fundamental calculation is: given the number of people on the planet and the planetary boundaries, what can we consume to stay within these limits?’
The wealth gap
Currently, the wealthiest one per cent of the global population emits 50 times more greenhouse gases than the four billion individuals in the poorest 50 per cent. This disparity between the affluent and the impoverished is a recurring focus in Hubacek’s research. He co-authored a study published in the journal Nature on November 13, which discusses this inequality. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset that includes up to 201 consumption groups from 168 countries, the research analyzes how spending habits affect six key environmental measures.
The findings demonstrate that different consumer behaviors contribute to exceeding planetary limits and suggest that if the top 20 per cent of consumers adjusted their habits towards more sustainable practices within their group, they could lower their environmental impact by 25 to 53 per cent. The study further indicates that shifts in consumption patterns solely in the food and services sectors could help restore critical planetary boundaries to safe levels.
Adapting our lifestyles to stay within limits
In earlier studies, Hubacek explored specific approaches that might assist us in aligning our lifestyles with planetary boundaries. In research published last August, he found that if the wealthiest individuals adopted a diet lower in red meat and higher in legumes and nuts, food-related emissions could drop by 17 per cent, even as people in poorer nations increase their meat intake.
Just last month, Hubacek and others published a paper addressing how the livestock industry is severely affecting multiple planetary boundaries. The research highlights that any initiatives to mitigate this issue should be tailored to specific regions: ‘Naturally, there will be variations. A plant-based diet isn’t feasible for traditional Mongolian nomads who rely on yaks and their milk.’
Hubacek consistently identifies solutions alongside the recognition of boundary transgressions. ‘However, we should not overly focus on developing new technological fixes, as there are already numerous viable solutions we are not using,’ he contends. ‘Most governments are subsidizing harmful practices.’ For instance, global subsidies for fossil fuels outweigh the positive impacts achieved through instruments like carbon taxes and carbon trading. ‘Moreover, there are numerous inconsistent policies, such as promoting heat pumps while simultaneously increasing the cost of the electricity they consume.’
It is possible
Hubacek demonstrates that there’s still reason for optimism: humanity can remain within the planetary boundaries. However, the apparent lack of political will to address critical issues like climate change is concerning. Hubacek remarks: ‘This troubles me. It instills genuine fear in younger generations.’ He emphasizes that his work is grounded in academic inquiry rather than activism. ‘I am pursuing this research primarily out of scholarly interest. Nonetheless, I want to avoid engaging in ventures that lack meaningful outcomes. What is essential are policies based on evidence.’
Peipei Tian, Honglin Zhong, Xiangjie Chen, Kuishuang Feng, Laixiang Sun, Ning Zhang, Xuan Shao, Yu Liu & Klaus Hubacek: Keeping global consumption within planetary boundaries. Nature, 13 November 2024.
