Melissa Leach: Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways. Plenary dialogue, Resilience 2014.

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Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways Melissa Leach Plenary Dialogue Montpellier, 7 May 2014

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Professor Melissa Leach, IDS Director and former STEPS Centre Director, gave this presentation as part of a Plenary Dialogue with Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at the Resilience 2014 conference in Montpellier, France on 7 May 2014. Find out more: http://steps-centre.org/

Transcript of Melissa Leach: Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways. Plenary dialogue, Resilience 2014.

Page 1: Melissa Leach: Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways. Plenary dialogue, Resilience 2014.

Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways

Melissa Leach

Plenary Dialogue Montpellier, 7 May 2014

Page 2: Melissa Leach: Planetary boundaries, politics and pathways. Plenary dialogue, Resilience 2014.

Intensified poverty and inequalities

Ecological stresses

Ill health Land grabs Water scarcity Energy poverty

RR

Social, institutional and political-economic processes

Scarcities, challenges, deprivations, ill-being

Development threats in the Anthropocene

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Source: Raworth 2012, based on Rockström et al 2009

Planetary and social boundaries: Creating a safe and just space for humanity

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Urgent challenges …..

• Building pathways that enhance sustainability and resilience, integrating:

• Ecological integrity • Social equality • Human rights, well-

being and security

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Source: Leach, Raworth and Rockström 2013

This means building and steering alternative pathways....

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That respect three Ds: What directions are different pathways headed in? What goals, values, interests, power relations are driving particular pathways – and how might they be ‘re-steered’?

Is there a sufficient diversity of approaches? - to resist powerful processes of lock-in, build resilience in the face of uncertainty, and respond to a variety of contexts, goals and values? What are the implications for distribution? Who stands to gain or lose from current or alternative pathways? How will choosing between them affect inequalities of wealth, power, resource use, and opportunity? Need to attend to contestations, tensions and trade-offs….

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Politicising planetary boundaries

Whose boundaries? Whose safety?

Whose goals? Sustainability and resilience of what for whom?

Which pathways? Choosing and shaping interlocked with power

Who gains, who loses? Planetary boundaries as power grab, undermining justice and democracy?

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Planetary boundaries – discourse and narrative

‘Planetary boundaries’ as a discourse A particular ‘regime of truth’ co-constructed through power, knowledge and institutions

‘Accelerating human influence in the anthropocene threatening planetary boundaries’ as a powerful narrative A storyline – with a beginning, middle and end Created by people and institutions Assigns responsibility and blame Underpins, justifies, legitimates action

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Alternative sustainable food futures

transgenics

industrial hybrids small-scale farmer livelihoods

participatory breeding

Biochar and climate-smart agriculture

Whose goals? Sustainability and resilience of what for whom?

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One forest, multiple values and sustainabilities

Carbon sequestration

Hydrological services

Biodiversity Ecotourism

Timber and building supplies

Ancestors and cultural practices

Fallows for farming

Food and medicines

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To aspirations for directed control and ‘planetary management’ “control variables of the Earth” (Rockstrom et al 2009) “identification of mechanisms amenable to human control” (E. Ehlers and T. Krafft, Eds., Earth System Science in the Anthropocene, 2006). “planetary management” (European Commission Directorate General for Research, 2009).

Planetary control and management

From human ‘control’ in the anthropocene, and planetary domination “we…” who “…are taking control of Nature’s realm” P. J. Crutzen and C. Schwagerl, “Living in the Anthropocene: Toward a New Global Ethos,” Yale Environ. 360, no. 24 January, pp. 6–11, 2011.

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A “landscape approach” means taking both a geographical and socio-economic approach to managing the land, water and forest resources that form the foundation – the natural capital – for meeting our goals of food security and inclusive green growth.... we are better able to maximize productivity, improve livelihoods, and reduce negative environmental impacts’ (Landscape approaches in sustainable development, World Bank)

Landscape rationalisation and planning

Before: Forest livelihood After: 34,000 ha Jatropha

biofuel plot

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Original artwork (water colour on 20 x 30 illustration board, 2011) by Filipino painter Boy Dominguez

‘Green Grabbing’, JPS Special Issue 39(2), April 2012. Edited by James Fairhead, Melissa Leach and Ian Scoones

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Pathways marginalised?

Transformative pathways – involving alliances that challenge and rework political, economic and social structures

Zero carbon energy

Ecological agriculture

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Democratising planetary boundaries? Matters for inclusive deliberation and debate

Whose boundaries? Whose safety?

Whose goals? Sustainability and resilience of what for whom?

Which pathways? Choosing and shaping interlocked with power

Who gains, who loses? Planetary boundaries as power grab, undermining justice and democracy?

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Towards politics and governance for sustainability, resilience and development Challenging unsustainable and unjust pathways, opening up to appreciate alternatives, enabling and supporting transformational pathways Multi-scale – to respond to challenges across global, national, regional, local settings Adaptive – to respond to complexity, uncertainty and dynamics in social, ecological, political and economic systems Networked and alliance-based – combining state and non-state actors and institutions, formal and informal processes, planning and mobilisation, leadership and distributed action Deliberative – to foster inclusive, democratic debate around boundary-placing, goals, and means to get there Engaged with science – but as reflexive partner in framing questions, investigating processes, debating implications (rather than distant authority)

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Safe and just futures? Innovation and transformation

Freeman et al 1973 SPRU, UK Importance of science, technology and innovation Stretching limits, steering within them

Hererra et al 1972 Fundacion Bariloche, Argentina Values-based vision: a society ‘based on equality and full participation of all its members ....intrinsically compatible with its environment.’ Human creativity Social and political transformation