Beyond Planetary Boundaries: From Resource Allocation Problems to Just Transition Solutions (11:00 AM UTC)
Session Organizer : Johan Andrés Vélez Henao
Institution : Freiburg University, Germany
Location/Local Time : Freiburg Germany / 1:00 PM
Abstract :
Global resource consumption has exceeded multiple planetary boundaries while billions lack access to basic services for dignified living. This paradox reveals fundamental allocation problems in our global resource system, where high-income nations consume far beyond their extraction capacity while low-income countries are systematically drained of resources despite receiving minimal economic returns.
This session examines the interconnected challenges of resource allocation, ecological justice, and sustainable development through three complementary perspectives that form a coherent analytical journey from problem identification to solution frameworks.
Crelis Rammelt begins by providing empirical evidence of these allocation problems through the lens of Ecological Unequal Exchange, presenting quantitative analysis of global resource flows that reveals how structural inequalities in international trade systematically drain material wealth from low- and middle-income countries while enriching high-income nations, creating a zero-sum dynamic in global resource distribution.
Harald Desing builds on this evidence by establishing the theoretical foundation of resource budgets within planetary boundaries, demonstrating how current allocation mechanisms create systematic inequities that undermine both sustainability and social justice goals. His presentation will explore how these allocation problems can be addressed, especially considering the need to accelerate just transitions.
Narasimha Rao concludes by examining how Decent Living Standards (DLS) frameworks have evolved as potential solutions to these allocation challenges. He will discuss how DLS has been interpreted and misinterpreted in policy contexts, and present an outlook for making DLS frameworks more accessible and actionable for policymakers seeking to implement just transitions within planetary boundaries.
Together, these presentations offer industrial ecologists a comprehensive understanding of how resource allocation problems emerge, persist, and might be addressed through evidence-based policy frameworks that prioritize both ecological integrity and social justice.
After the presentation, participants will:
- Understand the relationship between planetary boundaries and resource allocation equity
- Recognize empirical patterns of ecological unequal exchange in global trade
- Explore practical applications of decent living standards for sustainable development policy
After a 12-15 minutes input from each speaker, we open the floor for Q&A.
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