Understanding the complementary linkages between environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework

K. Fang; R. Heijungs; G. R. de Snoo

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.04.008

Understanding the complementary linkages between environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework

K. Fang, R. Heijungs, G. R. de Snoo

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

While in recent years both environmental footprints and planetary boundaries have gained tremendous popularity throughout the ecological and environmental sciences, their relationship remains largely unexplored. By investigating the roots and developments of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries, this paper challenges the isolation of the two research fields and provides novel insights into the complementary use of them. Our analysis demonstrates that knowledge of planetary boundaries improves the policy relevance of environmental footprints by providing a set of consensus-based estimates of the regenerative and absorptive capacity at the global scale and, in reverse, that the planetary boundaries framework benefits from well-grounded footprint models which allow for more accurate and reliable estimates of human pressure on the planet's environment A framework for integration of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries is thus proposed. The so-called footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework lays the foundation for evolving environmental impact assessment to environmental sustainability assessment aimed at measuring the sustainability gap between current magnitudes of human activities and associated capacity thresholds. As a first attempt to take advantage of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a complementary way, there remain many gaps in our knowledge. We have therefore formulated a research agenda for further scientific discussions, mainly including the development of measurable boundaries in relation to footprints at multiple scales and their trade-offs, and the harmonization of the footprint and boundary metrics in terms of environmental coverage and methodological choices. All these points raised, in our view, will play an important role in setting practical and tangible policy targets for adaptation and mitigation of worldwide environmental unsustainability. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	218-226
Number of pages	9
Journal	Ecological Economics
Volume	114
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.04.008
Publication status	Published - 2015
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Environmental footprints Planetary boundaries Environmental sustainability assessment framework Research agenda safe operating space ecological footprint water footprint carbon footprints carrying-capacity food security indicators nitrogen definition governance Environmental Sciences & Ecology Business & Economics

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@article{f2ac2d6829ac40799fb9d560963ac1e9,

title = "Understanding the complementary linkages between environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework",

abstract = "While in recent years both environmental footprints and planetary boundaries have gained tremendous popularity throughout the ecological and environmental sciences, their relationship remains largely unexplored. By investigating the roots and developments of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries, this paper challenges the isolation of the two research fields and provides novel insights into the complementary use of them. Our analysis demonstrates that knowledge of planetary boundaries improves the policy relevance of environmental footprints by providing a set of consensus-based estimates of the regenerative and absorptive capacity at the global scale and, in reverse, that the planetary boundaries framework benefits from well-grounded footprint models which allow for more accurate and reliable estimates of human pressure on the planet's environment A framework for integration of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries is thus proposed. The so-called footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework lays the foundation for evolving environmental impact assessment to environmental sustainability assessment aimed at measuring the sustainability gap between current magnitudes of human activities and associated capacity thresholds. As a first attempt to take advantage of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a complementary way, there remain many gaps in our knowledge. We have therefore formulated a research agenda for further scientific discussions, mainly including the development of measurable boundaries in relation to footprints at multiple scales and their trade-offs, and the harmonization of the footprint and boundary metrics in terms of environmental coverage and methodological choices. All these points raised, in our view, will play an important role in setting practical and tangible policy targets for adaptation and mitigation of worldwide environmental unsustainability. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Environmental footprints Planetary boundaries Environmental sustainability assessment framework Research agenda safe operating space ecological footprint water footprint carbon footprints carrying-capacity food security indicators nitrogen definition governance Environmental Sciences & Ecology Business & Economics",

author = "K. Fang and R. Heijungs and {de Snoo}, {G. R.}",

note = "ISI Document Delivery No.: CI8MM Times Cited: 35 Cited Reference Count: 73 Fang, Kai Heijungs, Reinout De Snoo, Geert R. Heijungs, Reinout/K-7855-2013; Fang, Kai/K-7881-2013 Heijungs, Reinout/0000-0002-0724-5962; Fang, Kai/0000-0003-2017-7092 China Scholarship CouncilChina Scholarship Council [20113005] The authors would like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. The work was financially supported by China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 20113005). 38 4 74 Elsevier science bv Amsterdam 1873-6106 <Go to ISI>://WOS:000355026400021",

year = "2015",

doi = "10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.04.008",

language = "English",

volume = "114",

pages = "218--226",

journal = "Ecological Economics",

issn = "0921-8009",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

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T1 - Understanding the complementary linkages between environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework

AU - Fang, K.

AU - Heijungs, R.

AU - de Snoo, G. R.

N1 - ISI Document Delivery No.: CI8MM Times Cited: 35 Cited Reference Count: 73 Fang, Kai Heijungs, Reinout De Snoo, Geert R. Heijungs, Reinout/K-7855-2013; Fang, Kai/K-7881-2013 Heijungs, Reinout/0000-0002-0724-5962; Fang, Kai/0000-0003-2017-7092 China Scholarship CouncilChina Scholarship Council [20113005] The authors would like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. The work was financially supported by China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 20113005). 38 4 74 Elsevier science bv Amsterdam 1873-6106 <Go to ISI>://WOS:000355026400021

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - While in recent years both environmental footprints and planetary boundaries have gained tremendous popularity throughout the ecological and environmental sciences, their relationship remains largely unexplored. By investigating the roots and developments of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries, this paper challenges the isolation of the two research fields and provides novel insights into the complementary use of them. Our analysis demonstrates that knowledge of planetary boundaries improves the policy relevance of environmental footprints by providing a set of consensus-based estimates of the regenerative and absorptive capacity at the global scale and, in reverse, that the planetary boundaries framework benefits from well-grounded footprint models which allow for more accurate and reliable estimates of human pressure on the planet's environment A framework for integration of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries is thus proposed. The so-called footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework lays the foundation for evolving environmental impact assessment to environmental sustainability assessment aimed at measuring the sustainability gap between current magnitudes of human activities and associated capacity thresholds. As a first attempt to take advantage of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a complementary way, there remain many gaps in our knowledge. We have therefore formulated a research agenda for further scientific discussions, mainly including the development of measurable boundaries in relation to footprints at multiple scales and their trade-offs, and the harmonization of the footprint and boundary metrics in terms of environmental coverage and methodological choices. All these points raised, in our view, will play an important role in setting practical and tangible policy targets for adaptation and mitigation of worldwide environmental unsustainability. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AB - While in recent years both environmental footprints and planetary boundaries have gained tremendous popularity throughout the ecological and environmental sciences, their relationship remains largely unexplored. By investigating the roots and developments of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries, this paper challenges the isolation of the two research fields and provides novel insights into the complementary use of them. Our analysis demonstrates that knowledge of planetary boundaries improves the policy relevance of environmental footprints by providing a set of consensus-based estimates of the regenerative and absorptive capacity at the global scale and, in reverse, that the planetary boundaries framework benefits from well-grounded footprint models which allow for more accurate and reliable estimates of human pressure on the planet's environment A framework for integration of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries is thus proposed. The so-called footprint-boundary environmental sustainability assessment framework lays the foundation for evolving environmental impact assessment to environmental sustainability assessment aimed at measuring the sustainability gap between current magnitudes of human activities and associated capacity thresholds. As a first attempt to take advantage of environmental footprints and planetary boundaries in a complementary way, there remain many gaps in our knowledge. We have therefore formulated a research agenda for further scientific discussions, mainly including the development of measurable boundaries in relation to footprints at multiple scales and their trade-offs, and the harmonization of the footprint and boundary metrics in terms of environmental coverage and methodological choices. All these points raised, in our view, will play an important role in setting practical and tangible policy targets for adaptation and mitigation of worldwide environmental unsustainability. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KW - Environmental footprints Planetary boundaries Environmental sustainability assessment framework Research agenda safe operating space ecological footprint water footprint carbon footprints carrying-capacity food security indicators nitrogen definition gove

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.04.008

DO - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.04.008

M3 - Article

VL - 114

SP - 218

EP - 226

JO - Ecological Economics

JF - Ecological Economics

SN - 0921-8009

ER -