Impacts of meeting minimum access on critical earth systems amidst the Great Inequality

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to improve access to resources and services, reduce environmental degradation, eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. However, the magnitude of the environmental burden that would arise from meeting the needs of the poorest is under debate-especially when compared to much larger burdens from the rich. We show that the 'Great Acceleration' of human impacts was characterized by a 'Great Inequality' in using and damaging the environment. We then operationalize 'just access' to minimum energy, water, food and infrastructure. We show that achieving just access in 2018, with existing inequalities, technologies and behaviours, would have produced 2-26% additional impacts on the Earth's natural systems of climate, water, land and nutrients-thus further crossing planetary boundaries. These hypothetical impacts, caused by about a third of humanity, equalled those caused by the wealthiest 1-4%. Technological and behavioural changes thus far, while important, did not deliver just access within a stable Earth system. Achieving these goals therefore calls for a radical redistribution of resources. The environmental implications of meeting the needs of the poorest are under debate. By showing substantial inequalities in natural resource claims and responsibility for ecological damage globally, this study estimates and discusses the impacts of achieving just access on the Earth system.

Automated summary

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to address various global issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. However, meeting the needs of the poorest can potentially have significant environmental impacts, which are currently the subject of debate. This study highlights the inequalities in resource consumption and ecological damage globally and discusses the potential consequences of achieving just access on the Earth's natural systems.