Planetary boundaries and environmental tipping points:
What do they mean for sustainable development and
the global agenda?
4 – 5 NOVEMBER 2013
AGENDA
Planetary boundaries and environmental tipping points:
What do they mean for sustainable development and the global agenda?
International Workshop for
Scientists, Government Experts and Stakeholders
04 - 05 November 2013
Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG)
Room 14, 2nd floor, 17 rue de Varembé
Geneva, Switzerland
AGENDA
Workshop objectives:
1) To increase the understanding of the relevance of biophysical boundaries and tipping points for
sustainable development, the development of the SDGs and the global policy agenda.
2) To facilitate a common ground for a holistic framework by recognizing the need to consider
environmental sustainability together with the social and economic foundation.
3) To provide a platform for discussion on planetary boundaries and their inter-linkages, environmental
tipping points and sustainable development in an informal setting between scientists during the
science day, and between selected Governmental experts, scientists and stakeholders during the
science-policy day.
The workshop is co-chaired by:
 Ms. Idunn Eidheim, Deputy Director General, Department for International Cooperation, Ministry of
the Environment of Norway;
 Mr. Peter Gilruth, Director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA), United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP); and
 Ms. Jacqueline McGlade, Senior Advisor, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The discussions and exchange of views will apply the Chatham House Rule facilitating an open dialogue
without identifying in the reporting who said what.
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SCIENCE DAY
Monday 4th November
Participants:
Invited scientists
8:30 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 09:45
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS - Mr. Peter Gilruth, UNEP
09:45 – 11:30 SESSION 1: Overview of the planetary boundaries and environmental tipping points
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Update on the current science of planetary boundaries –
Professor Johan Rockström, Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre
Climate change and intergenerational justice –
Dr. James Hansen, Adjunct Professor, Earth Institute, Columbia University
Planetary boundaries: presenting evidences and trends –
Dr. Pascal Peduzzi, Head, Global Change and Vulnerability Unit, DEWA/GRIDGeneva, UNEP
Exchange of views with participants
11:30 – 11:45 Coffee
11:45 – 12:30 SESSION 2: Speed talks on the science behind the concepts
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Invited scientists will provide speed talks on topics relevant to the workshop.
Exchange of views with participants
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:15 SESSION 2 continues: Speed talks on the science behind the concepts
 Speed talks continue
 Exchange of views with participants
14:15 – 16:30 SESSION 3: Group work - Gaps, policy responses and new tools for policy makers
 Questions to be discussed:
1) What are the gaps around the science of planetary boundaries and environmental
tipping points? Where do we have the best evidence? Where do we have the least
evidence?
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2) What policy responses are needed to secure a safe operating space for human
development? What role can the scientists play in supporting an evidence-based
decision-making?
3) In order to advance a more informed decision-making, concepts such as planetary
boundaries or environmental tipping points need to offer practical tools for policy
makers. How can these concepts be made more operational for policy-makers?
Coffee will be provided during the group work.
16:30 – 16:45 WRAP-UP – Mr. Peter Gilruth, UNEP
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SCIENCE-POLICY DIALOGUE starts
Monday 4th November
Participants:
All participants
17:30 – 20:30 Dinner reception at the meeting venue
 Welcome from Finland –
Mr. Ismo Tiainen, Director General, Unit for International and EU Affairs, Ministry of
the Environment of Finland
 First findings from the science day by co-chairs and scientists
 Buffet dinner
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SCIENCE-POLICY DAY
Tuesday 5th November
Participants:
Invited Government experts, scientists and stakeholder representatives
8:30 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 10:00
OPENING
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Video greeting – Mr. Ville Niinistö, Minister of the Environment, Finland
Welcome by co-chairs and key messages from the Science Day –
Ms. Idunn Eidheim, Ministry of the Environment, Norway, and Mr. Peter Gilruth,
UNEP
Opening address on the global Post-2015 agenda and the SDGs –
Mr. Olav Kjorven, Special advisor to the UNDP Administrator on the Post-2015
Development Agenda, UNDP
Embedding the Environment in Sustainable Development Goals –
Ms. Jacqueline McGlade, Senior Advisor, UNEP
10:00 – 11:30 SESSION 1: Approaches to environmentally sound, socially just and economically
inclusive development
 Sustainable development, human well-being and planetary boundaries –
Professor Johan Rockström, Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre
 The social and economic boundaries for sustainable development: Doughnut
Economics – Ms Kate Raworth, Senior Visiting Research Associate, Oxford University
 Stakeholder and Government perspectives:
- How the planetary boundaries can be reflected in the post-2015 goals –
Mr. Guido Schmidt-Traub, Executive Director, UN Sustainable Development
Solutions Network (SDSN)
- A Green Economy perspective –
Mr. Simon Upton, Director, Environment Directorate, Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- A government perspective –
Dr. Agus Supangat, Coordinator for Research and Capacity-Building, National
Council on Climate Change, Indonesia
- A government perspective –
Mr Jorge Larson Guerra, Planning Coordinator for the use of biodiversity,
National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), Mexico
 Exchange of views with participants
11:30 – 11:50 Coffee
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11:50 – 12:45 SESSION 2: Policy solutions for a sustainable future
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12:45– 13:45
Global sustainability and human prosperity, contribution to the Post-2015 agenda
and the development of Sustainable Development Goals –
Ms. Sarah Cornell, Research Coordinator of Planetary Boundaries, Stockholm
Resilience Centre
Basing global institutional decisions on science –
Mr. Farooq Ullah, Executive Director, Stakeholder Forum
Nature-based solutions for sustainable development –
Mr. Poul Engberg-Pedersen, Deputy Director General/Managing Director,
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Exchange of views with participants
Lunch
13:45 – 16:00 SESSION 3: Group work - Policy implications of planetary boundaries and tipping
points to sustainable development and the global agenda
 Questions to be discussed:
1) What are the means to improve evidence-based decision-making, specifically
referring to incorporating messages on critical environmental issues from science
into policy? What can the scientists and policy-makers do better?
2) How critical environmental issues related to environmental tipping points or
planetary boundaries can be included in the global sustainable development
discussions, and in this regard, how can the planetary boundaries and
environmental tipping points be framed and operationalized in order to be relevant
and appealing to different groups of countries?
3) The Post-2015 goals should promote integrated responses, but they should also be
limited in number. In the context of the Post-2015 framework, how could we design
integrated goals incorporating critical environmental issues reflecting planetary
boundaries and environmental tipping points?
Coffee will be provided during group work.
16:00 – 16:45 SESSION 4: What do we conclude and the way forward
 Next steps –
Ms. Annika Lindblom, Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
Open discussion lead by the co-chairs.
16:45 – 17:00 CO-CHAIR’S SUMMING UP AND CLOSING –
Ms. Idunn Eidheim, Ministry of the Environment, Norway; Mr. Peter Gilruth, UNEP; and
Ms. Jacqueline McGlade, UNEP
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