Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly 77 (UNGA77)

Live-event at the Instituto Cervantes and online streaming | 211 E 49th St, New York, NY 10017 . For more info, contact lmiggiano@clubofrome.org or lbelly@clubofrome.org .

Some seats are still avalable to attend the event in person! Please email lbelly@clubofrome.org . To register to the online session, please get the general admission ticket for the entire Science Summit accessible from the home page at the "Tickets" tab and then add this session to your schedule.


SUMMARY OF THE EVENT
50 years ago, The Limits to Growth report warned that exponential growth would have devastating consequences for humanity. Humanity is now beginning to feel the impacts. The next fifty years are critical for humanity. Scientists are warning that dangerous tipping points are closer than we once thought. The most important question is this: How can the world achieve well-being for all within planetary boundaries?

The session - co-hosted by the Missions of Spain and Costa Rica, together with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Norwegian Business School, The Club of Rome - is divided in 2 parts at the interface between science and policy:

• 11am-12pm - FINDINGS - Leading scientists and economic thinkers will discuss the findings of a 2-year research project – convened by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Norwegian Business School, and the Club of Rome - to be published in September 2022 (Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity — Earth4All). Earth4All is a unique international initiative that brings together leading thinkers and system dynamic modellers to explore global scenarios that provide wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries. We need no less than 5 extraordinary turnarounds (poverty, inequality, women's empowerment, food and energy system) in the coming decade to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. 
• 12pm - 1pm - POLICY DIALOGUE - Leading policy-makers and leaders will discuss what are the concrete actions governments and our societies must take in the coming weeks and months to upgrade our economic systems and transform our societies to ensure well-being for all within planetary boundaries. We will look at international processes such as UNFCCC COPs, G20s, the UN Summit for the Future, and national transformations, with a specific reference to transition towards wellbeing economies.

Speakers [11am-12pm]

• Sandrine Dixson Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome
• Jayati Ghosh, Professor at the College of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Owen Gaffney, Stockholm Resilience Centre
• Per Espen Stoknes, Director of Centre for Green Growth at the Norwegian Business School

Speakers [12am-1pm]

• Teresa Ribera, Deputy Prime Minister for the Ecological Transition, Government of Spain
• Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt, COP 27 Envoy and Ministerial Coordinator
• Christian Guillermet Fernández, Vice-minister of Multilateral Affairs, Government of Costa Rica
• Johan Rockström, President, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
• Michèle Griffin, Director, Common Agenda Team, Office of the UN Secretary-General  
• H.E. Mr. Pisas, Prime Minister of Curacao
• H.E. Ms. Jacobs, Prime Minister of Sint-Maarten
• Hosted by Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Co-President of the Club of Rome 

Note on the Earth4All research
Findings are based on existing (economic and planetary boundaries) literature, modelled by Earth4All, a system dynamics computer model to study the dynamics of human wellbeing on finite planet Earth this century. The model is designed primarily to generate internally consistent scenarios for population, poverty, GDP, inequality, food, and energy, and other relevant variables from 1980 to 2100 and to see how they evolve in concert. More info here. The ambition is to identify policies that increase the likelihood of a future that combines high well-being for the global majority with thriving nature keeping Earth within planetary boundaries. Findings focused on two alternative scenarios – Too Little Too Late and the Giant Leap – and what they mean for our collective future, and propose five extraordinary turnarounds and 15 system change policies to be implemented in the next decade, and 3 system change levers to transform our societies to wellbeing societies.

Expected outcomes

• The outcomes of a 2-year international research project are presented to the scientific and policy communities, discussed, and contribute to the success of UNGA.
• We have a meaningful reflection on the extraordinary shifts we need to promote in our societies and economies in order to secure wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries.
• We have a meaningful high-level conversation on the policy options we have in front of us in the next decade to accelerate economic system change.