TEDGlobal>NYC
Naoko Ishii: An economic case for protecting the planet
Filmed:
Readability: 4.7
1,276,294 views
We all share one planet -- we breathe the same air, drink the same water and depend on the same oceans, forests and biodiversity. Economist Naoko Ishii is on a mission to protect these shared resources, known as the global commons, that are vital for our survival. In an eye-opening talk about the wellness of the planet, Ishii outlines four economic systems we need to change to safeguard the global commons, making the case for a new kind of social contract with the earth.
Naoko Ishii - Environmental policy expert
Naoko Ishii leads the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a public financial institution that provides around US$1 billion every year to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Full bio
Naoko Ishii leads the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a public financial institution that provides around US$1 billion every year to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Good evening, everyone.
0
1672
1396
00:16
I am from Japan,
1
4204
1894
00:18
so I'd like to start with a story
about Japanese fishing villages.
about Japanese fishing villages.
2
6122
5428
00:24
In the past, every fisherman was tempted
to catch as many as fish as possible,
to catch as many as fish as possible,
3
12671
6404
00:32
but if everybody did that,
4
20027
3404
00:35
the fish, common shared resource
in the community, would disappear.
in the community, would disappear.
5
23455
5269
00:41
The result would be hardship
and poverty for everyone.
and poverty for everyone.
6
29560
5041
00:47
This happened in some cases,
7
35927
3301
00:51
but it did not happen in other cases.
8
39252
4682
00:56
In these communities,
9
44694
1968
00:58
the fishermen developed
a kind of social contract
a kind of social contract
10
46686
4438
01:03
that told each one of them
to hold back a bit to prevent overfishing.
to hold back a bit to prevent overfishing.
11
51148
5651
01:09
The fisherman would keep
an eye on each other.
an eye on each other.
12
57772
3436
01:13
There would be a penalty
if you were caught cheating.
if you were caught cheating.
13
61896
4152
01:18
But once the benefit of a social contract
became clear to everyone,
became clear to everyone,
14
66965
6588
01:25
the incentive to cheat
dramatically dropped.
dramatically dropped.
15
73577
3509
01:30
We find the same story around the world.
16
78606
2564
01:34
This is how villagers in medieval Europe
17
82361
4051
01:38
managed pasture and forests.
18
86436
3190
01:42
This is how communities in Asia
managed water,
managed water,
19
90353
4577
01:46
and this is how indigenous peoples
in the Amazon managed wildlife.
in the Amazon managed wildlife.
20
94954
5571
01:53
These communities realized
they relied on a finite, shared resource.
they relied on a finite, shared resource.
21
101858
6055
02:01
They developed rules and practices
on how to manage those resources,
on how to manage those resources,
22
109318
6084
02:07
and they changed their behavior
23
115426
2429
02:09
so that they could continue
to rely on those shared resources tomorrow
to rely on those shared resources tomorrow
24
117879
6547
02:16
by not overfishing,
25
124450
2547
02:19
not overgrazing,
26
127021
1953
02:20
not polluting or depleting
water streams today.
water streams today.
27
128998
4674
02:26
This is a story of the commons,
28
134572
3032
02:29
and also how to avoid
the so-called tragedy of the commons.
the so-called tragedy of the commons.
29
137628
6595
02:37
But this is also a story of an economy
30
145462
3354
02:40
that was mainly local,
31
148840
2231
02:43
where everybody had
a very strong sense of belonging.
a very strong sense of belonging.
32
151095
4341
02:49
Our economies are no longer local.
33
157032
2714
02:52
When we moved away from being local,
34
160359
3349
02:55
we started to lose
our connection to the commons.
our connection to the commons.
35
163732
4174
03:00
We carried economic objectives,
goals and systems beyond the local,
goals and systems beyond the local,
36
168675
5833
03:06
but we did not carry the notion
of taking care of the commons.
of taking care of the commons.
37
174532
4912
03:13
So our oceans, forests,
38
181365
3991
03:17
once very close to us
as our local commons,
as our local commons,
39
185380
3934
03:21
moved very far away from us.
40
189338
2872
03:25
So today, we pump millions of tons
of greenhouse gases into the air,
of greenhouse gases into the air,
41
193609
5825
03:33
we dump plastics, fertilizers
and industrial waste
and industrial waste
42
201098
5285
03:38
into the rivers and oceans,
43
206407
2483
03:40
and we cut down forests that absorb CO2.
44
208914
3437
03:45
We make the wild biodiversity
much more fragile.
much more fragile.
45
213486
4143
03:51
We seem to have totally forgotten
46
219163
2676
03:53
that there is such a thing
as global commons:
as global commons:
47
221863
4602
03:58
air, water, forests and biodiversity.
48
226489
5260
04:05
Now, it is modern science
49
233664
3165
04:08
that reminds us how vital
the global commons are.
the global commons are.
50
236853
4287
04:14
In 2009, a group of scientists proposed
51
242536
4997
04:19
how to assess the health
of the global commons.
of the global commons.
52
247557
3261
04:23
They defined nine planetary boundaries
vital to our survival,
vital to our survival,
53
251726
6072
04:29
then they measured how far we could go
54
257822
3453
04:33
before we cross over
the tipping points or thresholds
the tipping points or thresholds
55
261299
4580
04:37
that would lead us to the irreversible
or even catastrophic change.
or even catastrophic change.
56
265903
5261
04:45
This is where we were in the 1950s.
57
273716
3905
04:51
We broadly remained
within safe operating space,
within safe operating space,
58
279165
4842
04:56
marked by the green line.
59
284031
2204
05:00
But look at where we are now.
60
288196
2198
05:04
We have crossed four of those boundaries,
61
292892
4278
05:09
and we will be crossing others
in the future.
in the future.
62
297194
2754
05:13
How did we end up in this situation?
63
301279
3182
05:17
Well, my personal story
may tell us something.
may tell us something.
64
305957
3301
05:23
Five years ago, I was appointed
65
311167
2150
05:25
as CEO of the GEF,
Global Environment Facility,
Global Environment Facility,
66
313341
4644
05:30
but I am not a conservationist
67
318009
3739
05:33
or an environmental activist.
68
321772
2665
05:37
I am an economist,
69
325171
2017
05:39
and for the last 30 years,
70
327212
2349
05:41
I had worked for public finance
in my home country and around the world.
in my home country and around the world.
71
329585
5460
05:48
I can tell you one thing for sure:
72
336616
2834
05:51
during these 30 years,
73
339474
2341
05:53
the notion of the global commons
never crossed my mind.
never crossed my mind.
74
341839
4049
05:58
I didn't have a single conversation
about the global commons
about the global commons
75
346657
4065
06:02
with my colleagues.
76
350746
1258
06:05
This tells me that the notion
of the global commons
of the global commons
77
353244
3874
06:09
was not really entering
into the big money decisions
into the big money decisions
78
357142
3932
06:13
like state budgets or investment plans.
79
361098
3285
06:18
And I'm wondering,
why do we have this sheer ignorance
why do we have this sheer ignorance
80
366240
3674
06:21
about the global commons,
81
369938
1920
06:23
including me, myself?
82
371882
2079
06:27
One possible explanation might be
83
375835
3841
06:31
that until recently,
it didn't really matter too much.
it didn't really matter too much.
84
379700
4140
06:36
Even if we mess up
some part of the environment,
some part of the environment,
85
384394
4130
06:40
we were not fundamentally changing
the functions of the earth system.
the functions of the earth system.
86
388548
5488
06:47
The global commons
had still enough capacity
had still enough capacity
87
395072
3991
06:51
to take the punches we gave them.
88
399087
2508
06:54
In fact, the fish were still plentiful,
89
402500
3055
06:59
the fields for grazing were still vast.
90
407325
3730
07:04
Our mistake was to assume
91
412849
2548
07:07
that the capacity
of the earth for self-repair
of the earth for self-repair
92
415421
3199
07:10
had no limits.
93
418644
1308
07:12
It does have limits.
94
420752
1953
07:15
The message from
the science is very clear:
the science is very clear:
95
423812
3377
07:19
we humans have become
an overwhelming force
an overwhelming force
96
427213
3230
07:22
to determine the future
living conditions on earth,
living conditions on earth,
97
430467
4167
07:26
and what's more,
we are running out of time.
we are running out of time.
98
434658
3301
07:30
If we don't act on them,
99
438589
4067
07:34
we will be losing the global commons.
100
442680
2358
07:37
It's only our generation
who are able to preserve it --
who are able to preserve it --
101
445062
3658
07:40
preserve the commons as we know them.
102
448744
2103
07:44
Now is the time we start managing
the global commons
the global commons
103
452193
5120
07:49
as our parents or our grandparents
managed their local commons.
managed their local commons.
104
457337
5571
07:56
The first thing we need to do
105
464851
2447
07:59
is to simply recognize
that we do have the global commons
that we do have the global commons
106
467322
6035
08:05
and they are very, very important.
107
473381
2563
08:09
Then we need to build
the stewardship of the global commons
the stewardship of the global commons
108
477393
3898
08:13
into all of our thinking,
109
481315
2079
08:15
our business, our economy,
110
483418
2119
08:17
our policy-making --
111
485561
1516
08:19
in all of our actions.
112
487101
1737
08:21
We need to recreate the social contract
of the fishing villages
of the fishing villages
113
489567
5424
08:27
on the global scale.
114
495015
2120
08:31
But what does it mean in practice?
115
499539
2283
08:34
Where to start with?
116
502875
1328
08:37
I see there are four key economic systems
117
505375
4055
08:41
that fundamentally need to change.
118
509454
2103
08:44
First, we need to change our cities.
119
512396
3174
08:48
By 2050, two thirds of our population
will live in cities.
will live in cities.
120
516298
5413
08:54
We need green cities.
121
522298
2135
08:57
Second, we need to change
our energy system.
our energy system.
122
525092
3762
09:00
The world economy
must sharply decarbonize,
must sharply decarbonize,
123
528878
3706
09:04
essentially in one generation.
124
532608
2253
09:08
Third, we need to change
our production-consumption system.
our production-consumption system.
125
536050
4650
09:13
We need to break away from current
take-make-waste consumption patterns.
take-make-waste consumption patterns.
126
541376
6349
09:20
And finally, we need
to change our food system,
to change our food system,
127
548686
4838
09:25
what to eat and how to produce it.
128
553548
2566
09:28
And all of those four systems
129
556644
2842
09:31
are putting enormous pressure
on the global commons,
on the global commons,
130
559510
4198
09:35
and it's also very difficult to flip them.
131
563732
2690
09:38
They are extremely complex,
132
566840
2078
09:40
with many decision-makers,
actors involved.
actors involved.
133
568942
2668
09:45
Let's take the example of the food system.
134
573753
2888
09:50
Food production is currently responsible
135
578556
3643
09:54
for one quarter
of greenhouse gas emissions.
of greenhouse gas emissions.
136
582223
3158
09:58
It is also a main user
of the world's water resources.
of the world's water resources.
137
586190
4015
10:02
In fact, 70 percent of today's water
is used to grow crops.
is used to grow crops.
138
590775
5992
10:09
Vast areas of tropical forest
are used for agriculture.
are used for agriculture.
139
597740
4707
10:15
This deforestation drives extinction.
140
603055
3702
10:18
In fact, we are losing species
1,000 times faster
1,000 times faster
141
606781
4960
10:23
than the natural rate.
142
611765
1214
10:26
And on top of all of that bad news,
143
614200
3723
10:29
one third of food produced today globally
144
617947
4180
10:34
is not eaten.
145
622151
1190
10:35
It's wasted.
146
623768
1717
10:39
But there is the good news,
147
627449
2953
10:42
good signs.
148
630426
1150
10:44
Coalitions of stakeholders
149
632220
3360
10:47
are now coming together
to try to transform the food system
to try to transform the food system
150
635604
4877
10:52
with one shared goal:
151
640505
2385
10:54
how to produce enough
healthy food for everyone,
healthy food for everyone,
152
642914
4552
10:59
at the same time,
153
647490
1496
11:01
to try to cut, to sharply reduce,
154
649010
3120
11:04
the footprint from the food system
on the global commons.
on the global commons.
155
652154
4241
11:10
I had an opportunity
156
658983
1699
11:12
to fly over the Indonesian
island of Sumatra,
island of Sumatra,
157
660706
4360
11:17
and I saw with my own eyes
158
665090
2668
11:19
the massive deforestation
159
667782
2157
11:21
to make room for palm oil plantations.
160
669963
4199
11:27
By the way, palm oil is included
in thousands of food products
in thousands of food products
161
675178
4701
11:31
we eat every day.
162
679903
1601
11:33
The global demand for palm oil
is just increasing.
is just increasing.
163
681528
3071
11:38
In Sumatra, I met smallholder farmers
164
686168
4136
11:42
who need to make a day-to-day living
from growing oil palm.
from growing oil palm.
165
690328
4618
11:47
I met global food companies,
166
695803
2849
11:50
financial institutions
167
698676
1851
11:52
and local government officials.
168
700551
2055
11:56
All of them told me that they can't
make the change by themselves,
make the change by themselves,
169
704035
5811
12:01
and only by working together
under a kind of new contract,
under a kind of new contract,
170
709870
5469
12:07
or a new practice,
171
715363
1563
12:08
do they have a chance
to protect tropical forests.
to protect tropical forests.
172
716950
3468
12:13
So it's so encouraging to see,
at least for the last few years,
at least for the last few years,
173
721891
5044
12:18
this new coalition among these committed
actors along the supply chain
actors along the supply chain
174
726959
5708
12:24
come together to try
to transform the food system.
to transform the food system.
175
732691
4110
12:29
In fact, what they are trying to do
176
737392
3105
12:32
is to create a new kind of social contract
to manage the global commons.
to manage the global commons.
177
740521
6420
12:41
All changes start at home,
178
749697
3342
12:45
at your place and at my place.
179
753063
2578
12:48
At GEF, Global Environment Facility,
180
756626
3666
12:52
we have now a new strategy,
181
760316
2437
12:54
and we put the global commons
at its center.
at its center.
182
762777
3506
13:00
I hope we won't be the only ones.
183
768552
2705
13:04
If everybody stays on the sidelines,
waiting for others to step in,
waiting for others to step in,
184
772273
5604
13:09
the global commons
will continue to deteriorate,
will continue to deteriorate,
185
777901
3659
13:13
and everybody will be much worse off.
186
781584
3983
13:18
We need to save ourselves
from the tragedy of the commons.
from the tragedy of the commons.
187
786388
4516
13:24
So, I invite all of you
to embrace the global commons.
to embrace the global commons.
188
792451
5642
13:30
Please do remember
that global commons do exist
that global commons do exist
189
798801
3840
13:34
and are waiting for your stewardship.
190
802665
2385
13:38
We all share one planet in common.
191
806609
3198
13:42
We breathe the same air,
192
810546
2325
13:44
we drink the same water,
193
812895
1992
13:46
we depend on the same oceans,
forests, and biodiversity.
forests, and biodiversity.
194
814911
4841
13:52
There is no space
left on earth for egoism.
left on earth for egoism.
195
820974
3405
13:57
The global commons must be kept
within their safe operating space,
within their safe operating space,
196
825144
5515
14:02
and we can only do it together.
197
830683
4206
14:08
Thank you so much.
198
836071
1246
14:09
(Applause)
199
837341
3579
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Naoko Ishii - Environmental policy expertNaoko Ishii leads the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a public financial institution that provides around US$1 billion every year to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems.
Why you should listen
Since taking the helm at the GEF in 2012, Naoko Ishii, an economist by training, has steered the development and implementation of a new long-term strategy that addresses the underlying drivers of environmental degradation. She has put protecting the global commons -- our air, water, biodiversity, forests, land, oceans and a stable climate -- at its center.
Previously, Ishii was Deputy Vice Minister of Finance in Japan and has also worked at the World Bank and the IMF. As a sustainable development leader, Ishii strives to be build coalitions that address the "defining moment" that we're in for the future of the planet. She is a leading advocate on the need to make the environment everybody's business, and she believes safeguarding the global commons is, quite simply, the wisest investment we can make.
Ishii has been profiled for her pioneering work on cities and climate change, and she has highlighted the role of women in driving sustainable change around the world.
Naoko Ishii | Speaker | TED.com