Biodiversity, biocapacity and better choices

Equitable resourcegovernanceEquitable resource governance is the second essential enablingcondition to shrink and share our resource use to stay withinthe regenerative capacity of one planet. In addition to efforts toreduce the footprint of high-income populations (see “Consumemore wisely” section), we must also improve health and educationstandards, and create viable economic development plans. Thesemust exist within legal and policy frameworks that provide equitableaccess to food, water and energy, and be supported by inclusiveprocesses for sustainably managed land use. Equitable resourcegovernance also requires a changed definition of well-being andsuccess that includes personal, societal and environmental health.Cities as solution hot spots for aOne Planet economyWhile political gridlock may stop rational action elsewhere,leading cities are already realizing the shared benefits of footprintreduction, social well-being and economic resilience. WWF’sEarth Hour City Challenge invites cities to inspire the world withtheir plans for moving towards a 100% renewable economy andsupporting One Planet Lifestyles. Whereas Earth Hour channelsthe public’s impatient calls for global political action, the EarthHour City Challenge helps local governments realize the social,economic and ecological benefits of developing One Planetsolutions (for housing, energy, mobility, food, etc.) togetherwith their citizens and businesses. City Challenge candidatesare supported to report their performance, commitments andaction plans. Public participation is promoted and best practicefrom finalist cities in all countries is documented and sharedinternationally. An international jury of experts awards the cityundertaking the most inspiring, ambitious and credible actions“Earth Hour Capital of the year”.For more information: http://www.earthhour.org/Equitable resourcegovernance is ANessential enablingcondition to shrinkand share ourresource useInvestmentin energyefficient urbaninfrastructureand ecosystemservices is essentialto ensure food,water and energysecurity forbillions of peoplexiii. Share available resources• Implement natural resource governance built on inclusiveprocesses and broad participation by communities dependenton natural resources.• Minimize the footprint of high-income populations and urbanareas (see “Consume more wisely”).• Promote the transition toward sustainable, resource-efficientcities and reduce the direct impact of cities on water and landby limiting urban sprawl, promoting urban agriculture andsustainable waste (water) management.xiv. Make fair and ecologically informed choices• Implement policies and tools for analysing, resolving andmanaging competing land use and water use claims.xv. Measure success “beyond GDP”• Include social and environmental indices in national indicatorsto measure and reward success.• Implement economic policies with targets and indicators tomonitor the impact of economic governance on natural capitaland human well-being.xvi. Sustainable population• Explicitly integrate population dynamics (size, growthrate, composition, location and migration) and per capitaconsumption trends into national planning policies to support abetter balance between population and available resources.• Ensure universal access to gender-sensitive reproductive healthservices and information, reduce child mortality and supportthe empowerment of women and young girls through greateraccess to higher education and employment opportunities.WWF Living Planet Report 2012 page 120 Chapter 4: Better choices for a living planet page 121