The document discusses several trends related to the state of the planet in 2017, including: 1) Significant declines in extreme poverty, illiteracy, and child mortality over the past few decades, though poverty remains concentrated in Africa and Asia. 2) Increases in life expectancy and declines in war deaths, though wealth and well-being are not always directly linked. 3) Continued growth of the world's population and urbanization, with half of all people now living in cities, though the population growth rate is slowing. 4) Ongoing climate change impacts like rising temperatures and sea level rise threatening communities and ecosystems.

1. Josh Tewksbury
State of the planet 2017

2. Hans Rosling (July 1948- February 2017)

3. 7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
People in extreme poverty
People not
in extreme
poverty
Population(billions)
The Anthropocene
decline in
poverty50%In the past 20 years
Sources: Max Roser based on World Bank
and Bourguignon and Morrissson 2002
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon

4. Africa (383 million) Asia (327 million)
South America
(19 million)
North America
(13 million)
700+Million in
extreme
poverty in
Africa and
Asia
Source: World Bank
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon

5. The Anthropocene
decline in
illiteracy75%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Illiterate world population
Literate world population
Population(%)
In the past 30 years
Sources: Literate World Population (data from
OECD and UNESCO
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon

6. DoublingOf life expectancy
Sources: James Riley for data 1990 and back, WHO
and World Bank for later data (by Max Roser)
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Lifeexpectancyatbirth
Global average
life expectancy
The Anthropocene

7. Peak
child
We
have
past
Sources: UNPD (Fertility) 2015 revision
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
Childrenperwoman
Absolute # of
humans born / year
peaked here (135
million)
The Anthropocene

8. peaceful
We are more
Sources: Human Security Project (PRIO
data) – Max Roser
Photo: Borneo © WWF-Canon
596
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
#ofannualwarbattledeaths
Than we have been in
60+ years
Conflict
The Anthropocene

9. Link between
wealth and
wellbeing
(longevity) is
not linear
The Anthropocene

10. www.worldsocialscience.org | #ChallengingInequalities
The Anthropocene
Economic
& political
power
are increasingly
concentrated in the
hands of a small
number of people

11. “There are
1 billion poor living in
1 million slums and informal settlements in
100,000 cities”
7.5 billion Around half living in urban areas
Population
Timon McPhearson
Future Earth Urban KAN, Habitat III, 2016

12. Data sources: Up to 2015 OurWorldData series based on UN and HYDE. Projections for 2015 to
2100: UN Population Division (2015 – Medium Variant. The data visualization is taken from
OurWorldData.org. There you find the raw data and more visualizations on this topic.

14. 20th November
Arctic sea ice
November rollercoaster
4th November
Paris Agreement
comes into force
8th November
Trump elected
14th November
Global Carbon
Budget released
14th November
Hottest year on record

15. Top emitters: fossil fuels and industry (absolute)
The top four emitters in 2015 covered 59% of global emissions
China (29%), United States (15%), EU28 (10%), India (6%)
Bunker fuels are used for international transport is 3.1% of global emissions.
Statistical differences between the global estimates and sum of national totals are 1.2% of global emissions.
Source: CDIAC; Le Quéré et al 2016; Global Carbon Budget 2016

16. Sources: Schellnhuber et al. (2016). Nature Climate Change

17. A “CARBON LAW”
Meeting the Paris Agreement
translates to
HALVING EMISSIONS
EVERY DECADE
to 2050, turning agriculture
from a carbon source to a carbon
sink, and maintaining, and creating
new carbon sinks
Science (24 March 2017)
Rockström, Gaffney, Rogelj, Meinhausen, Nakicenovic, Schellnhuber

19. The Global Living Planet Index shows decline of
58% between 1970 and 2012

20. 40% GLOBAL LAND SURFACE
USED FOR FOOD
70%ADDITIONAL CALORIES
NEEDED BY 2050Stockholm Resilience Centre

21. BY 2050CAN WE FEED 9BILLION PEOPLE
WITHOUT FURTHER DEFORESTATION?

22. YES
500 scenarios
Low meat/vegan/vegetarian diets
increase likelihood
Erb et al 2016 Nature Communications

23. BY 2050CAN WE FEED 9BILLION PEOPLE
AND REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURE?

24. Health, climate change and diets
Springmann, M., Charles, H., Godfray, J., Rayner, M., & Scarborough, P. (2016). Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change co-benefits of dietary change. PNAS , 113 (15).
Dietary shift to lower
meat consumption
could reduce
global mortality 6–10%
and food-related
greenhouse gas
emissions 29–70%
by 2050

25. Emerging
Issues
Air Pollution
Ocean Contamination
Epidemics
Refugees
Natural Disasters

26. Josh Tewksbury
State of the planet 2017