Call to Action on Global Catastrophic Risks

The nations of the world must come together to develop a shared plan of action to overcome the many catastrophic risks now facing humanity, according to a powerful new report released today.

The coronavirus pandemic, with its demand for unified global action, also presents an unprecedented chance for humanity to combine in solving its other shared threats, the Commission for the Human Future said.

“The human species’ ability to cause mass harm to itself has been accelerating since the mid- 20th Century. Global trends in demographics, information, politics, warfare, climate, environmental damage and technology have culminated in an entirely new level of risk. The risks emerging now are varied, global, complex and catastrophic.” the report says.

“No nation or government on Earth yet recognises all of these threats as a related complex, nor does any have an explicit policy for human survival. We consider this needs to change, urgently, to focus world attention on what needs to be done.”

The Commission for the Human Future (CHF) is a body set up by concerned citizens of the Earth, to raise awareness of the nature and scale of the catastrophic and existential threats we face, to share information about them and to help develop lasting solutions to them.

“We recognise that solutions to these great risks depend not just on government policy and corporate activity, but also on the actions of billions of individual people in their daily lives. Much of our present behaviour has to change, if civilization is to survive and prosper.”

Commission chairman Professor John Hewson said the report was the conclusion of the first Round Table conference held by the Commission involving many experts in all areas of risk and human activity.

“Our goal is to share thought and ideas from all over the world about what society as a whole can do to build a safe future in which all can thrive

“We seek to empower everyone, young and old, female and male, poor or affluent to help build a safe, sustainable human future,” he said.

The Commission identifies ten ‘catastrophic risks’ which have the potential to harm all or most of human civilization if not addressed.

“It is not just climate change, nuclear weapons or pandemic disease – there are at least seven other risks, equally grave, that also need to be addressed at the same time,” Prof Hewson said. “All these risks are connected – and cannot be solve done at a time.”

“Yet, however grave these threats, our message is one of hope. We can turn this dangerous situation around if we unite around the planet to do so. If we bury our differences, pool our skills and brains and act as responsible citizens of the Earth – not people divided by national differences.

“Our aim at the Commission is to convince our fellow citizens of Earth of the necessity to commit ourselves and every belief system we hold, to survive and thrive.

“We must recruit the best and brightest young humans to build the process for surviving and thriving for the whole of humanity.:

The Commission for the Human Future plans to hold a series of round tables, each focussed on one of the ten catastrophic risks, with a view to identifying pathways forwards and solutions which everyone can adopt. Their outcomes will be shared worldwide, with everyone who is interested in a safer, healthier future.

Full report here: http://humansforsurvival.org/sites/default/files/CHF_Roundtable_Report_March_2020.pdf