Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat ever posed to the future of humanity.

Yet it is not the first threat that humans face, and their ability to adapt has always enabled them to survive. However it is the first time that we are witnessing not only rapid change, but also at the same time, a significant degradation of our planet, as a consequence of our excessive ecological footprint. The cumulative effect of these events means that the 21st century will be a crucial time. The very survival of humankind at worst, or its development path at best, may be at stake.

This is why the purpose of this report is :

• • to focus on the factors that are most often neglected, such as methane in regard to climate change and the oceanic system in regard to the ecological footprint, and to highlight the most operational strategies, 
  • to show that an integrated approach to climate change and the ecological footprint is the only one capable of dealing with the magnitude of the transformations underway, 
  • to raise awareness of the urgency of rethinking the entire relationship between humans and nature.