Most of Earth's 'safe' planetary boundaries have been breached

A new report warns that six of Earth’s nine planetary boundaries have already been breached, with a seventh approaching its limit. The trend is clear: we are heading towards further boundary transgressions. 

While crossing these thresholds may not cause sudden changes overnight, they signal a growing risk of destabilizing our planet’s life-support functions.

The Planetary Health Check 

The Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience) initiative, led by Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), has recently introduced the Planetary Health Check (PHC). 

This scientific report and tool assess the health of Earth’s vital systems that function as humanity’s life support. 

Combining cutting-edge Earth science, Earth observation data, and interdisciplinary research, the Planetary Health Check aims to quantify the planet’s health and propose solutions to mitigate the damage caused by human activities.

Crucial update on the health of our planet

The Planetary Health Check is part of the first-ever Planetary Health Check Report, marking a pivotal step in global efforts to safeguard Earth’s stability and resilience. This report, set to be published annually, serves as a crucial update on the health of the planet, offering valuable insights for stakeholders worldwide.

Environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are often treated separately, but these problems are interconnected and collectively impact both planetary and human health. 

The PHC report compiles the latest scientific data on the Planetary Boundary processes, pinpoints the root causes of these issues, and highlights how these processes are interrelated. It emphasizes the importance of adopting a holistic, “whole Earth” approach, to safeguard humanity’s future.

What are planetary boundaries? 

Planetary boundaries refer to nine essential Earth system processes – including climate change, biosphere integrity, and ocean acidification – that regulate the planet’s life support systems. 

These boundaries define a “safe operating space” within which humanity can thrive while maintaining a stable and resilient Earth. 

When a boundary is crossed, the risk of permanently damaging Earth’s critical functions rises, along with the possibility of reaching tipping points that could trigger irreversible changes. 

“Our updated diagnosis shows that vital organs of the Earth system are weakening, leading to a loss of resilience and rising risks of crossing tipping points,” said Levke Caesar, PIK Scientist, Co-Lead of PBScience, and one of the report’s lead authors.

“Six of the nine planetary boundaries are transgressed, put into context in the report by high-resolution spatial maps of local and regional trends for all nine boundaries.” 

“The message is clear: local actions impact the planet, and a planet under pressure can impact everyone, everywhere. Securing human wellbeing, economic development, and stable societies requires a holistic approach where the protection of the planet takes center stage.”

Protecting the health of our planet

The Planetary Health Check represents a major step forward in translating scientific understanding into actionable measures to guide global development. 

Rockström noted that we have known for some time that we are weakening the planet’s resilience. 

“This scientific update shows that, irrespective of what scale we operate on, all actions need to consider impacts at the planetary scale. Stewardship of the planet is necessary in all sectors of the economy and in societies, for security, prosperity, and equity,” said Rockström. 

“The overall diagnosis is that the patient, Planet Earth, is in critical condition. Six of nine Planetary Boundaries are transgressed. Seven PB processes show a trend of increasing pressure so that we will soon see the majority of the Planetary Health Check parameters in the high-risk zone.”

Immediate action is needed

Boris Sakschewski, co-lead of PBScience and the lead author of the report, emphasized the need for immediate action.

“When we look at the trends of Earth’s health indicators, we see that soon the majority of them will be in the high-risk zone. We need to reverse this trend,” said Sakschewski.

“By gaining a deeper understanding of the system, we will identify those actions that most effectively reduce or counteract humanity’s impacts as we urgently need to return to the safe operating space.”

Indigenous knowledge can guide Earth’s recovery

An essential future goal of PBScience is to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the Planetary Health Check. 

Indigenous Peoples have lived in close connection with the planet for millennia, developing methods to sustainably manage natural resources and live in harmony with the environment. Their expertise is critical to crafting holistic solutions to address humanity’s impact on Earth’s health.

“As industry has accelerated, Indigenous Peoples have seen their homes degraded and destroyed. It is imperative that this decline is reversed,” said Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the Planetary Guardians and expert in Indigenous adaptation to climate change.

“With the Planetary Health Check, we can begin to illuminate this path while also sharing the deep knowledge of Indigenous Peoples when it comes to identifying solutions. We can live a legacy of an even better world for future generations to thrive in partnership with Earth.”

A comprehensive assessment of planetary health

The Planetary Health Check provides a comprehensive and holistic assessment of the planet’s health, serving as a guiding framework for decision-makers, whether they are governments, corporations, multilateral organizations, or individuals. 

With the support of diverse partners, the PHC will evolve into a “mission-control center” for Earth, utilizing the latest satellite data, artificial intelligence, Indigenous knowledge, and modern science. 

Ultimately, the Planetary Health Check will help guide urgent global actions and support the development of long-term plans to bring humanity back into the safe operating space for a thriving future.

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