Planetary Boundaries
We have breached 7 out of 9 Planetary Boundaries. The Planetary Health Check 2025 makes it clear: We have to act now.
The Planetary Boundaries
Danger Zone
Climate Change
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Danger Zone
Change in Biosphere Integrity
Loss of species, ecosystems, and ecological functions sustain and regulate the overall state of the Earth.
Risk Zone
Land System Change
The transformation of forests, grasslands, and other natural areas through land use and other human actions.
Risk Zone
Freshwater Change
The alteration of surface and groundwater systems that support people and ecosystems.
Danger Zone
Modification of Biogeochemical Flows
The disruption of nutrient cycles that regulate soil fertility and the health of water ecosystems, through excessive fertilizer use and pollution.
Risk Zone
Ocean Acidification
Increasing carbon dioxide absorption is making the oceans more acidic, threatening marine ecosystems.
Safe zone
Increase in Atmospheric Aerosol Loading
The concentration of fine particles in the atmosphere that influence climate and human health.
Safe zone
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
The thinning of the protective ozone layer that shields life from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Danger Zone
Introduction of Novel Entities
The introduction of synthetic chemicals, plastics, and other human-made materials into Earth’s systems.
Name of Author
“The Planetary Boundaries science reaffirms that the planet is one, interconnected system and that our solutions must account for this."
Juan Manuel Santos
Safe Operating Space for Humanity
For nearly 12,000 years, Earth’s relatively warm and stable Holocene climate has provided the foundation for agriculture, civilization, and human flourishing. Today, that stability is under threat as human activity pushes the planet toward a new, uncertain state -- the Anthropocene. To secure a livable future, humanity must protect the Safe Operating Space” that has allowed our species to thrive for millennia.
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Tipping Points
Earth’s climate system is approaching critical thresholds beyond which change could become abrupt and irreversible. From collapsing ice sheets to dying rainforests, these tipping points threaten to disrupt the planet’s balance and the stability of human societies. With global warming already nearing dangerous levels, multiple tipping elements could soon be triggered. Understanding and preventing these cascading shifts is essential to keeping Earth within its safe and stable operating space.
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