The Planetary Boundaries Framework defines a safe operating space for humanity based on biophysical processes that regulate the stability of the Earth system. Beyond these limits, the environment may not be able to self-regulate any more, and would leave the period of stability in which human society developed. The planetary boundaries concept presents a set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.
The framework was developed in 2009 to identify thresholds for environmental changes. The latest update reveals that six out of nine boundaries have been surpassed, increasing the risk of irreversible changes, raising concerns that the planet is reaching a point outside the safe operating space for humanity and entering into a state of potential environmental instability and irreversible climate tipping points.
Click here to read the full research article, Nine Planetary Boundaries, and the press release from the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Click here to access the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s past research on planetary boundaries since 2009.