According to the Planetary Boundaries framework, there are nine critical Earth systems that help maintain planetary stability and a safe environment for human life – seven of them are now being breached.
Scientists set boundaries for each system to define a “safe operating space” for humans. Crossing a boundary is said to increase the risk of serious and potentially irreversible environmental damage.
The nine boundaries cover climate change, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, ocean acidification, atmospheric aerosol loading, stratospheric ozone depletion and the introduction of novel entities.
The seven breached boundaries are climate change, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, novel entities and ocean acidification. Only stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading remain within their global boundaries, although the report notes that regional aerosol levels can still pose risks.
According to the report, moving beyond a boundary means entering a zone of rising risk, where damage becomes more likely and potentially more severe and irreversible.
The assessment also highlights pressure on natural carbon sinks, which absorb a substantial share of human carbon dioxide emissions. It warns that repeated heat, drought, fire and ecosystem degradation can reduce carbon uptake and, in some regions, turn ecosystems from carbon sinks into carbon sources.
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