Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience) today announced the launch of the Planetary Health Check (PHC), the first scientific report and tool on the health of Earth’s vital organs that serve as humanity’s life support system.
PBScience is a new initiative led by Professor Johan Rockström and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) with the support of Planetary Guardians and other partners.
The launch of the Planetary Health Check builds on the publication of the inaugural Planetary Health Check report, marking an important step in our collective efforts to understand and protect the stability and resilience of our planet. The report will be published annually, recognizing the importance of timely, up-to-date information on the health of our planet and marking a major advancement in the regularity of this insight for stakeholders around the world.
Global Commons Alliance Earth HQ partnered with PIK and Planetary Guardians to help build and host the online presence for Planetary Health Check.
The Planetary Health Check report shows how boundary processes relate to each other and to tipping points. Typically, environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution have been addressed individually, but these issues are interrelated and collectively affect not only the health of the planet but also human health. Furthermore, crossing the safe planetary levels of these boundaries can create feedbacks that amplify the impacts on people and bring the Earth closer to tipping points.
Planetary boundaries
Planetary boundaries
Planetary boundaries, including climate change, changes in biosphere health, and ocean acidification, have been defined for nine key Earth system processes that regulate life-support systems on Earth. Planetary boundaries outline safe operating areas within which humanity can thrive while keeping the Earth stable and resilient. When boundaries are breached, the risk of permanently damaging the Earth’s life-support functions increases, as does the likelihood of crossing tipping points that cause irreversible change. When multiple boundaries are breached, the risk increases exponentially.
A planetary health check indicates that Earth’s critical system functions are at risk, with six of nine planetary boundaries breached and a seventh on the brink of being breached, and a trend toward further boundary crossings evident. While boundary crossings do not equate to dramatic overnight change, they indicate that we have entered a region of increasing risk.
“The Planetary Health Check is a major step forward in our shared mission to understand and protect the Earth. We have known for some time that we are weakening the Earth’s resilience. This scientific update shows that all our actions, no matter what scale we operate at, must consider their global impacts. Stewardship of the Earth is necessary for security, prosperity and equity in all sectors of the economy and society. By quantifying the boundaries of a healthy Planet, we give policy, economy and business the tools they need to avoid the risks of not being able to manage them,” said Johan Rockström, Director of PIK, co-leader of PBScience and pioneer of the Planetary Boundaries Framework.
The overall diagnosis is that the patient, Earth, is in a critical situation: seven out of nine planetary boundary processes are showing trends towards exceedance, with most of them soon to enter the high-risk zone.
Planetary Boundary Science
Furthermore, the assessment shows that seven of the nine global limits are showing an increasing trend in limit breaches, often meaning further movements into high-risk zones, strongly supporting a red alert warning.
The Planetary Health Check blends planetary boundaries science with Indigenous knowledge to find solutions for returning humanity to a safe environment. Indigenous peoples around the world have had an intimate relationship with the Earth for thousands of years. Their knowledge of stewardship of Earth’s resources and how to live in harmony with the Earth is essential to creating holistic solutions to humanity’s impacts on the health of the planet.
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Planetary Limits
Hindu Umarow Ibrahim, chair of Planetary Guardians and an expert on Indigenous climate change adaptation and mitigation, added: “For centuries, Indigenous peoples have learned to live in harmony with the land, using the environment to sustain themselves and replenish what they take for the health of the entire planet. We are killing ourselves with an overdose of chemicals, the destruction of nature, soaring temperatures and increasing pollution. As industry accelerates, Indigenous peoples have seen their homes deteriorate and destroyed. There is an urgent need to reverse this decline. The Planetary Health Check allows us to begin to uncover this path, while sharing deep Indigenous knowledge in finding solutions. We can work with the Earth to leave a legacy of a better world for future generations to thrive.”
The Planetary Health Check will provide a unique, holistic view of the health of the planet to guide decision-making for nations, corporations, multinationals and all citizens. With the support of a range of partners, it will evolve into a “mission control centre” for the planet, leveraging the latest satellite data, AI, indigenous wisdom and the latest modern science.
Ultimately, a planetary health check will allow everyone to act with urgency and develop a five-year plan to change course to get humanity back to a safe operating space.
