Planetary life support systems have deteriorated to their worst recorded levels due to ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to an annual update by scientists. Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that support life on Earth, seven are now breached at their highest ever levels of transgression.
These seven indicators in the danger zone include climate change, changes in biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change, modification of biogeochemical flows, the introduction of novel entities, and, as of last year, ocean acidification. Only two areas, stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol loading, have improved over the last decade, though atmospheric aerosols remain a problem in some regions.
A coalition of 60 scientists, working under the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, conducted the analysis. They warn that the consequences of breaching these boundaries are becoming increasingly clear, with lead author Boris Sakschewski stating that the risk of large-scale, persistent, and potentially irreversible change is increasing.
While the situation is serious, climate scientist and report co-author Johan Rockström noted that humanity still possesses the knowledge and capacity to reverse it. He emphasised that accelerating action to return to a safe operating space across all planetary boundaries is essential to protect lives and livelihoods.