Planetary Boundaries: a global sustainable approach


The human development during the Holocene period has consistently fluctuated around the same averages in terms of biogeochemical and atmospheric parameters. Only recently, after the Industrial Revolution, progress has advanced without any limits aiming at the highest economic and social yields which marked the first recorded human-induced changes of Earth System at global scale (Rockström 2009).

Planetary boundaries are a new approach towards global sustainability which allow humanity to achieve a renewable and environmental-friendly growth. They do so implementing certain non-negotiable thresholds for environmental change which, when surpassed, would result in irreversible and non-linear modifications of planetary systems. The correct consideration of such boundaries would allow humanity to transition from the Holocene to the Anthropocene state in a sustainable manner (Rockström 2009).

Nine planetary boundaries have been defined as the human-induced disruptors of the Earth Systems. Among these, the boundaries of eight have been quantified based on scientific research. These are climate change; ocean acidification; stratospheric ozone; biogeochemical nitrogen (N) cycle and phosphorus (P) cycle; global freshwater use; land system change; the rate at which biological diversity is lost and novel entities (chemical pollution). The last one, atmospheric aerosol loading, has not yet been quantified.

It is the result of researchers' analysis that six boundaries have already been fully or partially crossed (climate change, the rate of biodiversity loss, the rate of interference with the nitrogen cycle, land-system change, the impact of synthetic chemicals and finally freshwater). The way these transgressions impact the other boundaries is still uncertain considering that the thresholds have been defined under the strict assumption that no other boundary is surpassed. Moreover, the duration over which the boundary can be transgressed without irreparable effects on the Earth System processes is as well under discussion, However, due to the interconnected nature of all boundaries, we can predict an alteration of the threshold coming from the change in certain variables (Rockström 2009).


References:

Linn Persson et al, 2022, Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities, Environmental Science & Technology 2022 56 (3)

Rockström, J., et al, (2009), ‘Planetary boundaries: exploring the safe operating space for humanity’, Ecology and society 14(2) 

Wang-Erlandsson, et al, (2022). Towards a green water planetary boundary. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.

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