Planetary Boundaries

Planetary Boundaries

A story of Urgency, Agency & proof that it can be done.


You may have heard this concept. Recently, through the efforts at the Coalition of the Willing , I have become aware that not everyone knows what this concept really means.

So here it comes.

In essence, these nine planetary boundaries were first proposed by former centre director Johan Rockstr?m and a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists in 2009. Last year, for the first time, all 9 boundaries assessment was published.

The boundaries refer to a framework, to help us measure and comprehend a set of processes that regulate the stability and resilience of our home, the system of planet Earth.

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of visuals to help us express and interpret concepts; the Planetary Boundaries are represented as slices within and beyond a sphere we can recognise as the globe. There is a safe operating space, beyond that the risks to people and the very ecosystems that sustain our life on Earth are at detriment.

I covered some of this back in 2021, in Sustainable Happy Profit.

The 9 boundaries:

  • Climate Change (Radiative forcing & CO2 concentration)
  • Biosphere Integrity (Genetic & Functional)
  • Land-System Change
  • Freshwater Change (Blue/Use water & Green water)
  • Biogeochemical Flows (phosphorus & nitrogen)
  • Ocean Acidification
  • Atmospheric Aerosol Loading
  • Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
  • Novel Entities (such as synthetic chemicals, substances, radioactive materials)

The crude truth is that 6 of the 9 boundaries are crossed beyond the safe operating zone, which puts high pressure and stresses on them as things are interrelated and highly complex in this circle we call life.

We humans, one species, are putting an incredible amount of excess on these by how we are operating since agriculture and the industrial revolution in big numbers.

Let's not go into despair.

The goal is to "maintain Earth system stability and life-support systems conducive to the human welfare" for that we need to regenerate many of these boundaries which we have surpassed and are critically affected by anthropogenic activities.

I want to point to a success story; when we put our minds and efforts into it, we can indeed make big changes in a short timescale and in big numbers.

Am I sure you remember the Ozone Layer 'hole' within the change of the millennia? According to the last report of the Planetary Boundaries, "stratospheric ozone depletion has decreased and is now within the safe operating space", and it continues to be on track to recover within four decades. It is a remarkable proof that it can be done.

The question is: Are you willing to be part of the solution?


Read "Earth beyond six of nine Planetary Boundaries" here ?

Philippe Drouillon

Catalyst of Regenerative Teams, Organizations & Territories | B Leader

8 个月

Thanks Ines ! We should speak as I'm currently working with partners in the implementation of journeys that should allow companies to redirect or develop activites (products, services) that are compatible "planet boundaries". Le tme know if it raises some interest in your side.

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