Journal Article

Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

Cornell, Sarah E., de Vries, Wim, Folke, Carl, Rockström, Johan, Sörlin, Sverker, Persson, Linn M., Gerten, Dieter, Steffen, Will, Mace, Georgina M., de Wit, Cynthia A., Reyers, Belinda, Heinke, Jens, Bennett, Elena M., Carpenter, Stephen R., Fetzer, Ingo, Richardson, Katherine, Biggs, Reinette, Ramanathan, Veerabhadran

2015

Overview

The planetary boundary (PB) concept, introduced in 2009, aimed to define the environmental limits within which humanity can safely operate. This approach has proved influential in global sustainability policy development. Steffen et al. provide an updated and extended analysis of the PB framework. Of the original nine proposed boundaries, they identify three (including climate change) that might push the Earth system into a new state if crossed and that also have a pervasive influence on the remaining boundaries. They also develop the PB framework so that it can be applied usefully in a regional context. Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1259855 Developments in the planetary boundaries concept provide a framework to support global sustainability. The planetary boundaries framework defines a safe operating space for humanity based on the intrinsic biophysical processes that regulate the stability of the Earth system. Here, we revise and update the planetary boundary framework, with a focus on the underpinning biophysical science, based on targeted input from expert research communities and on more general scientific advances over the past 5 years. Several of the boundaries now have a two-tier approach, reflecting the importance of cross-scale interactions and the regional-level heterogeneity of the processes that underpin the boundaries. Two core boundaries—climate change and biosphere integrity—have been identified, each of which has the potential on its own to drive the Earth system into a new state should they be substantially and persistently transgressed.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Acidification / Aerosols / Anthropogenic factors / Biodiversity Loss / Biogeochemistry / Biological effects / Biophysics / Biosphere / Boundaries / Carbon dioxide / Climate / Climate change / Climate system / Communities / Critical Transitions / Early-Warning Signals / Earth / Environmental Flow Requirements / Functional Diversity / Geological time / Heterogeneity / Holocene / Human factors research / Integrity / Marine-Environment / Nutrient Limitation / Ocean acidification / Ozone depletion / Precautionary principle / Regional development / RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY / Safe Operating Space / Stability / Studies / Sustainable development / Water