The Planetary Health Check (PHC) 2025 provides a scientific assessment of the Earth system, emphasizing that human activity has driven the planet beyond its stable state.
What are Planetary Boundaries (PBs)?
- PBs are ecological thresholds defining the safe limits, or "safe operating space," within which humanity can safely exist.
- These are nine processes vital for maintaining global stability, resilience, and life-support functions.
- Nine Planetary Boundaries include:-
- Criteria for Setting Boundaries: Global scientific evaluations (IPCC, IPBES), Holocene variability, ecological resilience analyses, Earth System Models, potential tipping points etc.
- Key Findings of the Report
- Seven of the nine PBs have been transgressed except Atmospheric Aerosol Loading & Stratospheric Ozone Depletion.
- Ocean Acidification: It crossed its safe operating space for the first time, threatening marine organisms such as corals and mollusks.
- Climate Change indicators: It shows worsening trends; atmospheric CO₂ reached 423 ppm in 2025, rapidly approaching the high-risk threshold of 450 ppm.
- Biosphere Integrity: It remains in steep decline, with extinction rates persistently above the safe threshold.
Conclusion
To address this crisis, the scientific community is forming the Planetary Boundaries Initiative (PBI), a global platform to track risks, develop solutions, and improve communication. By harnessing advanced modeling, AI, and multi-source datasets, the initiative aims to create a "Planetary Mission Control Center" to provide near-real-time assessments and support evidence-based decision-making.
