Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

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

doi:10.1126/science.1259855

Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

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

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7646 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Article number	1259855
Journal	Science
Volume	347
Issue number	6223
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855
Publication status	Published - 13 Feb 2015

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1259855

Cite this

Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., Cornell, S. E., Fetzer, I., Bennett, E. M., Biggs, R., Carpenter, S. R., De Vries, W., De Wit, C. A., Folke, C., Gerten, D., Heinke, J., Mace, G. M., Persson, L. M., Ramanathan, V., Reyers, B., & Sörlin, S. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 347(6223), Article 1259855. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855

@article{1921d2b08f6f4439901671704becb079,

title = "Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet",

abstract = "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.",

author = "Will Steffen and Katherine Richardson and Johan Rockstr{\"o}m and Cornell, {Sarah E.} and Ingo Fetzer and Bennett, {Elena M.} and Reinette Biggs and Carpenter, {Stephen R.} and {De Vries}, Wim and {De Wit}, {Cynthia A.} and Carl Folke and Dieter Gerten and Jens Heinke and Mace, {Georgina M.} and Persson, {Linn M.} and Veerabhadran Ramanathan and Belinda Reyers and Sverker S{\"o}rlin",

year = "2015",

month = feb,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1126/science.1259855",

language = "English",

volume = "347",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6223",

}

Steffen, W, Richardson, K, Rockström, J, Cornell, SE, Fetzer, I, Bennett, EM, Biggs, R, Carpenter, SR, De Vries, W, De Wit, CA, Folke, C, Gerten, D, Heinke, J, Mace, GM, Persson, LM, Ramanathan, V, Reyers, B & Sörlin, S 2015, 'Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet', Science, vol. 347, no. 6223, 1259855. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855

TY - JOUR

T1 - Planetary boundaries

T2 - Guiding human development on a changing planet

AU - Steffen, Will

AU - Richardson, Katherine

AU - Rockström, Johan

AU - Cornell, Sarah E.

AU - Fetzer, Ingo

AU - Bennett, Elena M.

AU - Biggs, Reinette

AU - Carpenter, Stephen R.

AU - De Vries, Wim

AU - De Wit, Cynthia A.

AU - Folke, Carl

AU - Gerten, Dieter

AU - Heinke, Jens

AU - Mace, Georgina M.

AU - Persson, Linn M.

AU - Ramanathan, Veerabhadran

AU - Reyers, Belinda

AU - Sörlin, Sverker

PY - 2015/2/13

Y1 - 2015/2/13

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922433390&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1259855

DO - 10.1126/science.1259855

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 347

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6223

M1 - 1259855

ER -

Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this