Abstract

Crossing the boundaries in global sustainability 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

Keywords

Planetary boundariesPlanetHumanitySustainabilityEarth system scienceContext (archaeology)Boundary (topology)AstrobiologyPolitical scienceGlobal changeSustainable developmentClimate changeGeographyEnvironmental ethicsGeologyPhysicsEcologyOceanographyPaleontologyAstronomyBiologyMathematicsPhilosophyLaw

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Publication Info

Year
2015
Type
article
Volume
347
Issue
6223
Pages
1259855-1259855
Citations
11523
Access
Closed

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Will Steffen, Katherine Richardson, Johan Rockström et al. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science , 347 (6223) , 1259855-1259855. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855

Identifiers

DOI
10.1126/science.1259855