Climate Change

We've exceeded the Earth's safe boundaries. So what are they - and what's next?

Urgent action is needed to reduce humanity's impact on the Earth systems.

Planetary boundaries ... new science-based targets are needed to ensure fresh water and clean air. Image: Pexels/Sami Anas

Steven J Lade
Resilience researcher, Australian National University
Ben Stewart-Koster
Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University
Stuart Bunn
Professor, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University
Syezlin Hasan
Research Fellow, Griffith University
Xuemei Bai
Professor of Urban Environment and Human Ecology, Australian National University, Canberra
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This illustration shows how we’ve breached almost all the eight safe and just Earth system boundaries globally.
This illustration shows how we’ve breached almost all the eight safe and just Earth system boundaries globally. Image: Earth Commission
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What’s the World Economic Forum doing about climate change?

To safeguard the biosphere means making sure natural ecosystems survive even in human-dominated areas.
To safeguard the biosphere means making sure natural ecosystems survive even in human-dominated areas. Image: Shutterstock

Fresh water is vital to life on land. Over-extraction is dangerous.
Fresh water is vital to life on land. Over-extraction is dangerous. Image: Shutterstock

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Related topics:
Climate ChangeSDG 13: Climate ActionGlobal Cooperation
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