The concept was introduced in 2009 by Johan Rockström and research colleagues at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and has since been updated in 2015 and 2023. In 2025, planetary boundaries are established as one of the most influential scientific frameworks for sustainable development and a central reference within both the UN system and EU environmental and sustainability policy.

How Was the Model Developed?

The research group, led by Johan Rockström and Will Steffen, started from the question: Which processes in Earth’s system are so fundamental that they define the boundaries for human development — and how close are we to exceeding them?

For each process, the following were defined:

• Control variables — measurable indicators, such as CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere or nitrogen flows in agriculture.
• Threshold values — levels at which research shows that systems may risk tipping over.
• Safety margins — buffer zones that account for uncertainty, regional variation, and the complexity of the systems.

Based on these parameters, an overall global assessment is made of whether humanity is inside or outside the safe operating space.

The framework is based on Earth system science — the view of Earth as a network of closely interconnected systems with strong feedback loops. Since 2009, the method has developed step by step: in 2015, the models for land use and biosphere integrity were refined, and in 2023, the freshwater boundary was updated to include both blue water, meaning surface water and groundwater, and green water, meaning soil moisture. At the same time, the boundary for novel entities — such as chemicals, plastics, and other synthetic substances — was quantified for the first time.

The Situation Today: Seven of Nine Planetary Boundaries Have Been Crossed

Combined analyses used in research in 2025 show that seven of nine planetary boundaries are now assessed to have been crossed. These are:

• novel entities, meaning chemicals and synthetic substances
• climate change
• biosphere integrity, meaning biodiversity
• land-system change
• biogeochemical flows, meaning nitrogen and phosphorus
• freshwater change
• ocean acidification

The ozone layer, however, continues to recover and is often highlighted as an example of how international cooperation and clear regulation can work in practice. Ocean acidification remains close to its boundary, and aerosols are a growing problem in several regions. Models indicate that pressure on Earth’s systems may increase further by 2050 if the transition does not accelerate.

From “Just CO₂” to a Holistic View with the Help of Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an established tool for measuring the total environmental impact of a product or service — from raw material extraction to use and end-of-life. The Environmental Footprint method, EF 3.1, includes 16 environmental impact categories, including climate impact, land and water use, acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, and resource depletion. Together, these reflect several of the planetary processes that keep Earth in balance.

Research is now increasingly moving toward linking LCA results directly to planetary boundaries through methods such as PB-LCA, or Planetary Boundaries LCA. Instead of only comparing products or alternatives with each other, a more fundamental question is asked: Is this product, service, or business activity within its fair share of the planet’s safe operating space?

In this way, companies can use LCA as a strategic tool to guide investments, innovation, and product development in line with planetary boundaries — not only to reduce emissions, but to contribute to real systems transformation.

Why Is Follow-Up Against Planetary Boundaries Important for Companies and Society?

Following up on how activities affect planetary boundaries is about more than the environment. It concerns risk management, governance, and long-term future resilience. When ecosystems are overused, it is ultimately people’s economic and social conditions that are affected. Understanding your environmental impact provides a better basis for decision-making at several levels:

In short: managing a business within planetary boundaries is a prerequisite for long-term competitiveness and legitimacy.

• Risk and resilience: Exceeded boundaries increase the risk of drought, resource shortages, supply disruptions, and price volatility. Companies that understand their flows and dependencies are better prepared.
• Governance and requirements: EU regulations such as CSRD, the EU Taxonomy, CSDDD, and the Ecodesign Regulation make structured follow-up of environmental impact business-critical.
• Strategy and innovation: A broad LCA-based analysis makes it clear where actions have the greatest effect and where trade-offs arise, for example between climate impact and land use.

In short: managing a business within planetary boundaries is a prerequisite for long-term competitiveness and legitimacy.

What Is Needed Now Is Innovation Within Planetary Boundaries

The fact that several planetary boundaries have been crossed does not mean that the race is lost. To secure the safe operating space for future generations, a faster and more targeted transition is needed — and it is both necessary and possible. Below, we present areas of focus for innovation within planetary boundaries in major sectors: