Earth’s liveable limits breached further this year

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The 2026 Planetary Health Check reports that seven of nine planetary boundaries have been breached due to human activity, with conditions worsening. Researchers warn that continued transgression could make the planet less safe for people and nature, and urge action on fossil fuels, biodiversity, seafloor ecosystems, and pollution.

bmj;395/oct21_12/e101184/F1F1f1Key: P=phosphorus; N=nitrogen; E/MSY=extinction per million species years; BII=biodiversity intactness indexAzote for Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University. Based on Sakschewski and Caesar et al 2026 (https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/rest/items/item_35009/component/file_35022/content), Richardson et al 2023 (doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh2458), Steffen et al 2015 (doi:10.1126/science.1259855), and Rockström et al 2009 (doi:10.1038/461472a)The Planetary Health Check 2026 shows that the Earth’s planetary boundaries have been transgressed, as a result of human activity, and the situation is worsening every year.1 The 2026 report finds that seven of nine boundaries, indicating a “safe operating space” for the planet, have been breached. Transgression will make the Earth an unsafe place for humans, animals, and nature and lead to more extreme weather events.The authors of the Planetary Health Check urge immediate action to prevent further breach of these boundaries, including phasing out fossil fuels, restoring nature and biodiversity, protecting seafloor ecosystems, and stopping pollution of microplastics and other “forever” chemicals. The Convention on Biological Diversity...