Planetary Health Check reports seven of nine Earth boundaries exceeded

The 2026 Planetary Health Check, presented during the United Nations General Assembly, reports that seven of the nine critical planetary boundaries have been exceeded. These thresholds, designed to define a safe operating space for humanity, are being pushed to their highest levels of violation ever recorded.

The breached boundaries include climate change, biosphere integrity, land-use change, freshwater availability, biogeochemical flows, the introduction of novel anthropogenic substances (such as plastics and synthetic chemicals), and ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is noted as the most recent boundary to be crossed, occurring in 2025.

According to the report, produced by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Planetary Guardians, only two boundaries—stratospheric ozone depletion and atmospheric aerosol concentrations—have shown improvement over the last decade. Scientists warn that the planet's natural resilience is weakening, with signs of potential tipping points emerging in key systems due to accelerating global warming and ecosystem degradation.