Planetary Health Check 2026

This annual report and tool can help you to build a nuanced and holistic understanding of the health of Earth’s vital systems and the actions required to enhance their resilience. The report is created by Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience), a new initiative led by PIK director Johan Rockström and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and is supported by the Planetary Guardians and other partners. Combining pioneering Earth science, Earth observation data, and multi-disciplinary thinking, the report quantifies the planet’s health and informs solutions to reverse the impact of human activity on the planet. It documents the latest scientific information on the diverse Planetary Boundary processes; identifies the underlying causes and the interconnectedness of various processes; and connects Planetary Boundary processes to different tipping points, emphasising the need for a whole Earth approach to ensure humanity's future.

The 2026 edition explains that seven of the nine Planetary Boundaries are now at their highest recorded levels of transgression. The authors note that the risk of large-scale, persistent, and potentially irreversible change is increasing, while our margin for error in tackling these problems is shrinking. This edition documents the current health of the planet; explains the challenges of diagnosing the Earth system; explores present-day impacts and looming risks; features spotlights on key topics, such as seafloor integrity and novel entities; and provides information sheets for each of the Planetary Boundaries.