Planetary boundaries alignment

The planetary boundaries model, developed in 2009 by scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, helps to identify environmental limits for nine essential Earth systems.

See the Global reporting models page for more information on why we report on the state of the environment.

The NSW State of the Environment 2024 does not report against the criteria used to measure the planetary boundaries. This is because there is currently not sufficient NSW data available.

Table PB1.1 shows how NSW State of the Environment 2024 indicators align to the planetary boundaries.

Table PB1.1 Planetary boundaries alignment table

Planetary boundaryHow it is measured under the planetary boundaries modelState of the Environment indicators
Climate change
  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (350 parts per million)
  • Increase in top-of-atmosphere radiative forcing
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • The Greenhouse gas emissions topic reports on global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, annual net NSW greenhouse gas emissions and annual NSW per capita greenhouse gas emissions
  • Tracking radiative forcing is beyond the scope of this report
Novel entities
  • Synthetic chemicals and substances, such as microplastics, human-made radioactive materials, such as nuclear waste, and other human interventions, such as genetically modified organisms
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • Reporting on novel entities is beyond the scope of this report
Stratospheric ozone depletion
  • Stratospheric ozone concentration
    (<5% reduction from pre-industrial level)
  • Globally, this is within safe levels
  • Reporting on stratospheric ozone is beyond the scope of this report
Atmospheric aerosol loading
  • Airborne particles from human activities or natural sources, such as dust or bushfire smoke
  • Globally, this is close to crossing the safe boundary
  • Reporting on atmospheric aerosol loading is beyond the scope of this report
Ocean acidification
  • Acidity (pH) in ocean water due to the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide
  • Globally, this is close to crossing the safe boundary
  • Reporting on ocean acidification is beyond the scope of this report
Modification of biogeochemical flows
  • Disruption of natural nutrient cycles, such as phosphorous flows from freshwater systems into the ocean or from fertilisers to erodible soils
  • Industrial and intentional biological fixation of nitrogen (extracting nitrogen from the atmosphere)
  • Globally, this is close to crossing the safe boundary
  • Reporting on the modification of biochemical flows differs from the planetary boundary criteria
  • The Rivers and wetlands topic reports on nitrogen and phosphorous levels

Freshwater change
  • Alteration of freshwater cycles, such as rivers and groundwater (blue water) and soil moisture (green water)
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • Reporting on freshwater change is beyond the scope of this report
Land system change
  • Transformation of landscapes, such as through deforestation and urbanisation
  • Measured as the area of forested land as a percentage of original forest cover (85% of potential cover maintained for tropical and boreal forests and 50% of potential cover maintained for temperate forests)
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • Reporting on land system change differs from the planetary boundary criteria
  • The Plants topic reports on the extent of native vegetation and the clearing of native vegetation
  • The Protected areas and conservation topic reports on the total area of the NSW terrestrial protected areas network
Biosphere integrity
  • Genetic diversity: the maximum extinction rate while preserving ecological complexity (10 extinctions per million species-years)
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • Functional diversity: the ability for the biosphere to co-regulate the state of the planet (90% Biodiversity Intactness Index)
  • Globally, this boundary has been crossed
  • Reporting on biosphere integrity differs from the planetary boundary criteria
  • The Plants topic reports on the number of threatened species listed
  • The Animals topic reports on the number of threatened species listed
  • The Plants topic reports on the ecological carrying capacity
  • The Animals topic reports on the population and distribution of native mammals and native birds, as well as native fish communities
  • The Rivers and wetlands topic reports on the river condition index for NSW rivers, health of fish communities, wetland extent and condition, and water bird abundance and breeding
  • The Coastal and marine topic reports on the extent of estuarine macrophytes and coastal fish stocks
Source:
Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC n.d.) Richardson et al. 2023 Steffen et al. 2015 Rockström et al. 2009a Rockström et al. 2009b

References

Richardson K, Steffen W, Lucht W, Bendtsen J, Cornell SE, Donges J, Druke M, et al. 2023, ‘Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries’, Science Advances, vol. 9, no. 37, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh2458

Rockström J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson Å, Chapin FS III, Lambin EF, Lenton TM, et al. 2009a, ‘A safe operating space for humanity’, Nature, vol. 461, pp.472–5, DOI: 10.1038/461472a

Rockström J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson Å, Chapin FS III, Lambin EF, Lenton TM, et al. 2009b, ‘Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity’, Ecology and Society, vol. 14, no. 2, 32

SRC n.d., Planetary boundaries, Stockholm Resilience Centre, accessed 11 December 2024

Steffen W, Richardson K, Rockstrom J, Cornell SE, Fetzer I, Bennett EM, Biggs R, et al. 2015, ‘Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet’, Science, vol. 347, no. 3,223, DOI: 10.1126/science.1259855