Summary

France and the nine planetary boundaries - October 2023

This publication sheds light on the nine planetary boundaries framework as defined in 2015 (Steffen et al.). In this context, it seeks to answer the following questions: what are planetary boundaries? how did this concept come into being? which environmental issues does it cover? which of these nine boundaries have already been transgressed or might be transgressed if no action is taken at a global level? what policies are being implemented in France to prevent these boundaries from being transgressed? what can planetary boundaries contribute to states, territories and companies, in the face of global ecological challenges? how can they be used in France?

In addition to climate and biodiversity issues, other complex, interconnected and no less crucial phenomena are taken into account by the planetary boundaries framework: disruption of biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus, land-system change, freshwater use, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, atmospheric aerosol loading, introduction of novel entities into the biosphere. These are just some of the issues that the scientific community is seeking to address in order to maintain a "Safe operating space for humanity".

Coordinator

Christelle Larrieu

Contributors

Manuel Baude (CGDD), Alexis Cerisier-Auger (CGDD), Quentin Dassibat (université de Lyon), Valérie Dossa-Thauvin (CGDD), Natacha Gondran (Mines Saint-Étienne), Anne Jacod (CGDD)*, Christelle Larrieu (CGDD), Manuel Marquis (CGDD), Maud Marsauche (Epures), Loïc Mochel (CGDD)*, Emmanuelle Pagès (CGDD), Sandrine Parisse (CGDD), Éric Tromeur (CGDD)*

*In post at the time of writing