The Earth Commission assesses and synthesizes the latest science to define the boundaries for a safe and just planet.
Convened by Future Earth in 2019, the Commission brings together an international team of natural and social scientists to identify critical planetary thresholds – to ensure there is clean air and water, biodiversity, and a stable climate in which all life can thrive. This work informs the development of science-based targets for cities and business, and guides the pivotal transformations needed for a safe and just world.
The Commission serves as the scientific cornerstone of the Global Commons Alliance, a diverse coalition driving collective action to protect the global commons. The Earth Commission is also collaborating with the Planetary Boundaries Science Initiative.
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Human activity is destabilizing Earth’s critical systems, from the Arctic’s vital ocean currents to the lush Amazon rainforest. The Anthropocene – our era of unprecedented planetary impact – demands urgent action to restore balance.
The Earth Commission works to define safe and just boundaries: safe, to ensure planetary stability, and just, to promote fairness across and within generations. These boundaries guide the pivotal transformations needed for a safe and just world as well as enable countries, cities, companies, and citizens to navigate the Anthropocene as effective stewards of the global commons.
During its first assessment, the Earth Commission produced more than 20 publications, including the two flagship papers Safe and just Earth system boundaries in Nature 2023, and A just world on a safe planet: a Lancet Planetary Health–Earth Commission report on Earth-system boundaries, translations, and transformations in 2024.
Future Earth hosts the Commission’s scientific secretariat, in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and several renowned universities around the world. To date, more than 80 natural and social scientists from over 25 countries have engaged in the work of the Earth Commission.
Future Earth appoints Commissioners through open calls, with cohorts selected in 2019 and 2023.