Planetary Boundaries Fresco
Explore the nine limits of our planet
How It Works
Through a card-based, co-creative activity, participants work together to map out the nine planetary boundaries — from climate change and biodiversity loss to freshwater use and ocean acidification. The workshop reveals how these systems are interconnected and what happens when boundaries are crossed, creating a rich space for both scientific learning and meaningful discussion about our collective future.
What You'll Learn
- The nine planetary boundaries that define Earth's safe operating space
- Which boundaries have already been crossed and what that means
- How the boundaries are interconnected and influence each other
- The relationship between human activities and Earth system stability
- What living within planetary boundaries looks like in practice
The Planetary Boundaries Fresco takes participants on a guided journey through the vital systems that sustain life on Earth. Created by the French collective 1er degré and based on research from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, this workshop makes complex Earth system science accessible and actionable.
Why Planetary Boundaries?
While climate change dominates environmental discussions, it is only one of nine critical boundaries that define Earth’s safe operating space. Since 2015, at least five of these boundaries have been crossed: climate change, biosphere integrity, land-system change, biogeochemical flows, and novel entities. Understanding all nine boundaries is essential for truly comprehensive environmental action.
The Experience
The workshop creates a systems-level understanding that goes beyond any single environmental issue. Participants discover how boundaries interact — how deforestation affects both climate and biodiversity, how nitrogen pollution impacts both freshwater and ocean systems. This interconnected view transforms how people think about environmental challenges.
For Organizations
The Planetary Boundaries Fresco provides the big-picture context that sustainability strategies need. It helps leadership teams understand why addressing climate alone is insufficient and why a holistic approach to environmental stewardship creates more resilient organizations and communities.