Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Levke Caesar, one of the leading PIK scientists behind the first-of-its-kind Planetary Health Check, explains its significance and the role planetary boundaries play in securing our shared future.
Key Facts
- 6 out of 9 planetary boundaries have been crossed
- 7th boundary is close to its threshold
The Planetary Health Check (PHC) is an initiative by Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience) at PIK and supported by the Planetary Guardians.
Learn more at: planetaryhealthcheck.org
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung
Music by Alex Grohl. Thank you!
Find his music here: open.spotify.com/artist/2Mi50rMNTnDl8PVUi1YbpO
Levke Caesar, one of the leading PIK scientists behind the first-of-its-kind Planetary Health Check, explains its significance and the role planetary boundaries play in securing our shared future.
Key Facts
- 6 out of 9 planetary boundaries have been crossed
- 7th boundary is close to its threshold
The Planetary Health Check (PHC) is an initiative by Planetary Boundaries Science (PBScience) at PIK and supported by the Planetary Guardians.
Learn more at: planetaryhealthcheck.org
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung
Music by Alex Grohl. Thank you!
Find his music here: open.spotify.com/artist/2Mi50rMNTnDl8PVUi1YbpO








![Clean power is not enough
More climate action in industry, transport and building sectors needed to meet Paris climate targets: www.pik-potsdam.de
Short summary:
- Residual CO2 emissions from non-electric energy uses are the greatest impediment to limit warming below 2°C or even 1.5° Celsius, the climate targets of the Paris Agreement.
- Beyond a rapid decarbonization of power supply, much greater efforts are required to reduce fossil energy use from the industry, transport and building sectors.
- Due to residual fossil fuel emissions that would remain even with very stringent climate policies enacted from 2020 on, so-called negative emission technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be necessary to comply with the 1.5°C limit.
- If we do not strengthen near-term climate change mitigation action until 2030, this will increase the dependence on uncertain carbon dioxide removal and is likely to push the 1.5°C target out of reach.
Article: Gunnar Luderer, Zoi Vrontisi, Christoph Bertram, Oreane Y. Edelenbosch, Robert C. Pietzcker, Joeri Rogelj, Harmen Sytze De Boer, Laurent Drouet, Johannes Emmerling, Oliver Fricko, Shinichiro Fujimori, Petr Havlík, Gokul Iyer, Kimon Keramidas, Alban Kitous, Michaja Pehl, Volker Krey, Keywan Riahi, Bert Saveyn, Massimo Tavoni, Detlef P. Van Vuuren, Elmar Kriegler (2018): Residual fossil CO2 emissions in 1.5-2°C pathways. Nature Climate Change [DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0198-6] Clean power is not enough](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zn_h9eTitNs/mqdefault.jpg)
