Planetary Health Check 2026: A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet 
- Summary

Caesar, Levke; Sakschewski, Boris; Andersen, Lauren; Bai, Yuge; Bala, Govindaswamy; Bednarsek, Nina; Beringer, Tim; Beusen, Arthur; Billing, Maik; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Botsyun, Svetlana; Braun, Johanna; Breitburg, Denise; Dahlmann, Heindriken; DeClerck, Fabrice; Dennis, Donovan; Diamond, Miriam L.; Donges, Jonathan Friedemann; Dou, Xinyu; Dupont, Sam; Ehrenfeucht, Shivani Leigh; Eriksson, Axel E.; Fahrländer, Simon Felix; Fetzer, Ingo; Findlay, Helen S.; Ford, Daniel J.; Frölicher, Thomas; Garçon, Véronique; Geersen, Jacob; Gerten, Dieter; Gruber, Nicolas; Heckmann, Tim; Huiskamp, Willem Nicholas; Jahnke, Annika; Joye, Samantha; Kaiser, Jonas; Kitzmann, Niklas; Kühnel, Dana; Laureanti, Nicole Cristine; Li, Chaohui; Liu, Zhu; Loriani, Sina; Ludescher, Josef; Mathesius, Sabine; Matz-Lück, Nele; Müller, Jens Daniel; Murray, Nicholas J.; Nicolai, Clara; Otto, Friederike; Pielaet, Alex; Pokhotelov, Dimitry; Rafiezadeh Shahi, Kasra; Raju, Emmanuel; Ramin, Karoline; Röhrich, Lukas; Rostami, Masoud; Schmidt, Christian; Shalin, Anna; Shutler, Jamie D.; Steinert, Norman Julius; Stenzel, Fabian; Stuckas, Heicko; Teixeira, Luisa; Tharammal, Thejna; Uri, Liad Ben; Virkki, Vili; Wang, Zhanyun; Wendt-Potthoff, Katrin; Rockström, Johan; Kitzmann, Niklas; Sakschewski, Boris; Caesar, Levke; Rockström, Johan

doi:10.48485/pik.2026.26

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Planetary Health Check 2026: A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet - Summary

Authors

/persons/resource/caesar

Caesar, Levke
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Boris.Sakschewski

Sakschewski, Boris
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/andersen

Andersen, Lauren
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/yuge.bai

Bai, Yuge
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Bala, Govindaswamy
External Organizations;

Bednarsek, Nina
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Tim.Beringer

Beringer, Tim
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Beusen, Arthur
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/maik.billing

Billing, Maik
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Bodirsky

Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/svetlana.botsyun

Botsyun, Svetlana
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Johanna.Braun

Braun, Johanna
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Breitburg, Denise
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/heindriken.dahlmann

Dahlmann, Heindriken
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

DeClerck, Fabrice
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/donovan.dennis

Dennis, Donovan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Diamond, Miriam L.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Donges

Donges, Jonathan Friedemann
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Dou, Xinyu
External Organizations;

Dupont, Sam
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Shivani.Leigh.Ehrenfeucht

Ehrenfeucht, Shivani Leigh
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Eriksson, Axel E.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/simon.fahrlaender

Fahrländer, Simon Felix
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Fetzer, Ingo
External Organizations;

Findlay, Helen S.
External Organizations;

Ford, Daniel J.
External Organizations;

Frölicher, Thomas
External Organizations;

Garçon, Véronique
External Organizations;

Geersen, Jacob
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Dieter.Gerten

Gerten, Dieter
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Gruber, Nicolas
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/tim.heckmann

Heckmann, Tim
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Willem.Huiskamp

Huiskamp, Willem Nicholas
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Jahnke, Annika
External Organizations;

Joye, Samantha
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/jonas.kaiser

Kaiser, Jonas
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Niklas.Kitzmann

Kitzmann, Niklas
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Kühnel, Dana
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/nicole.laureanti

Laureanti, Nicole Cristine
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/li.chaohui

Li, Chaohui
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Liu, Zhu
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/sina.loriani

Loriani, Sina
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Josef.Ludescher

Ludescher, Josef
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/mathesius.sabine

Mathesius, Sabine
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Matz-Lück, Nele
External Organizations;

Müller, Jens Daniel
External Organizations;

Murray, Nicholas J.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Clara.Nicolai

Nicolai, Clara
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Otto, Friederike
External Organizations;

Pielaet, Alex
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Dimitry.Pokhotelov

Pokhotelov, Dimitry
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/kasra.rafiezadeh.shahi

Rafiezadeh Shahi, Kasra
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Raju, Emmanuel
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/karoline.ramin

Ramin, Karoline
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/lukas.roehrich

Röhrich, Lukas
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/rostami

Rostami, Masoud
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Schmidt, Christian
External Organizations;

Shalin, Anna
External Organizations;

Shutler, Jamie D.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/norman.steinert

Steinert, Norman Julius
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/stenzel

Stenzel, Fabian
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Stuckas, Heicko
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Luisa.Teixeira

Teixeira, Luisa
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Tharammal, Thejna
External Organizations;

Uri, Liad Ben
External Organizations;

Virkki, Vili
External Organizations;

Wang, Zhanyun
External Organizations;

Wendt-Potthoff, Katrin
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/johan.rockstrom

Rockström, Johan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Niklas.Kitzmann

Kitzmann, Niklas
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/Boris.Sakschewski

Sakschewski, Boris
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/caesar

Caesar, Levke
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

/persons/resource/johan.rockstrom

Rockström, Johan
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

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Citation

Caesar, L., Sakschewski, B., Andersen, L., Bai, Y., Bala, G., Bednarsek, N., Beringer, T., Beusen, A., Billing, M., Bodirsky, B. L., Botsyun, S., Braun, J., Breitburg, D., Dahlmann, H., DeClerck, F., Dennis, D., Diamond, M. L., Donges, J. F., Dou, X., Dupont, S., Ehrenfeucht, S. L., Eriksson, A. E., Fahrländer, S. F., Fetzer, I., Findlay, H. S., Ford, D. J., Frölicher, T., Garçon, V., Geersen, J., Gerten, D., Gruber, N., Heckmann, T., Huiskamp, W. N., Jahnke, A., Joye, S., Kaiser, J., Kitzmann, N., Kühnel, D., Laureanti, N. C., Li, C., Liu, Z., Loriani, S., Ludescher, J., Mathesius, S., Matz-Lück, N., Müller, J. D., Murray, N. J., Nicolai, C., Otto, F., Pielaet, A., Pokhotelov, D., Rafiezadeh Shahi, K., Raju, E., Ramin, K., Röhrich, L., Rostami, M., Schmidt, C., Shalin, A., Shutler, J. D., Steinert, N. J., Stenzel, F., Stuckas, H., Teixeira, L., Tharammal, T., Uri, L. B., Virkki, V., Wang, Z., Wendt-Potthoff, K., Rockström, J. (2026): Planetary Health Check 2026: A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet - Summary, Potsdam : Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), 40 p.
https://doi.org/10.48485/pik.2026.26

Cite as: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_34947

Abstract

The Planetary Health Check (PHC) Report provides an assessment of the state of our planet. It is based on the Planetary Boundaries (PBs) – the nine processes that are known to regulate the stability, resilience (ability to absorb disruptions) and life-support functions of our planet. Each of these processes, such as Climate Change or Ocean Acidification, is currently quantified by one or two Control variables. The 2026 PHC report concludes that seven out of nine Planetary Boundaries have been breached, with all of those seven showing trends of increasing pressure – suggesting further deterioration and destabilization of planetary health in the near future.