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Journal Article

Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities: Time for a Reboot

Authors

Jahnke,  Annika
External Organizations;

Bai ,  Yuge
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Brack,  Werner
External Organizations;

Carney Almroth,  Bethanie
External Organizations;

Diamond,  Miriam L.
External Organizations;

Dragsdahl,  Anna Lia S. Tromer
External Organizations;

Escher,  Beate I.
External Organizations;

Fantke,  Peter
External Organizations;

Kühnel,  Dana
External Organizations;

MacLeod,  Matthew
External Organizations;

Ragas,  Ad M. J.
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/Boris.Sakschewski

Sakschewski,  Boris       
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

Schmidt,  Christian
External Organizations;

Strauss,  Volker
External Organizations;

Treu,  Gabriele
External Organizations;

Villarrubia-Gómez,  Patricia
External Organizations;

Wang,  Zhanyun
External Organizations;

Wendt-Potthoff,  Katrin
External Organizations;

Ågerstrand,  Marlene
External Organizations;

/persons/resource/caesar

Caesar,  Levke       
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research;

External Resource

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.6c03044#
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34684oa.pdf
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Citation

Jahnke, A., Bai, Y., Brack, W., Carney Almroth, B., Diamond, M. L., Dragsdahl, A. L. S. T., Escher, B. I., Fantke, P., Kühnel, D., MacLeod, M., Ragas, A. M. J., Sakschewski, B., Schmidt, C., Strauss, V., Treu, G., Villarrubia-Gómez, P., Wang, Z., Wendt-Potthoff, K., Ågerstrand, M., Caesar, L. (2026): Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities: Time for a Reboot. - Environmental Science and Technology, 60, 28, 19761-19770.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c03044


Cite as: https://publications.pik-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_34684
Abstract
Novel entities are diverse and complex; hence, defining their Planetary Boundary through control variables, indicators, and acceptable limits is challenging. Here, we highlight shortcomings of the current quantitative boundary, which applies a purely precautionary interpretation of safety that defines the safe operating space as zero novel entities that are not fully characterized. In practice, the zero limit is unattainable and undesirable for human societies that rely on services provided by novel entities. Furthermore, it is not operational within the framework of other boundaries, which have risk-based thresholds. We therefore propose a reboot of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities and recommend governance and monitoring strategies based on: (a) clarification of the “safe operating space” for novel entities, distinguishing pure precaution (“safe from the unknown”) from operational precaution that tolerates a workable, non-zero level of uncertainty; (b) complementary, multilayer control variables spanning pressures, states, and impacts; (c) extensions to existing monitoring systems to provide quantitative indicators of distribution, accumulation, exposure, and impacts for subsets of novel entities to communicate the status and trends of stress from novel entities on the Earth system; and (d) recognition of regulatory and policy-related success stories that illustrate comprehensive, protective, and operational governance of novel entities.