Therefore, in this final post, we would like to conclude the topic of Planetary Health (PH) with a positive outlook and highlight areas of promising potential for positive change that make Planetary Health a vision for the future.

Promoting Planetary Health Education

Human action (and inaction) is the greatest driving force behind global change, threatening the stability of the planet and ourselves. Therefore, in order to facilitate the return of the planet’s systems to “safe zones”, action is required at the root of the problem: human behavior. Education as an important tool for shaping and modifying behavior, plays a crucial role in this context.

Today, many universities around the world offer specific Planetary Health-focused degree programs, modules, and more. According to the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) (n.d.), “more than 20 university-level centers [are] fully focused on planetary health” worldwide. In 2021, the PHA unveiled a Planetary Health Education Framework (Fig. 1) to provide educators and learners at all levels of higher education with a cohesive foundation that’s applicable across disciplines, sectors, geographies, and different educational approaches. To realize its full potential, however, Planetary Health Education must extend beyond higher education and adult education to reach younger audiences. Educating young people about planetary health is a promising but underexplored opportunity. Research shows that early environmental education influences future behaviors and attitudes, suggesting that introducing planetary health concepts early can help cultivate environmentally conscious adults.

Fig. 1: The planetary health education framework. Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(21)00110-8/fulltext#fig1

Resilient Urban Environments

Urban areas are essential to a sustainable future, bringing both challenges and solutions. Rapid urbanization, combined with the increasing impacts of climate change, requires more resilient and adaptive urban environments. The future of urban resilience depends on multiple aspects, including infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems, all of which must work together to create sustainable, livable spaces for future generations.

Smart cities of the future will integrate renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly materials to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems can decentralize energy production and create resilient urban energy networks. Innovative materials, such as cross-laminated timber, reduce the environmental footprint of construction while improving building performance. Passive cooling systems that rely on natural ventilation, shaded facades, and reflective materials are another example of how urban design can reduce energy demand, especially in warmer climates. These innovations not only support climate goals but also create healthier living conditions for residents.

Incorporating natural elements such as green roofs, vertical gardens, and other urban green spaces into urban planning offers numerous benefits for people and the planet. Green roofs, for example, insulate buildings, reduce heating and cooling needs while absorbing stormwater and improve air quality. Urban green spaces, such as parks and community gardens, help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands by cooling surrounding areas. They also serve as recreational spaces that promote physical and mental well-being, as green spaces reduce stress and increase overall happiness. These spaces can also become important habitats for biodiversity, providing refuge for birds, insects, and other species in the urban environment.

Fig. 2: Growing a Green City. Source: https://www.yournec.org/growing-a-green-city-how-to-build-resilient-and-sustainable-urban-centers/ 

Strengthening Ecosystems

Protecting, enhancing, and where necessary, restoring the world’s ecosystems is essential to maintaining environmental balance and ensuring a sustainable future. In addition to their intrinsic value and importance, ecosystems play a vital role in humans, animals, and the planet and its stability.

Healthy ecosystems provide vital services to people – ecosystem services (ES), the benefits nature provides to people. The four types of support, provisioning, regulating, and cultural contribute uniquely to sustaining life and well-being, enhancing ecological resilience, and promoting economic stability.

Ecosystems are complex and dynamic, requiring equally nuanced conservation and management. Effective strategies vary by ecological and socio-economic context and may include cross-sector collaboration, adaptive management, and accounting for environmental costs. Strengthening existing ecosystems ensures their resilience to environmental stressors and their continued provision of ES to people. Targeted restoration efforts can revitalize degraded ecosystems. In addition, sustainable land and seascape management can include expanding protected areas, integrating biodiversity-friendly planning, and promoting inclusive governance. By prioritizing these actions globally, supported by innovative financing and partnerships, we can protect our planet’s natural resources and support the health of both the environment and communities.

The European Commission highlights several successful nature restoration projects across the Union. In Ireland, for example, peatland restoration efforts have shown useful ways to revive these vital carbon-storing ecosystems and habitats. The restoration of the Skjern River in Denmark has improved water quality, wildlife, tourism, and the local economy.

Advancing a Circular Economy

A circular economy represents a transformative shift from the traditional linear model of “take, make, dispose” to a system designed for regeneration, resilience, and sustainability. This approach revolves around three core principles: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

Central to a circular economy is the concept of zero waste. This includes using materials that are biodegradable or recyclable, and ensuring that product lifecycles consider environmental impact from the start. For example, apparel brands can use natural fibers instead of synthetics to reduce microplastic pollution, while electronics manufacturers can design devices that are easier to disassemble and repair. Maximizing the lifespan of products and materials is another aspect of the circular economy. Initiatives such as repair cafes, secondhand marketplaces, and sharing platforms empower consumers to extend the usefulness of goods, reducing the need for new resource extraction. Industry can adopt strategies such as remanufacturing and refurbishing to breathe new life into used products.

Because a circular economy also seeks to restore and regenerate natural systems, practices such as composting organic waste and sustainable agriculture enrich soil health, contributing to carbon sequestration and increased biodiversity. In urban areas, circular initiatives can include turning food waste into biogas or using gray water for irrigation. These systems not only minimize environmental impact but actively contribute to the regeneration of ecosystems.

By transitioning to a circular economy, we can decouple economic growth from resource consumption, reduce environmental degradation, and build a system that supports both planetary health and human well-being.

Fig. 3: Circular economy. Source: https://research.csiro.au/circulareconomy/about/ 

A Vision for the Future and Call to Action

By reimagining our cities, embracing the circular economy, and fostering cooperation across borders, we can lay the foundation for a more sustainable future. Prioritizing equity and social justice is essential for a sustainable future, as marginalized communities, who are often most affected by crises, must be empowered and included in solutions. Achieving PH requires shared responsibility, global cooperation, innovation, and the integration of environmental and public health policies. Together, we can restore ecosystems, create sustainable food systems, and build resilience to future challenges.

Planetary Health is not just a vision but an urgent call to action. By taking meaningful steps today, we can lay the groundwork for a healthier planet and a better quality of life for generations to come.

This blog entry was written within the Planetary Health Campus Ambassador Programme 2024 of the Planetary Health Alliance. Views expressed may not represent the positions of the Planetary Health Alliance or its membership.

Disclaimer: This blog entry is the final one of four on planetary health.

The post Planetary Health: A Vision for The Future appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

Flexitarian, paleo, keto, vegan – with so many diverse diets out there and new ones seemingly being developed each year, finding your perfect fit can feel overwhelming. One recent addition to this list of diets is the Planetary Health Diet (PHD). This addition attempts to tackle two of the biggest challenges we face today regarding nutrition: 1) rising rates of diet-related health problems and 2) the environmental impact of food production. In this entry of our blog series on Planetary Health, we’ll explore why what you eat matters for you and the environment, the origin of the Planetary Health Diet, its benefits for both you and the planet, and why it might be worth trying!

You are what you eat: Why does your diet matter?

“You are what you eat” – a saying many might be familiar with, and it turns out there is truth to it. 

Your diet is an important cornerstone of your health, what you put on your plate is considered to be an important modifiable determinant of health. Good nutrition sustains your body, keeping you energized and functioning all day. On the flip side, inappropriate nutrition can have negative health consequences. A poor diet increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even some types of cancer, not to mention malnutrition.

As a result, different national and international agencies, like the World Health Organization or the European Food Safety Authority, publish nutritional guidelines for an optimal and healthy diet and update them following new scientific developments. Yet, at the end of the day, how you want to get all of these necessary and important macronutrients, micronutrients, and trace elements is ultimately up to you, resulting in the diversity of dietary regimes we see today. However, how and what we eat affects not only ourselves but also the environment and thus other people as well. 

The environmental impact of producing the food we consume is critical. Agricultural food production emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases (25-33% of global emissions), contributing to climate change. Food production has an enormous impact on the Earth’s water resources, with large amounts of freshwater used and the eutrophication of marine and freshwater systems from fertilizer runoff. Speaking of fertilizers, food production also disrupts nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. It also threatens biodiversity, uses about 40% of the Earth’s land surface, and degrades air quality (Fig. 1). In addition, these negative environmental impacts also affect human health.

But here’s the good news: because our diets have such a large impact on the environment and human health, changing the way we eat has the potential to create significant positive change. By adopting more planet-friendly and eco-conscious eating habits, we can take better care of ourselves and the Earth.

What is the Planetary Health Diet?

One planet-conscious eating style is the Planetary Health Diet (PHD), a reference diet designed to be healthy for people and the environment.

The PHD was first described by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019. The Commission focused not only on a healthy diet but also on food systems and how to sustainably produce food and feed the growing world population in a healthy, environmentally conscious way, without exploiting and damaging the Earth system. This is reflected in the two main scientific goals that EAT is pursuing with the Planetary Health Diet and its analysis of food systems: 1) healthy diets for all by 2050, and 2) sustainable food production that stays within certain limits to prevent irrevocable changes to the Earth system.

The Planetary Health Diet is a flexitarian diet that focuses on plant-based products while allowing for moderate consumption of animal products (Figure 2).

Why should you give the Planetary Health Diet a Try?

Although the Planetary Health Diet is a relatively new concept, it has already been the focus of some scientific research – with promising results! Researchers have found that following the PHD is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a reduced chance of developing type 2 diabetes, and possibly even a lower risk of stroke. In addition, some benefits were found in terms of general cardiovascular health and obesity indicators.

In terms of the environmental impact of the PHD, the researchers also found encouraging results: a global adoption of this diet would reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from a global perspective, although it would increase emissions in mainly low- and middle-income countries.

However, no diet is perfect, and a 2023 study found some shortcomings of the PHD in terms of micronutrient intake when following the diet’s guidelines. However, as with all diets, when following the Planetary Health Diet, it’s up to the individual to make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need, taking into account the amount and bioavailability of different foods. It’s also important to remember that a healthy diet is only part of the picture, with elements such as physical activity and a less sedentary lifestyle also playing a key role.

But when it comes to planetary health, there is no argument against the Planetary Health Diet and its environmental benefits. So if you’re looking for a way to eat healthier and make a positive impact on the environment at the same time, why not give the Planetary Health Diet a try? There are many resources online to help you get started, such as the EAT Commission: https://eatforum.org/planetary-health-recipes/.

Tell us your impressions on diets and come back to check in on the fourth and final part of our blog series on Planetary Health!

This blog entry was written within the Planetary Health Campus Ambassador Programme 2024 of the Planetary Health Alliance. Views expressed may not represent the positions of the Planetary Health Alliance or its membership.

The post A Tough Nut to Crack: Saving the Planet One Meal at a Time appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

This increasing worry, often called climate anxiety, comes from the pressure we feel as we witness the planet’s ongoing environmental decline. In this blog post, which is part of our blog series on planetary health¹, we’ll explore what climate anxiety is in more detail, why it matters, and how we can turn these feelings into positive action.

What is Climate Anxiety?

Climate anxiety, also known as eco-anxiety, refers to the growing sense of dread or fear linked to environmental issues. It’s more than just worry about a specific environmental issue, it’s the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness when thinking about the future of the planet. For many, it manifests as sadness, grief, or even guilt about human-induced harm to nature, such as pollution, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss.

One of the reasons why climate anxiety is unique is that it’s grounded in very real, ongoing threats. It’s not just abstract worry about something distant, it’s rather a response to visible changes in the environment around us. Unlike temporary stressors, these concerns can build over time and contribute to long-term mental health challenges.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to climate anxiety. In a global study by Hickmann et al. (2021), 59% of young respondents said they were “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change, and 45% stated these emotions directly impacted their daily lives, affecting their ability to function and feel hopeful about the future. The term may be rather new, but the phenomenon is very real. The American Psychological Association recognizes eco-anxiety as a legitimate mental health concern. While it’s not categorized as a disorder, it represents a serious and widespread stressor affecting millions of people worldwide.

Physical and Mental Health Impacts

Eco-anxiety can seriously impact physical and mental health. Chronic worry about environmental issues often leads to depression, with feelings of guilt or helplessness taking a toll on mental well-being (Fig. 2). This may also cause social isolation, as individuals feel misunderstood in their concerns. For those active in environmental work, eco-anxiety can lead to burnout, especially when progress feels slow. Long-term climate stress can also affect physical health, causing sleep issues, headaches, and a weakened immune system.

Why Does it Matter?

Climate anxiety is distinct because it is rooted in existential threats. The vast, unpredictable nature of climate change leaves many feeling powerless, heightening fear and helplessness. This growing psychological toll is now recognized as a public health issue, impacting not only individual well-being but also society’s ability to respond effectively. If not addressed, eco-anxiety can lead to depression, chronic stress, and social withdrawal, reducing motivation to engage with climate solutions and complicating collective efforts to tackle environmental challenges.

However, climate anxiety is not just a negative force. If managed correctly, it can also be a catalyst for positive change. Many activists have already transformed their anxiety into meaningful action. Their collective fear has empowered them to demand change from governments and corporations alike, showing that eco-anxiety has the potential to fuel activism and advocacy rather than hopelessness.

Coping with Climate Anxiety

Managing climate-related fears is challenging, but several strategies can help you stay engaged. Educating yourself on climate issues is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety—knowledge empowers you, reveals solutions, and reminds you that many are tackling these problems. Taking action, even small steps like reducing your carbon footprint, advocating for policies, or volunteering, can restore a sense of control, with small efforts adding up as more people join in. Finding a community also helps; connecting with others who share your concerns can ease isolation and offer both emotional support and practical ways to make a difference.

It’s also important to look after yourself. While staying informed is crucial, constantly absorbing negative news about the environment can increase anxiety. Set boundaries with media consumption, take breaks, and engage in activities that bring you joy. Mindfulness, moving your body, or spending time in nature are great ways to reduce stress. Lastly, if your anxiety becomes overwhelming, seeking professional help is a good option. Many professionals are now familiar with eco-anxiety and can offer tailored strategies to help you manage it effectively.

Finding Hope in Action

Though the climate crisis can seem daunting, there is hope. More and more people are becoming aware of the challenges we face, and this growing awareness is a critical step towards creating change. The fact that so many people are worried about the state of our planet is a sign that there’s momentum for action.

Climate anxiety doesn’t have to stop us from moving forward. By acknowledging these feelings, educating ourselves, and taking positive steps, we can turn anxiety into a force for good. Together, we can push for a healthier, more sustainable future, for both the planet and us.

Stay tuned for the third part of our blog series, where we’ll dive into sustainable food systems and explore the Planetary Health Diet – a practical way to nourish both people and the planet.

This blog entry was written within the Planetary Health Campus Ambassador Programme 2024 of the Planetary Health Alliance. Views expressed may not represent the positions of the Planetary Health Alliance or its membership.

1. This blog entry is the second one of four on planetary health. ︎

The post From Anxiety to Action: Embracing Hope in a Planetary Health Crisis appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

But what exactly is planetary health and why should it matter to you? 

In this first installment of our four-part series¹ on planetary health, we explore the fundamentals of this vital concept and make planetary health more tangible to you.

Let’s start from the beginning… 

Despite only rising to popularity rather recently, the concept of planetary health has a 50-year history to look upon, as the term was coined in the environmental and holistic health movements of the 70s and 80s. However, until recently the idea was rarely present in the context of mainstream media. The Rockefeller-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health’s report in 2015 marked a turning point since it brought the topic into the spotlight of conventional scientific debate. Following this report, the Planetary Health Alliance was founded in 2016. Globally it is the leading organization in educating on Planetary Health and supporting the growth of this interdisciplinary, solution-focused, and innovative field. 

Why is Planetary Health needed in the fight against the climate crisis?

“Planetary Health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.” – Planetary Health Alliance

We are now in an epoch that many scientists call the Anthropocene – a geochronological epoch shaped by humans as the central driving force within the planetary system. The concept of planetary boundaries introduced by Johan Rockström and other scientists in 2009 reflects these impacts. These boundaries are basically “nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system” and due to human activities six of the nine boundaries have been crossed (Fig. 1). Moreover, eight of the nine boundaries, except for ozone, are moving into a concerning direction, i.e. further away from what’s considered a safe space. Leaving the safe space increases the risk of big and potentially permanent changes to our environment. 

This is where Planetary Health comes in. As the environmental changes do not represent an isolated and singular issue, they also adversely affect human health. Changes like an increase in natural disasters, pollution, biodiversity shifts, or disruptions of food systems can negatively impact mental health and increase the risk of both non-communicable diseases (air pollution & lung cancer risk) and infectious diseases (vector-borne diseases). Additionally, these global changes can lead to civil strife and displacement​. Thus, embracing the perspective of Planetary Health and striving to mitigate human impacts on Earth’s systems is essential for addressing the climate crisis.

Besides preventing or mitigating the adverse effects of global change on health, there are many co-benefits of climate action for human health. For example, living a more climate-friendly life by reducing meat consumption, rather than walking and biking places instead of going by car, we also experience somewhat unintentional “side”-effects. Eating a healthier diet, living a more active life, and reducing air pollution leads to a lower risk of morbidity and mortality. Figure 2 shows these relationships in more detail. 

To end this brief introduction to Planetary Health we want to leave you with some of the most relevant and optimism-inspiring steps taken in the last years regarding Planetary Health. At the most recent COP 28, for the first time in the history of global climate negotiations, health was officially part of the agenda. Moreover, the São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health, a call to action outlining the crucial steps for achieving the Great Transition, has been signed by over 300 organizations from more than 48 countries. 

Additionally, more and more people are getting involved with planetary health, spreading awareness, and encouraging others to get engaged. This trend is underscored by the increasing number of organizations dedicated to planetary health and a rising tide of membership, reflecting broader engagement and awareness efforts.

Come back to check in on the second part of our blog series, talking about climate anxiety and how it affects our physical and mental health.

This blog entry was written within the Planetary Health Campus Ambassador Programme 2024 of the Planetary Health Alliance. Views expressed may not represent the positions of the Planetary Health Alliance or its membership.

1. Disclaimer: This blog entry is the first one of four on the topic of planetary health. ︎
2. ︎

The post The Clock is Ticking: Why the fight against the climate crisis needs Planetary Health. appeared first on Global Change Ecology.