Abstract
Human development and prosperity requires adequate and equitable access to resources such as food, water, health care and energy while not overstressing critical physical and biological processes such as climate change, global biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning. Boundaries on the extent to which these essential biophysical and social processes can be safely stressed have recently been proposed as biophysical and social ´planetary boundaries´. This project will significantly extend recent, prominent work on planetary boundaries, developing innovative modelling and synthesis approaches to explore the interactions between biophysical boundaries and between the biophysical and social dimensions of global change. Specifically, the ´shape´ of the extended (biophysical and social) planetary boundaries will be explored: the degree to which approaching one social or biophysical boundary affects the distance to other boundaries. The proposed research will inform critical discussions in a large business and policy user community amongst whom the planetary boundaries framework has already gained considerable traction. The research will also develop strong Swedish and Australian theoretical and methodological capacities in a crucial arena of international research.
Sweden