The planetary boundaries (PBs) framework proposes global quantitative precautionary limits for human perturbation of nine critical Earth system processes. Together they define a global safe operating space for human development. Translating the global limits to the national...
The idea that a sustainable transformation of the food system is urgently needed is gaining ground throughout Europe. Yet, opinions differ substantially on what a sustainable food future exactly entails, and on how this future may be achieved.
Land use related to human consumption patterns leads to significant loss of biodiversity. Here, the implications of using different indicators in the calculation of biodiversity footprints caused by land use were analyzed. Footprints refer to the impacts related to the net...
Making Europe’s production, consumption and trade in food environmentally sustainable is possible, but requires a major shift in public attitudes, policies and knowledge, as well as seizing current opportunities for change. The report analyses the challenges the European...
With the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world committed to an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable world. The corresponding objectives, laid down in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasise the importance of...
Economic sectors contribute to biodiversity loss through environmental pressures, such as land use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both directly via their production processes and indirectly via their supply chains.
It is increasingly recognized that human consumption leads to considerable losses of biodiversity. This study systematically quantifies these losses in relation to land use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production and consumption of (inter)nationally...
The picture of Africa’s increasing dependence on imports and large-scale agricultural expansion to keep up its food supply needs nuancing. Domestic production increase was the dominant factor for food supply growth. Cross-country differences in food production trends and in...
The planetary boundaries’ concept proposes quantitative precautionary boundaries for nine critical earth-system processes, including climate and biodiversity. Crossing the boundaries could generate abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. As decisions regarding...
PBL has conducted a study into the possibilities of improving the management of natural capital through sustainable trade chains, in the regions that produce soya, palm oil, cacao and wood. Certified tropical resource production takes natural capital into account to a larger...
