CO₂ vs CO₂-Equivalent: Understanding Greenhouse Gas Metrics
As of 2023, global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and industry reached approximately 36.8 billion tonnes (GtCO₂), while total greenhouse gas emissions expressed in…
Evidence library
Joaquimma Anna
Research, explainers and solution analysis for understanding change across a living planet.
412 resources
What Is a Just Transition?
A just transition is a framework for shifting to a sustainable, low-carbon economy in a way that is fair and inclusive, protecting workers, communities,…
How Are Planetary Boundaries Measured?
Planetary boundaries are measured using control variables—specific, quantifiable indicators of Earth-system processes—compared against proposed safe limits derived from the Holocene baseline. As of 2023,…
Absolute Emissions vs Per-Capita Emissions: A Data-Driven Comparison
In 2023, global absolute CO2 emissions reached 36.8 billion tonnes, while per-capita emissions averaged 4.6 tonnes per person, according to the Global Carbon Project.…
Positive vs Negative Climate Feedback Explained: How Earth’s Systems Respond to Change
Positive climate feedbacks amplify an initial change, such as warming from greenhouse gases, while negative feedbacks dampen it. These feedback loops are critical in…
Recycling vs Reuse vs Waste Prevention: Understanding the Waste Management Hierarchy
Recycling, reuse, and waste prevention are three distinct strategies for managing materials and reducing environmental impact, ordered by effectiveness in the waste hierarchy. Waste…
What Is Rewilding and Does It Work?
Rewilding is a conservation strategy that aims to restore ecosystems by reintroducing native species and allowing natural processes to shape the landscape. It seeks…
What Is Biosphere Integrity? A Clear and Lasting Explanation
Biosphere integrity is the capacity of Earth’s living systems to maintain genetic diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem resilience, keeping the planet in a stable,…
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Environmental Sources: Current Data Landscape
As of 2024, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) provides access to over 400 million environmental data resources, spanning primary, secondary, and…
What Are Novel Entities? A Clear Explanation of the Planetary Boundary Concept
Novel entities are human-introduced substances or organisms that can disrupt Earth's systems. They are one of the nine planetary boundaries, and their control is…