“Humanity is waging war on nature. This is senseless and suicidal,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, putting in context the triple planetary crisis facing humanity. You may have heard that humanity faces “a triple planetary crisis.” But what exactly does it mean?
The triple planetary crisis refers to humanity’s three interlinked problems: climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. All three have impacted the nature of human life all over the globe, each with its causes and effects that need to be resolved to have a viable future on Earth.
Climate Change
Climate change involves long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns that will eventually completely alter the ecosystem. According to the United Nations, climate change is the most pressing issue facing humanity, affecting livelihoods and human rights.
Although climate changes can occur due to the natural patterns of the planet, human activities are the main drivers of rapid climate change. This has had consequences like increased intensity and severity of droughts, water scarcity, wildfires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity and deaths due to weather-related disasters (of which there has been a five-fold increase in the past 50 years) to the 21.5 million people displaced by climate-change related disasters every year.

Air Pollution and Waste Crisis
Almost every activity in the global economic system releases emissions; energy use, industry, transport, buildings, and agriculture release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. According to the World Health Organization, Air Pollution is the largest cause of disease and premature death in the world, with more than seven million people dying prematurely each year due to pollution.
Plastic and microplastic pollution is a growing global issue that significantly impacts biodiversity. Research increasingly shows the harmful effects of plastics on human health and other living organisms. These materials, derived from petroleum—a fossil fuel—take hundreds of years to break down.
Similarly, pollution from extractive activities poses a serious threat. These operations not only produce greenhouse gas emissions and leave behind hazardous chemicals but also degrade freshwater resources and vast areas of land.

Biodiversity Loss
Biodiversity loss refers to the decline or disappearance of biological diversity; animals, plants, and ecosystems. This decline is driven by factors such as overfishing, habitat destruction (e.g., deforestation for development), and desertification caused by climate change. Biodiversity forms the foundation of life on Earth, as all living things are interconnected. Its loss threatens food security and access to clean water, ultimately jeopardizing the future of life on our planet.
A good example is the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest and a vital stabilizer of the global climate. It harbors 10% of the planet’s known biodiversity and is the ancestral home to over 470 indigenous and traditional communities.
However, the Amazon faces severe threats from colonization, deforestation, and extractive activities. Alarmingly, the forest is nearing a tipping point, where deforestation could surpass its ability to regenerate, making this crisis no longer a distant concern but an urgent reality.

What actions are being taken to tackle the triple planetary crisis?
The Triple Planetary Crisis requires necessary actions, not just local and individual lifestyle changes but also collective decisions on a global scale. Actions to confront the crisis involve diverse stakeholders and require multidisciplinary solutions.
There are UN agencies dedicated to each of the planetary crises: UN Climate Change tackles climate change; UN Environment tackles pollution and UN Biodiversity focuses on biodiversity. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification focuses on land and mitigating the effects of drought.
According to the United Nations, global actions to confront the crises must include:
- Limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees: This target, established under the Paris Agreement, and adopted in 2015, requires countries to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to sustainable energy practices. Achieving this goal involves global cooperation to cut emissions by nearly half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Accelerating the expansion of clean renewable energies: The United Nations has launched several initiatives to advance clean energy globally. Funds like the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) support low-carbon transitions, while the CleanStart Programme by UNCDF improves clean energy financing for low-income populations.
Key resolutions include General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/210, which promotes international cooperation for energy infrastructure and technology, and Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), aiming for universal access to modern, sustainable energy by 2030. Additionally, global commitments like the Energy Compacts have mobilized $1.4 trillion to achieve clean energy goals.
- Investing in adaptation and resilience
- Improving the food system: this includes changes in irrigation and soil management, as well as producing healthier food and reducing food waste. Innovative sustainable practices are being adopted in the agricultural sector like organic farming which eliminates the use of chemicals.
These crises threaten not only our basic sources of livelihood but even our physical and mental health. There are many things you can do on an individual basis: consume less; walk or cycle instead of driving; recycle; use less water, and perhaps most importantly actively take part in shaping policies that govern your way of life.