From polycrisis to peace – Centre report shows pathways to resilient planet

Inspiration for peaceful cooperation can come from the ocean.

“We live on a blue planet in a vast universe. One ocean connects us all. Water sustains life in all its forms. It provides us with wonder, food, beauty and resilience,” writes Centre director Line Gordon in the preface to the annual report.

The ocean is also at the epicentre of the Anthropocene. Across the world, human demand and pressure on the ocean is intensifying.

During the past year, Centre researchers contributed to research showing how ocean acidification became the seventh of the nine planetary boundaries to be transgressed. The 2025 Global Tipping Points Report warned that tropical coral reefs could have reached a critical threshold, where mass bleaching events now risk outpacing recovery. Entire ecosystems that once seemed resilient are now at risk of collapse. Together with warming, pollution and overexploitation, these changes are reshaping the ocean in ways that threaten marine life, food security and the resilience of coastal societies everywhere.

“Yet the ocean is also a space of connection,” writes Centre director Line Gordon in the annual report:

“As our research has shown, ocean science collaboration has persisted even in regions marked by geopolitical tension, often creating unexpected pathways for dialogue and trust. In a time of fragmentation, this matters more than ever.”

The ratification of the High Seas Treaty on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction in 2025 marked a historic step forward. For the first time, the international community has agreed on a legal framework to protect and sustainably use nearly two-thirds of the ocean that lies beyond national jurisdiction. Cross-sector collaboration, anchored in science and long-term stewardship, will be vital for its implementation.

Big change is coming

This shows that human decisions can either trigger or counteract systemic collapse.
In these turbulent times of geopolitical tension, rapid technological shifts, polycrisis and climate change, the annual report sends a clear message that there is still hope for a sustainable future. Resilience science is at the core of this, as Centre founder Carl Folke explains:

“In times of significant change and complex navigation, high-quality science is urgently needed to provide direction, help interpret the novel dynamics of our intertwined living planet, and offer science-based guidance for action towards sustainable futures.”

Finding planetary safety in turbulent times

With that said, 2025 was also a distressing year for global sustainability. Conflicts, shifting alliances, and weakening multilateral norms reshaped political priorities, diverting attention and funding away from environmental and social sustainability to security. A shift which can potentially further fuel environmental and security risks.

“Ecosystems risk shifting from being our allies, to amplifiers of the global crises we're striving to resolve,” says Beatrice Crona, science director at the Centre.

In fact, Earth is moving closer to an unsafe operating space for life. Seven of the nine planetary boundaries are now considered breached, and the first tipping point has been reached. Although the planet and humanity are facing a growing global polycrisis, researchers see pathways for action and hope.

Resilience Science Must-Knows

At times like these, when instability makes projections of the future murkier and more uncertain, building resilience offers a crucial path to navigate and overcome challenges.
The Resilience Science Must-Knows – a landmark report released in conjunction with the climate conference COP30, was developed specifically to help societies, governments, and organisations understand what it takes to remain on course amid such turbulence.

The planetary health diet

Another key publication that presents solutions was the new EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy, Sustainable and Just Food Systems, the most comprehensive study on this topic to date.

The Commission shows that five of the seven breached planetary boundaries are linked to food systems. However, by transforming production and adopting a “planetary health diet”, half of all food-related climate emissions could be eliminated, and 15 million deaths prevented annually.

Read the "Annual Report 2025: Advancing resilience" »