"89% of the heat caused by our fossil fuels is in the ocean, only 1% in the atmosphere"(J.Röckstrom, PIK)

"The scientific drama around the need to truly address planetary health comes from recent science, which is that we are currently at a point where we are risking the health of the planet, the very stability, the resilience, and life support on Earth, explains Prof. Johan Röckstrom, Director at PIK, on 14/01/2026. What makes us really nervous today is that over the last ten years, we have seen, for the first time, an acceleration of warming, both in the atmosphere and in the ocean. This may in itself be an indication of the planet gradually losing health."

The workshop "Planetary health: a critical discipline for the future" took place on 14/01/2026, at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Prof. Johan Röckstrom, Director at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Professor in Earth System Science at Potsdam University, defines planetary health as a transdisciplinary discipline connecting the health of the planet with the impacts and the feedbacks on the health of humans. He shared key observations on Planetary Health and identified the transition of the food system…