Planetary boundaries

Planetary Boundaries – “6 Min. to Understand” with Pierre Léonard. Midoricast: Podcast #214

Planetary boundaries: leave a voice message for Pierre Léonard with a question, comment, encouragement, or thank you here!

What if a single extra degree was enough to melt the foundations of our civilization? This is not a metaphor, it’s science.

In this eighth episode of the “6 Minutes to Understand” segment, Pierre Léonard, a facilitator in sustainable development, takes us aboard a spaceship like no other: our planet.

Through a clear and accessible explanation, he reminds us of the existence of the nine planetary boundaries, those critical thresholds identified by science to ensure Earth’s stability: climate change, ocean acidification, biodiversity collapse, but also… some unexpected good news, such as the recovery of the ozone layer.

This short format has a clear goal: to help every decision-maker better understand in order to act more effectively, because behind these indicators lies an undeniable truth: our businesses will only thrive in a viable ecosystem.

If you thought sustainable development was just about the climate, this episode will greatly broaden your perspective.

An episode to share, to reflect on… and to listen to until the very last second. Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss the next insightful and impactful episodes.

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In addition to voicemail, each episode is segmented and accompanied by a full transcript, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing people to access it. And with a Google Translate plugin in Chrome, the episode becomes available in all languages! We also offer a video format and transcriptions as subtitles.

Why this segment?

We support companies that implement real and measurable ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) approaches. Pierre trains and supports them through this transition. Our approaches are different but complementary: we encourage, he supports.

This choice also presents a real challenge: where to draw the line?

Some companies mentioned in this segment are not aligned with our current criteria, and we would refuse to collaborate with them as long as they do not initiate concrete change. But that’s precisely where Pierre comes in: his role is to initiate this transformation.

This podcast does not seek to judge, but to inspire. The goal? To encourage rather than discourage, to support rather than exclude.

Let’s commit together to a circular, sustainable, and inclusive economy. Listening, reflection, action… in 6 minutes.

Listen to this podcast on planetary boundaries via our YouTube channel (subscribe: thank you!):

French: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English, and Spanish.
Dutch: De volledige transcriptie van deze podcast is beschikbaar als ondertiteling van de video in vijf talen: Frans, Nederlands, Duits, Engels en Spaans.
German: Die vollständige Transkription dieses Podcasts ist als Untertitel des Videos in fünf Sprachen verfügbar: Französisch, Niederländisch, Deutsch, Englisch und Spanisch.
English: The full transcript of this podcast is available as video subtitles in five languages: French, Dutch, German, English, and Spanish.
Spanish: La transcripción completa de este pódcast está disponible como subtítulos del vídeo en cinco idiomas: francés, neerlandés, alemán, inglés y español.

Podcast Sequencing on Planetary Boundaries:

• [00:00:35] Episode introduction and segment presentation
• [00:00:46] Introduction of the topic: planetary boundaries
• [00:01:14] General definition of the 9 boundaries
• [00:01:56] 1st boundary: climate change
• [00:03:13] 2nd boundary: ocean acidification
• [00:04:09] Case of improvement: the ozone layer
• [00:04:45] Quick overview of the other boundaries
• [00:05:06] Why does this concern businesses?
• [00:05:24] Concrete example: cocoa crisis in 2024
• [00:05:58] Concrete actions: reduce, adapt, combine
• [00:06:26] Company example: Apple
• [00:06:52] References to European legislative developments
• [00:07:14] Being eco-responsible: an overall advantage
• [00:07:29] Conclusion: understanding the boundaries, an opportunity

Transcript of the podcast on planetary boundaries:

Michel: [00:00:00] This podcast project is an initiative created and presented by the non-profit “The Podcast Factory Org”, sponsored by “transforma bxl – Innovation Playground”. Since January 2025, and for five years, we are also sponsored by “Plugin Company”, our preferred charging station and card operator. “The Podcast Factory Org” is very proud to be a member of “KAYA – Coalition of Ecopreneurs” and to collaborate with the “Love Health Center”. You can find all episodes of all our podcasts on the “What’s Your Story dot be” website.

Intro Jingle: [00:00:32] Searching for radio frequency (old radio mode: static), a channel is picked up and the sound stabilizes: “You are listening to The Podcast Factory Org.”

Michel: [00:00:35] Welcome to a new episode of Midoricast, your podcast on positive initiatives for the environment. And today’s segment is “6 Minutes to Understand” with our friend Pierre Léonard. Hello, Pierre.

Pierre Léonard: [00:00:46] Hello Michel, hello everyone, welcome to this seventh episode of “6 Minutes to Understand”, the podcast that explains to decision-makers everything they ever wanted to know about sustainable development but never dared to ask. I’m Pierre Léonard, facilitator in sustainable development, and today we’re going to explore a concept that is crucial for the future of our planet and our economy. And that concept is planetary boundaries.

Pierre Léonard: [00:01:14] So, planetary boundaries are more or less known, but I still wanted to revisit them because I think we too often focus on one or two at the expense of all the others. You should know there are nine. And these nine planetary boundaries can actually serve as a kind of dashboard. We can imagine our Earth as a large spaceship with a little over 8 billion passengers now. And these planetary boundaries can actually be the dashboard for the health of this spaceship. It’s a concept developed by an international team of scientists, Danish if I remember correctly, in 2009, and it identifies nine environmental processes that are fundamental for the stability of our famous spaceship.

Pierre Léonard: [00:01:56] Among these planetary boundaries, the best known is obviously climate change, which is a bit like the thermostat that lets us see the temperature. If we mess with it too much, the consequences will obviously be catastrophic, and we’re already seeing them multiply everywhere, with heatwaves, extreme weather events, wildfires, etc. And, we have already exceeded one degree of warming since the beginning of the industrial era. It may not seem like much, one degree, a small degree compared to 1830. But you should know that during the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, the Earth’s average temperature was five degrees lower than it was before the pre-industrial era. And what does a five-degree difference mean? It means the sea level was about 100 meters lower, so you could walk from Brussels or Paris to London, except Paris and London didn’t exist at the time. And also the glaciers, the ice cap, that is, the ice coming down from the North Pole, almost reached the level of Amsterdam. That’s what five small degrees of difference means. So, one degree on a planet already makes a big difference, and now we’re on a path that will probably go toward two degrees. That’s the first boundary, the best known.

Pierre Léonard: [00:03:13] There’s another one, also due to CO2, and less known: ocean acidification. The oceans are one of the planet’s main carbon sinks. So, they absorb most of our CO2 emissions. But the problem is a simple chemical reaction: CO2 in contact with water makes it more acidic. You might say, “Okay, so what’s the problem?” Well, the problem is that in the ocean, there are lots of tiny creatures called plankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, which make their shells out of limestone. And I don’t know if you’ve ever watched what happens when you put vinegar, an acid, in your kettle to remove limescale—well, the limescale dissolves. That means these tiny creatures at the base of the food chain have more and more trouble surviving, and the whole food chain is compromised. Not to mention the corals, etc. That’s the second boundary.

Pierre Léonard: [00:04:09] There are others, I won’t cover them all, there’s biodiversity. Oh, but there’s one for which things are going well, and I’ll mention it: the ozone layer. You may remember, in the 1980s, there was a lot of talk about the hole in the ozone layer caused by gases, CFCs, which were used especially in refrigeration systems. Good news, things are better now. Why? Because countries around the world agreed to ban these CFCs, they’re gone, and so the hole is closing. Which, by the way, is excellent proof that when we want to solve a problem, we can do it.

Pierre Léonard: [00:04:45] Now, the other boundaries very quickly: the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, freshwater use, land-use change, loss of biodiversity, chemical pollution—especially the famous PFAS we’ve heard a lot about recently. And atmospheric aerosol loading, basically industrial smoke and dust. Those are all the indicators on our dashboard.

Pierre Léonard: [00:05:06] So why is this dashboard important? Why is it important for us as business leaders? Because our activities, which are still largely based on fossil fuels, have a direct impact on these boundaries, and conversely, exceeding these boundaries directly affects our activities.

Pierre Léonard: [00:05:24] I recently talked about the surge in cocoa prices that greatly impacted chocolatiers’ revenues. What caused this surge? A change in the rainy season in tropical countries, and a disease affecting cocoa trees, also due to climate change. The price of cocoa rose in a few days, in April 2024, from $2,400 per ton to over $11,000. Imagine, you’re a chocolatier and you have to absorb the shock. That’s a very concrete example of what exceeding planetary boundaries can do to our economy.

Pierre Léonard: [00:05:58] So what can we do knowing all this? The good news is that by taking planetary boundaries into account in our business strategy, we can not only help preserve our planet but also bring concrete benefits to our companies. For example, reducing our energy consumption or opting for renewables allows us both to fight climate change—mitigation—and to reduce our operating costs. That’s an adaptation strategy, and here we combine both.

Pierre Léonard: [00:06:26] And you know I like to take somewhat controversial examples. Here’s the example of Apple, which has invested in improving its energy efficiency since 2019, saving, believe it or not, 27 million dollars in five—well, six—years. That’s one thing, but also, by integrating these considerations into our strategy, it can help us anticipate future environmental regulations.

Pierre Léonard: [00:06:52] A side note: this episode was recorded on March 1, 2025, two or three days after the European Commission significantly simplified the directive requiring companies to report on their environmental efforts. Still, we remain in a legislative and regulatory framework that will continue to exist.

Pierre Léonard: [00:07:14] And as I’ve already said, being eco-responsible in business activities brings advantages as an employer, for investors, etc. It’s also a competitive advantage, and so on.

Pierre Léonard: [00:07:29] To conclude on these planetary boundaries, understanding them, respecting them, and making efforts to stay within those we haven’t yet exceeded—there are three left out of nine—is not just an environmental responsibility, it’s also a business opportunity. It’s a chance to rethink our business models, to innovate, to position ourselves as leaders in a world transitioning toward a more sustainable economy. So, dear decision-makers, next time you look at your strategy, don’t forget to glance at the dashboard of our spaceship Earth. Because in reality, it’s the only and ultimate link that connects us all. Thank you for taking “6 minutes to understand” planetary boundaries, and I invite you to join us in two weeks to talk about the impact of our digital consumption on our environment.

Michel: [00:08:21] Thank you all.

Outro Jingle [00:08:25]: You’re listening to The Podcast Factory Org.

Michel: [00:08:27] This podcast project is an initiative created and presented by the non-profit “The Podcast Factory Org”, sponsored by “transforma bxl – Innovation Playground”. Since January 2025, and for five years, we are also sponsored by “Plugin Company”, our preferred charging station and card operator. “The Podcast Factory Org” is very proud to be a member of “KAYA – Coalition of Ecopreneurs” and to collaborate with the “Love Health Center”. You can find all episodes of all our podcasts on the “What’s Your Story dot be” website.

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