Operationalizing planetary boundaries through demand-side indicators

Planetary boundaries delimit the safe operating space for humanity to ensure the stability and functioning of the Earth system. Demand-side indicators can help navigate specific pathways and solutions to stay within the boundaries. In recent years, an increasing quantity of scientific work is connecting planetary boundary framing to demand-side analysis, yet there is often a lack of consistency in this research. Here we review relevant literature (including life-cycle assessments and environmental footprint analysis), focusing on the choice and suitability of indicators and methods used. We find a persistent gap between the idealist focus on impacts on earth systems functioning and the actual indicators used. We evaluate the available options, outline current research gaps, and extract lessons on how to better account for Earth system impacts from the demand-side perspective.