A decade after the Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health first urged humanity to consider the health consequences of a changing planet, 16 scientists, including one from the University of Notre Dame, reiterate that call in an article in The Lancet published in July 2025.

The authors, experts from across the globe, emphasize that the destabilization of Earth's life-support systems, which include climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, threatens human health.

“We need to be looking at virtually everything we do on this planet through a planetary health lens,” said co-author Jason Rohr, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor & Department Chair of the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Biological Sciences. “What we do to the environment affects our health; the two are intricately linked.”

Rohr contributed his knowledge of infectious diseases that rise from different types and levels of environmental change. The writers provided four recommendations.

• Closer collaboration between members of the planetary boundaries community — people who study and understand the limits for how much humans can affect the Earth without causing damage — and the human health communities. Changes to climate, freshwater availability, land use, and other key Earth system processes are linked to numerous health outcomes, from infectious diseases to malnutrition to mental illness.

• Climate change and ecological harm disproportionately affect vulnerable populations who have contributed least to the problem, including future generations, indigenous communities, and low-income regions. Efforts to stabilize natural life-support systems across the globe need to be evaluated to ensure that the burdens and benefits are fairly distributed.

• Economic decisions too often ignore the real costs of environmental damage and the health benefits of a thriving planet. The scientists suggest a new model of accounting that fully internalizes the human health costs of environmental change because of human activity. The model should also recognize the health benefits of actions like clean energy, nature preservation, and sustainable food systems.

• The final suggestion stresses the need for better public understanding and communication of how environmental and health systems are linked. The authors suggest broadening scientific literacy and providing engaging storytelling in several different forms.

In addition to Rohr, the 15 other authors include Johan Rockström, who developed the planetary boundaries framework and played a significant role in the foundation of the Frontiers Planet Prize. Rockström is professor in water systems and Global Sustainability at Stockholm University, joint director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, and chief scientist at Conservation International. Lead author Samuel S. Myers is a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University and is the founding director of the Planetary Health Alliance.

Originally published by Deanna Csomo McCool at science.nd.edu on August 06, 2025.