For a long time, the multiple environmental crises, also called the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution were viewed separately. However, research and policy increasingly recognize that they are deeply interconnected with mutually reinforcing impacts. The report "The Interconnected Challenges of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Environmental Pollution", commissioned by the German Federal Agency (UBA), provides a systematic analysis of this triple planetary crisis. It demonstrates why climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution cannot be understood and tackled in siloes, but instead share common drivers, feedback mechanisms, and cascading effects. The aim of the report is to close knowledge gaps and provide political and scientific actors with an integrated, holistic understanding.

Understanding the Risks and Pathways of the Triple Planetary Crisis

Starting by examining the shared drivers and feedback loops connecting the three crises, the report then describes their impacts on ecosystem health and human health. A dedicated section focuses on the socioeconomic impacts, highlighting which groups are particularly affected. The report concludes with a synthesis that brings together the key risks and identifies entry points for integrated and just solution pathways. The findings show that the triple planetary crisis is largely driven by resource use, land-use change, and social inequalities. Its effects amplify one another, for instance, when biodiversity loss reduces the adaptive capacity of ecosystems to climate change, or when pollution increases health risks. At the same time, the analysis shows that impacts are unequally distributed, with vulnerable groups worldwide such as women, indigenous people and migrants being disproportionately affected. The report makes clear that isolated measures are insufficient. What is needed are cross-sectoral strategies that respect ecological limits, incorporate social justice, and remain politically feasible.