A global snapshot of the health of our planet and its people
Trusted indicators for four panels—Biodiversity, Emissions & Climate, Ecosystem Health, and Human Well-Being—shown as clear cards with trends, sources, and last-updated stamps.
The big picture is fragmented. Putting credible datasets side-by-side helps people see connections and act with context and confidence.
Progress and risk together: where we’re improving (e.g., water access) and where we’re falling behind (e.g., forest loss, air pollution).
Explore by domain; check sources and timestamps; download data where licenses allow. Transparency is built in.
Plain-language explanations of each domain and metric in the Planetary Health Index. Hovering charts show sources and timestamps; this section explains the logic behind them.
We convert each indicator to a 0–100 scale so different measures can be averaged:
score = 100 × (x − L) / (U − L)score = 100 × (U − x) / (U − L)L, U) use scientific targets or well-documented ranges; details below.We track the abundance of wild species, habitat protection, and pressures like forest loss and extinction risk.
What: Trend in monitored vertebrate populations (1970=100).
Why: Signals broad ecosystem integrity; steep declines indicate widespread pressure.
Cadence & Source: Biennial; WWF/ZSL Living Planet Index.
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=100 (1970 benchmark). Higher = better.
What: Share of land/sea under recognized protection.
Why: Protection reduces habitat loss and supports species recovery.
Cadence & Source: Monthly; WDPA / Protected Planet.
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=30 (% by 2030 target). Higher = better.
What: Annual tree cover loss (excluding plantations where noted).
Why: Drives species decline, carbon emissions, and local climate impacts.
Cadence & Source: Annual; Global Forest Watch.
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=20 (Mha/yr). Lower = better.
What: Share of assessed species in Vulnerable/Endangered/Critically Endangered.
Why: Indicates extinction risk across taxa.
Cadence & Source: Rolling; IUCN Red List.
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=40 (%). Lower = better.
These metrics capture warming causes (GHG) and consequences (temperature, air quality).
What: Global concentration of carbon dioxide.
Why: Principal driver of long-term warming; the Keeling Curve is a planetary vital sign.
Cadence & Source: Daily/weekly; NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory.
Scoring: Inverse. L=350, U=450 ppm. Lower = better.
What: Annual global greenhouse gas emissions across sectors.
Why: Tracks progress toward deep decarbonization.
Cadence & Source: Annual; Global Carbon Project/UNFCCC compilations.
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=60 GtCO₂e. Lower = better.
What: Global surface warming vs. a historical baseline.
Why: Summarizes realized warming and heat-related risks.
Cadence & Source: Monthly; NASA GISTEMP / Copernicus.
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=2.0 °C. Lower = better.
What: Fine particle concentration harmful to human health.
Why: Major contributor to premature mortality and disease burden.
Cadence & Source: Annual global database (WHO) with many cities reporting hourly via networks.
Scoring: Inverse. L=5, U=50 µg/m³. Lower = better.
Water, soils, and oceans sustain food systems, livelihoods, and climate regulation.
What: Ratio of withdrawals to available renewable water.
Why: High stress signals scarcity risks for people, farms, and ecosystems.
Cadence & Source: Model updates/periodic; WRI Aqueduct / FAO AQUASTAT.
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=5 (very high). Lower = better.
What: Composite of biodiversity, fisheries, carbon storage, coastal protection, and more.
Why: Captures multiple ocean benefits people rely on.
Cadence & Source: Annual; Ocean Health Index.
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=100. Higher = better.
What: Aggregates signals like erosion risk, organic matter, and land condition (proxy until a global standard stabilizes).
Why: Healthy soils underpin food security, carbon storage, and water retention.
Cadence & Source: Multi-year; FAO and research syntheses.
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=100. Higher = better.
What: Estimated plastic entering the environment or oceans annually.
Why: Harms wildlife, fisheries, and human livelihoods; persistent pollutant.
Cadence & Source: Annual; research compilations (e.g., OWID; UNEP reports).
Scoring: Inverse. L=0, U=20 Mt/yr. Lower = better.
Planetary health ultimately shows up in human outcomes: life, opportunity, and equity.
What: Composite of life expectancy, education, and income.
Why: Widely used yardstick of human development across countries.
Cadence & Source: Annual; UNDP Human Development Reports.
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=1. Higher = better.
What: Average years a newborn is expected to live under current mortality rates.
Why: Integrates many health and social determinants.
Cadence & Source: Annual; WHO Global Health Observatory.
Scoring: Direct. L=50, U=85 years. Higher = better.
What: Share of people using safely managed drinking water services.
Why: Foundational for health and dignity; prevents water-borne disease.
Cadence & Source: Annual; WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP).
Scoring: Direct. L=0, U=100%. Higher = better.
What: Share of national income earned by the top 10%.
Why: Persistent extremes correlate with poorer health and social outcomes.
Cadence & Source: Periodic; World Inequality Database and national stats.
Scoring: Inverse. L=20, U=60%. Lower = better.