System Change Before Planetary Collapse: A Feminist Perspective on Ecological Justice and Macroeconomics
The current economic system, the central driver of environmental degradation and social inequality, is at the heart of the global ecological crisis. Humanity risks systemic collapse, having surpassed seven of nine planetary boundaries, the safe limits needed to maintain the well-being of people and the health of the planet.
This framework analyses the complex interrelationships between the biosphere, economic system and human life rather than focusing solely on one of the boundaries – climate change -. It also raises awareness of the colonial and imperial logics behind “green capitalism”, the growthist paradigms that exacerbate extraction and the techno-fixes and financialized false solutions that fall short in addressing root causes and prevent planet collapse.
It invites joint feminist reflexion on the notion of sustainability of life and tensions around capital versus life to build system alternatives reconciling ecological integrity and economic justice.
The evolution of the planetary boundaries framework.
Licenced under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Credit: Azote for Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University. Based on Sakschewski and Caesar et al. 2025, Richardson et al. 2023, Steffen et al. 2015, and Rockström et al. 2009).
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