The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its periodic analysis of economic and environmental trends – and of policy actions to address the key challenges. This year’s report focuses on the interlocking trends and drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution that together make up the triple planetary crisis. It recommends that governments tackle these challenges in a more integrated manner. 

Titled, ‘Environmental Outlook on the Triple Planetary Crisis: Stakes, Evolution and Policy Linkages,’ the report offers projections through mid-century, outlining policy synergies and trade-offs.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution have many drivers in common, according to the report. These include economic and population growth as well as demand for food, fertilizer, and resources – from land and energy to materials and water. The report shows that all these drivers are set to increase globally between 2020 and 2050, with population, water consumption, and demand for food growing by about a quarter, and plastics use and gross domestic product (GDP) more than doubling.  

Modeling suggests that, under current policies, the triple planetary crisis will intensify between 2020 and 2050. Global warming is projected to reach 2.1°C above pre-industrial levels, with climate change becoming the main driver of biodiversity loss before mid-century. Terrestrial species are projected to further decline. And while air pollution is projected to diminish, “the nitrogen surplus is projected to increase by one-third, and leakage of plastics to the environment to grow by almost two-thirds,” according to the report.

The report finds there is “ample potential” for better integrated policies. Based on an analysis of 20 national documents across ten countries – Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, and Uganda – the report finds that while some linkages are acknowledged, consideration of others is limited or absent. For example, the countries’ Biennial Transparency Reports (BURs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognize the links between climate change and biodiversity loss, but there is little acknowledgement of the linkages and trade-offs when it comes to pollution – and largely no recognition of the triple planetary crisis.

The report puts forward six policy levers governments can use to support the development of more synergistic responses:

• Address key gaps in research and assessment;
• Strengthen consideration of interlinkages in national reporting and planning;
• Align financing and resource allocation;
• Mitigate unintended impacts of the clean energy transition;
• Transform resource use; and
• Rethink food systems.

The OECD launched the report on 26 November 2025. [Publication: Environmental Outlook on the Triple Planetary Crisis: Stakes, Evolution and Policy Linkages] [Online Report]