Planetary Service

Collective action for planetary, personal, and cultural renewal

What is Planetary Service?

Planetary Service is the work to sustain and regenerate the nine planetary boundaries that keep Earth habitable — from biodiversity and climate to land, oceans, and freshwater systems. It’s a growing global movement of people dedicating their time, care, and energy to restoring the systems that sustain life — and re-imagining how we live in relation to the Earth, each other, and ourselves.

Acts of Planetary Service

Acts of Planetary Service are voluntary, intentional actions taken to care for, restore, and sustain the Earth and its ecosystems. These actions are not done for profit, but from a place of care, responsibility, and solidarity with both people and planet.

An action may be considered an Act of Planetary Service when it is:

Sustainable

It supports long-term ecological balance, contributes to at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and reduces pressure on at least one planetary boundary without causing harm to others.

Intentional

It is carried out with purpose, awareness, and ecological responsibility, rooted in intrinsic motivation.

Regenerative

It aims to leave ecosystems, communities, or relationships healthier than before, creating a net-positive impact.

Community-rooted

It arises from shared responsibility, inclusive participation, and respect for both human and more-than-human life.

Planetary Service Movement

What is the movement?

We are a growing movement and organisation working to make planetary service a recognised, supported, and accessible form of civic contribution.

Since 2022, we’ve been supporting volunteers across the world to contribute to regenerative projects. Now, we’re launching new initiatives to connect existing platforms, create a shared recognition framework, and build a learning ecosystem for planetary regeneration.

Need for Planetary Service

Planetary Service emerges in response to a growing global crisis—and a deeper cultural longing. Across the world, people are seeking meaningful ways to respond to climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and social fragmentation. But many face barriers that keep them from acting: lack of time, resources, safety, support, or recognition.

A culture that values service as vital, not extra

Too often, ecological work is invisible or undervalued—especially when it is unpaid, community-led, or carried out by marginalised groups. We need a shift where service is seen as essential work: meaningful, skilled, and necessary for a thriving future.

Structures that support people to serve

We need policies, funding, and platforms that allow everyone—especially youth, women, and frontline communities—to participate in ecological and community care. This includes financial support, recognition systems, safety nets, and inclusive infrastructures.

Space for reflection, learning, and connection

Volunteering is not just action—it’s transformation. To deepen its impact, people need support to reflect on their experiences, develop skills, and connect with others on a shared journey of regeneration.

Grounding in science and global goals

Planetary Service is rooted in the Planetary Boundaries framework, which shows that six of the nine Earth systems that sustain life—such as climate, biodiversity, and freshwater—are already under dangerous pressure. To stay within the planet’s safe operating space, we must act now.

At the same time, Planetary Service directly contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—especially those linked to climate action, life on land, clean water, and reducing inequalities. It is a pathway to advance human well-being while protecting the ecosystems that make well-being possible.

“I have the following dream. For hundreds of years, maybe longer, the 18-year-olds were drafted and then forced to serve in the military: Military service. How would that be if we could replace that with Planetary Service – on a voluntary basis”

– Rembert Biemond