[Editorial] Future Earth
The new year ushers in important international agendas secured at the end of 2015: the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to a 1.5° to 2°C increase and adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Both actions reflect the world's recognition that development in all nations hinges on a stable and resilient Earth system. This is a political paradigm shift, fortified by three decades of remarkable advancements in Earth system science. The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), which ended in December 2015, can take considerable credit for coordinating and catalyzing much of this fundamental research. The recently launched Future Earth research program builds on this legacy and is the right response to the new scientific challenges. Author: Johan Rockström