Integrating planetary boundaries into safe and sustainable by design framework: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The paradigm shift in understanding Earth system limits and the definition of a safe operating space has underscored the need for absolute environmental sustainability. While the European Commission's Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework sets a direction for sustainability-oriented innovation, it currently lacks operational guidance on implementing planetary boundaries (PBs) at the design level. This systematic literature review assesses the state of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) methods for defining PB thresholds and evaluates their applicability within SSbD contexts. The findings reveal that although progress has been made in linking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with PBs, current applications remain commonly at the meso-scale, and disconnected from low-TRL technologies and material/component-level decision-making. Key gaps persist in carrying capacity allocation, operationalization of underrepresented boundaries such as novel entities, and prospective modeling. To bridge these gaps, the study identifies four integration requirements: (1) embedding PBs from the earliest TRL stages, (2) aligning assessments with systemic design logic and developing performance-based allocation methods, (3) developing a composite carrying capacity indicator as an intermediate functional unit, and (4) incorporating scenario-based and temporal modeling to reflect the dynamic context of technology emergence. Together, these requirements lay the foundation for a structured, forward-oriented workflow to support actionable PB integration into SSbD.