International Agreement for the Future: Preservation of Global Commons and [Controversial] Population Regulation Initiative
In a recent article, Jacob Nordangård highlighted the striking similarities between current planetary approach proposals and the themes from 'The Initiative for Eco-92 Earth Charter'. This emergent concept, known as the Planetary Commons Approach, advocates for a planet-centered, inclusive, and institutional model for managing Earth's global commons.
The Planetary Commons Approach is rooted in the evolution of global environmental governance and systemic thinking about planetary boundaries and the limits of national sovereignty in addressing global crises. It builds on earlier concepts such as the "planetary boundaries" framework and critiques of techno-scientific governance models from the 1970s.
The approach emphasizes a geocentric model of governance, placing the Earth system (including humans and non-human life) at the center of decision-making. It advocates for the representation of the planet’s inhabitants in diplomatic and governance discussions, complementing traditional nation-state negotiations. The framework calls for creating new institutions or councils, such as an Earth System Council, to coordinate global commons governance, including climate, biodiversity, pandemics, and other planetary crises.
However, there is no explicit link between the Planetary Commons Approach and the Eco-92 Earth Charter or an "Initiative for Eco-92 Earth Charter." The Earth Charter, developed in the late 1990s, is a global ethical framework for sustainability, peace, and justice. László Szombatfalvy, a billionaire financier and founder of the Global Challenges Foundation, has been linked to the authors of the Eco-92 Earth Charter, who proposed a New World Order with decisions made by the Major Nations of the Security Council.
Szombatfalvy's views and associations raise concerns about potential similarities between the Pact for the Future, set to be adopted at the Summit of the Future on 22 September, and the controversial Eco-92 Earth Charter. The Pact for the Future calls for a significant overhaul of global governance in response to perceived existential risks. Szombatfalvy, who has written opinion pieces about the "population problem" and donated to The Overpopulation Project, shares a Malthusian worldview with the "British Race Patriots" and "living sponsors" of the Eco-92 Earth Charter. The Overpopulation Project aims to create a new global treaty to end population growth.
The Overpopulation Project's motto, "Too Many People Consuming Too Much," and its prescription of solutions such as creating a new global treaty to end population growth, further highlight potential connections to the Eco-92 Earth Charter, which advocated for population reduction quotas for all nations. The Summit of the Future coincides with the 33rd anniversary of the controversial Eco-92 Earth Charter document.
As the world grapples with global issues, the Planetary Commons Approach presents a new, more inclusive, and systemic approach to planetary governance. However, concerns about its potential ties to controversial and contentious initiatives persist. It is crucial to continue the dialogue and scrutiny of these frameworks to ensure they align with the values and needs of all Earth's inhabitants.
[1] Nordangård, J. (2021). Planetary Commons Approach for Environmental Governance. Policy Brief. [2] Rockström, J., et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472-475. [3] Steffen, W., et al. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 347(6223), 1259855. [4] Meadows, D. H., et al. (1972). The Limits to Growth. New York: Universe Books. [5] Costanza, R., et al. (1997). The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature, 387(6632), 253-260.
- The Planetary Commons Approach, as discussed by Jacob Nordangård in his latest article, seems to share similarities with the themes from 'The Initiative for Eco-92 Earth Charter', although no explicit connection has been established between the two.
- Articles like Nordangård's highlight the Planetary Commons Approach's roots in evolutionary environmental governance, systemic thinking, and the 'planetary boundaries' framework, all of which were also central to the Eco-92 Earth Charter.
- The Planetary Commons Approach proposes an Earth System Council to coordinate global commons governance, including climate, biodiversity, pandemics, and other planetary crises, reminiscent of the Eco-92 Earth Charter's call for a New World Order with decisions made by major nations.
- Concerns about potential ties between the Planetary Commons Approach and the controversial Eco-92 Earth Charter escalate when considering organizations like The Overpopulation Project, which shares a Malthusian worldview and aims to create a new global treaty to end population growth, similar to the Eco-92 Earth Charter's population reduction quotas for all nations.
