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Why planetary problems need a new approach to politics Essays
Nation-states are no longer fit for purpose to create a habitable future for humans and nature. Which political system is?
Beyond political disputes over finance mechanisms, the equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments, and intellectual property rights, the reason for the failure to reach a global pandemic agreement boils down to the core conceptual feature of the contemporary international system: state sovereignty. This interplay between scales is a critical feature for the governance of planetary problems, from stratospheric ozone depletion, atmospheric aerosol loading and space junk, to growing antibiotic resistance, biodiversity loss and anthropogenic genetic disruptions, to upended biogeochemical cycles. Even the 2015 Paris Agreement, the most important global climate accord, makes clear that the action comes from nation-states: ‘Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions,’ the diplomats wrote, leaving goal-setting and enforcement to each state.
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