I recently became aware of a policy brief with recommendations for the 2024 Summit of the Future, which lays out in plain terms what our “Overlords” have in store for us. It reads like a plot from a Bond-movie. In order to avoid “irreversible tipping points”, it is advised that all life supporting systems – “the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (life), lithosphere (land), and cryosphere (ice)” – be administered collectively by a “global governance body” . This means total control of the earth system (Planetary Commons) and the establishment of a global government.

As stated in the policy brief:

Governance of the planetary commons would require a shift from present-day nationalistic, siloed approaches to environmental protection, recognising the core fact that our planet is composed of interconnected, interdependent systems. Instead of a fragmented, treaty-based system, the planetary commons approach proposes a “nested” governance structure involving multiple layers of regulation enacting highly tailored local responses, all overseen by a global governance body.

It also means that no nation will have a sovereign right to exploit its own resources because it may have consequences for the planetary whole.

Today’s system is predicated on the sovereign right of nation-states to exploit resources within their national boundaries with little regard for global consequences. A concept of global stewardship of planetary commons as environmental resources we all depend on would run directly against this core understanding of international law and would face stiff resistance, including from developing countries that might see such a step as impinging on their ability to develop quickly. However, the science is increasingly clear and incontrovertible: without a major change to governance frameworks, our planet will become increasingly unstable, unpredictable, and unliveable. The planetary commons may be the only way to manage systemic change in the Anthropocene.

We must therefore be managed from above.