A new paper from the University of Potsdam suggests that we should think of Earth’s tipping points as global shared resources. Instead of just focusing on areas outside countries, like the high seas or Antarctica, they argue that we should also include all the environmental systems that impact the planet’s health. This means considering everything on Earth that we all rely on, no matter where we live.

Experts in law, social sciences, and Earth systems are calling for better global teamwork to handle these challenges. They propose a fresh approach, calling it “planetary commons,” to guide how we manage the entire planet. This shift highlights the need for collaboration to tackle the interconnected systems that keep our planet running and ensure it stays sustainable for everyone.

Critical systems

“Stability and wealth of nations and our civilization depends on the stability of critical Earth system functions that operate beyond national borders. At the same time, human activities push harder and harder on the planetary boundaries of these pivotal systems. From the Amazon rainforest to the Greenland ice masses, there are rising risks of triggering irreversible and unmanageable shifts in Earth system functioning,” the researchers explain.

“As these shifts affect people across the globe, we argue that tipping elements should be considered as planetary commons the world is entrusted with, and consequently in need of collective governance.”

The paper comes after nearly two years of research with input from 22 top international researchers. Experts in law, politics, and Earth systems are pushing the idea of global commons further. They’re not just talking about spaces outside countries; they want to improve how we legally deal with the Earth’s systems that affect the planet’s resilience.

Global commons

This includes things like natural carbon storage and big forest systems. By expanding the concept of global commons, they aim to create more effective legal solutions that can handle these critical biophysical systems that go beyond national borders.

“We believe the planetary commons have the potential to articulate and create effective stewardship obligations for nation states worldwide through Earth system governance aimed at restoring and strengthening planetary resilience and promoting justice. However, since these commons are often located within sovereign territories, such stewardship obligations must also meet some clear justice criteria,” the authors explain.

Global commons, like the high seas, outer space, Antarctica, and the atmosphere, are areas and resources shared by all countries. They’re not under the control of any one nation. It’s in everyone’s interest to protect and manage them well, especially when it comes to things like resource extraction.

Expanding horizons

Now, the idea of planetary commons takes this a step further. It includes not only shared geographic regions but also crucial Earth systems that control the planet’s resilience and overall condition. This broader perspective considers the liveability of Earth as a whole.

The authors argue that if we shift to this “planetary” approach in governing global commons, it could have significant effects. It presents a challenge on a global scale, requiring collective solutions that go beyond national borders to safeguard these essential functions of Earth systems.

“Earth’s critical regulatory systems are now being put under pressure by human activities at unprecedented levels,” the researchers conclude.

“Our existing global environmental law and governance framework is unable to address the planetary crisis and keep us from crossing planetary boundaries. This is why we urgently need planetary commons as a new law and governance approach that can safeguard critical Earth system regulating functions more effectively.”