Planet on Fire

1. Environmental breakdown is a systemic crisis rooted in power dynamics

This is about power: who has it, how they got it, what they do with it – and what they do to hold on to it.

Power drives destruction. The environmental crisis is fundamentally about the concentration of economic and political power. Extractive capitalism, colonialism, and unequal global power dynamics have led to the exploitation of natural resources and communities, particularly in the Global South. This systemic issue cannot be addressed through minor adjustments or individual actions alone.

Crisis compounds inequality. Environmental breakdown disproportionately affects those who contributed least to the problem. Low-income nations and marginalized communities face the brunt of climate impacts, while lacking resources to adapt. This injustice is rooted in historical exploitation and ongoing power imbalances in the global economy.

Key drivers of environmental crisis:

• Concentrated corporate power
• Financialization of the economy
• Neoliberal policies prioritizing profit over sustainability
• Legacy of colonialism and resource extraction

2. The current economic paradigm is driving us towards catastrophe

We cannot rule out catastrophic outcomes where human life as we know it is threatened.

Neoliberalism accelerates crisis. The dominant economic paradigm of neoliberalism, with its focus on deregulation, privatization, and market-based solutions, has accelerated environmental destruction. It prioritizes short-term profits over long-term sustainability and externalizes environmental costs.

Systemic change is urgent. Incremental reforms within the current system are insufficient to address the scale and urgency of the crisis. We need a fundamental reimagining of our economic structures, priorities, and metrics of success. This includes moving beyond GDP as the primary measure of progress and reorienting the economy towards social and ecological wellbeing.

Key limitations of current economic model:

• Reliance on infinite growth on a finite planet
• Failure to account for environmental externalities
• Concentration of wealth and decision-making power
• Commodification of nature and social relations

3. A just transition requires reimagining work and value

Work reimagined should bring to life an 'alternative vision of wealth and experiment with ways in which human labour can be employed for the production of solidarities, mutual pleasures, and beauty'.

Redefine productive work. A sustainable economy must center and value work that nurtures and sustains life, including care work, environmental restoration, and community building. This requires challenging the gendered and racialized hierarchies that undervalue certain forms of labor.

Democratize workplaces. Economic democracy must extend to the workplace, giving workers greater control over decision-making and a fair share of the wealth they create. This can be achieved through measures like worker ownership, cooperatives, and participatory planning processes.

Key elements of reimagined work:

• Universal basic services to meet fundamental needs
• Reduced working hours without loss of pay
• Investment in green jobs and just transition for affected workers
• Recognition and redistribution of care work

4. Democratizing finance is crucial for sustainable development

Under social control, the world-shaping power of the financial system can build a future of collective flourishing.

Tame financial power. The current financial system, driven by short-term profit maximization, is a key driver of environmental destruction. Democratizing finance involves bringing it under social control and redirecting its power towards sustainable and equitable development.

Public banking for the public good. A new ecosystem of public and cooperative banks, guided by social and environmental mandates, can provide the patient capital needed for long-term sustainable investments. This should be complemented by central banks actively steering credit towards green sectors.

Key financial reforms:

• Green macroprudential policy to penalize dirty investments
• Public banking networks at national and local levels
• Socialization of investment through democratic wealth funds
• Regulation of private finance to align with sustainability goals

5. Transforming ownership can create a generative, collective economy

Ownership is power. The gravitational power of ownership determines the contours of any political-economic system.

Democratize capital. Concentrated private ownership of productive assets is a root cause of inequality and unsustainable extraction. Expanding forms of social and democratic ownership can ensure that wealth is more equitably shared and directed towards social and environmental goals.

Reimagine the corporation. The shareholder primacy model of corporate governance must be replaced with one that balances the interests of all stakeholders, including workers, communities, and the environment. This involves new legal structures, governance models, and purpose-driven enterprises.

Strategies for transforming ownership:

• Worker ownership funds in large companies
• Expansion of cooperatives and employee-owned firms
• Creation of social wealth funds at national and local levels
• Public ownership of key infrastructures and utilities

6. Building a 21st century commons is essential for shared prosperity

Against logics of enclosure and privatisation that are driving our entwined crises, we must scale a twenty-first-century commons, democratically stewarding the assets and resources we all need to thrive.

Reclaim shared resources. The commons – shared resources managed for collective benefit – offer an alternative to both state and market models. Expanding the commons can create more sustainable and equitable ways of managing resources, from land and housing to digital infrastructure and knowledge.

Foster collective stewardship. Commons-based approaches emphasize democratic governance, sustainability, and meeting social needs over profit maximization. They can help build community resilience and create spaces for experimentation with new social and economic relations.

Key areas for expanding the commons:

• Community land trusts for affordable housing
• Open-source technologies and knowledge sharing
• Cooperative digital platforms
• Urban commons (parks, community spaces, etc.)
• Natural resource management (forests, water, etc.)

7. Cooperation and ending neo-imperialism are key to global solutions

Environmental breakdown is an international problem and so any credible agenda for global cooperation must be founded on a positive-sum internationalism and be capable of collectively managing the enormous risks of an environmentally destabilising world.

Rethink global relations. Addressing environmental breakdown requires moving beyond the current neoliberal model of globalization, which perpetuates inequalities and unsustainable extraction. A new internationalism based on solidarity, cooperation, and ecological justice is needed.

Address historical responsibility. Wealthy nations must acknowledge their disproportionate historical contribution to environmental destruction and take on a greater share of the burden in addressing the crisis. This includes providing finance and technology transfer to support sustainable development in the Global South.

Key elements of a new global cooperation:

• Reform of international financial institutions
• Fair trade agreements prioritizing sustainability and human rights
• Global mechanisms for loss and damage compensation
• Coordinated strategies for managing climate migration
• Technology transfer and capacity building for green development

8. A new politics of life is needed to rescue our shared future

Together we can escape the ruins, charting a new way forward: a sustainable future anchored in democracy, justice and mutual solidarity, in a world fit for life, in all its finitude and wonder.

Build transformative coalitions. Addressing the environmental crisis requires bringing together diverse movements and constituencies around a shared vision of a just and sustainable future. This involves bridging traditional divides and creating new forms of solidarity.

Cultivate radical hope. While the scale of the crisis can be overwhelming, it's crucial to maintain hope and a sense of possibility. This hope must be grounded in concrete action and prefigurative politics that bring elements of the desired future into being in the present.

Strategies for building a politics of life:

• Develop compelling narratives of a just transition
• Foster intergenerational alliances and youth leadership
• Create spaces for participatory democracy and collective visioning
• Connect local struggles to global movements
• Prioritize frontline communities in decision-making and resource allocation

Last updated: October 2, 2024