Global commons refer to shared resources that cannot be managed within national jurisdictions. The spread of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19; greenhouse gas emissions; biodiversity reduction; overfishing; and the accumulation of plastic waste are some of the problems within the scope of global commons.

Global commons 

Global commons is a term typically used to describe international, supranational, and global resource domains in which common-pool resources are found. International law identifies four global commons as follows:

1. The High Seas
2. The Atmosphere
3. Antarctica
4. Outer Space

Significance of Common:

Global Commons Alliance:

• The Earth Commission — A select team of scientists to synthesize the latest research, anticipate tipping points and assess the limits of the entire Earth system. Read the press release: Earth Commission to Identify Risks, Guardrails, and Targets for the Planet.
• Science-Based Targets Network – A group of international NGOs to turn the science into practical applications for companies and cities to set goals for operating within Earth’s limits.
• Systems Change – Building new partnerships to transform our food system, green our cities, decarbonize the global energy system, and move towards a circular economy.
• Earth HQ – A media portal for the planet, to connect people across the globe and share the big picture of how all Earth systems are performing and tracking progress towards solutions. 

• Issues related to Global Commons:

  • Multilateral Negotiations on Climate Change and other global commons over decades have had limited success
  • According to a report by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), biodiversity has been mismanaged so badly that 60% of the lost resources can never be recouped.
  • National Sample Survey Office data show a 1.9% quinquennial rate of decline in the area of ‘Common’ lands, though microstudies show a much more rapid decline of 31-55% over 50 years.

  (Carbon Emission Projections for India)

  Challenges:

  • over-exploitation and rapid degradation
  • The opposing and dominant world view of the ‘developmentalism’ is predicated on the value of built infrastructure and requires the constant colonization of open land and resources.
  • Failures will be inevitable if we stimulate local-level experimentation, and higher-level authorities need to provide insurance for those cases.

  Way Forward:

  • Governing global commons is the defining challenge for current and future generations.
  • To manage our global commons, we need to facilitate and accommodate the self-governance of local commons, but provide safeguards at different levels to avoid exploitation and manage risks.
  • At the local levels, initiatives and solutions could be developed that fit the local context.
  • When expertise is not available, higher-level organizations could facilitate learning from peers in similar conditions.
  • Failures will be inevitable if we stimulate local-level experimentation, and higher-level authorities need to provide insurance for those cases.

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