Saving the Planet: Revitalizing the UN for Our Common Future

Abstract

In the face of an escalating Anthropocene crisis characterized by climate change and the degradation of Earth’s systems, the necessity or a unified global governance framework is paramount. The United Nations, despite its central role in environmental governance and achievements such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, confronts significant challenges. These challenges include institutional fragmentation, coordination difficulties, and a gap in implementation, which pose obstacles to translating ambitious environmental goals into tangible outcomes. This paper argues that strategic revitalization and structural reforms are crucial for the UN to maintain its pivotal role in global environmental governance. It proposes specific measures to enhance the UN’s effectiveness in environmental governance, including transforming the United Nations Environment Program into a Global Environmental Agency, establishing a regulatory framework to improve coordination among Multilateral Environmental Agreements, upgrading the Global Environment Facility, emphasizing environmental stewardship and repurpose of the UN Trusteeship Council. These recommendations aim to address the current institutional challenges and pave the way for more effective global environmental governance.