1083. Planetary Trust for Intergenerational Equity

The Earth system, a global and local public good, is facing climate and environmental crises. In an ever-changing world, we need a foundation for current and future generations to be united around a shared goal to preserve our planet.

Dr. Edith Brown Weiss, an authority on international law and environmental issues, wrote an article on the concept of Planetary Trust in the journal Environmental Policy and Law for the UN Summit of the Future, which is scheduled to be held by the United Nations in September 2024.

According to Dr. Weiss, the Planetary Trust concept aims to achieve intergenerational equity in maintaining the Earth system, based on a common understanding that the Earth system is a public good.

On the optimistic side, over the past few decades, many governments and civil society have turned their attention to the interests of future generations, with youth leadership in particular becoming more prominent. On the other hand, if we dare to be pessimistic, we must say that progress has been too slow.

Dr. Weiss viewed the "UN Summit of the Future" as an opportunity to reaffirm and realize the importance of intergenerational equity.

Reference
Edith Brown Weiss, Marshalling the Planetary Trust, Environmental Policy and Law (2024). DOI: 10.3233/EPL-239021 https://content.iospress.com/articles/environmental-policy-and-law/epl2…;

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program