Global Governance of the Ecological Commons: The Value of Binding Agreements

Speaker: Dr Roberto Debono 

Abstract

The global ecological crisis is unravelling at an unsettling speed. It is an anthropogenic state of ecological disorder with serious implications to the ways of life of human communities worldwide. Over the course of the 21^st century, its management will define the fate of the human species. Analysing international efforts through a contractarian lens provides insights into the strengths and limitations of current global efforts. It sheds light on the value of global binding agreements and potential opportunities that are not immediately obvious. This paper proposes avenues for exploration that are specifically grounded in social contract thought.

Bionote

Roberto Debono, MD, PhD is a Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (UK). He has over 15 years’ experience representing public health in United Nations processes and programmes on climate, environment and health. He has published peer-reviewed research on climate–health intersections. Dr Debono graduated PhD from the Department of Philosophy in 2025, making the case for global guardianship of the ecological crisis. In his free time, he is a farmer and piano accompanist (Licentiate, Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music). 

For further information, please contact the Department’s Research Seminars series convenor, Prof. Jean-Paul De Lucca.