In this podcast, Nils Gilman, Vice President of Programs at the Berggruen Institute, discusses his ideas on a planetary approach to governance with Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan. Gilman distinguishes the concept of the planetary from the global, framing it as a necessary shift in light of the bio-geo-chemical disruption of today. He reflects on the need for new forms of shared sovereignty and suggests that a move beyond anthropocentric frameworks may open a fundamental rethinking of core categories in both political theory and policy practice.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
Chapters:
[0:00] Children of a Modest Star
[22:30] The Planetary and the Nation State - Democratic Deficit and Sovereignty
[56:50] Tianxia - All Under Heaven
[01:02:30] The Concept of Degrowth
[01:09:30] Who Should Populate the Planetary Institutions?
Further readings:
Additional readings:
In this episode, we sit down with one of our hosts, James Bernard Quilligan. With over three decades of experience in international development and monetary policy—as both analyst and administrator—Quilligan now serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Center for New Critical Politics and Governance. In the conversation, we explore key concepts shaping our planetary future—the idea of the planetary commons and the ecological limits of carrying capacity. Quilligan reflects on the importance of distinguishing globalization from planetization, and considers how principles from thermodynamics might shed light on the climate crisis. What forms of planetary governance and stewardship could help us navigate these complex challenges? Most importantly, we ask whether embracing a degrowth mindset is essential to building a sustainable future. Quilligan argues for the need to adopt a new worldview—a new epistemology and narrative—that can guide us through the planetary transition ahead.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg.
[00:00] Planetary Commons, Ecological Interdependence and Global Stewardship
[23:00] The Laws of Thermodynamics
[36:00] Geopolitics and Planetary Commons
[01:00:00] Biofinance
Further readings:
Chapman, Eric J., and Carrie J. Byron. 2018. “The Flexible Application of Carrying Capacity in Ecology.” Global Ecology and Conservation 13: e00365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2017.e00365.
Quilligan, James Bernard. 2024. “Who Will Pay Back the Earth? Revaluing Net Energy through the Sustainable Yield of Regional Ecosystems.” Global Perspectives 5 (1): 122343. https://doi.org/10.1525/gp.2024.122343.
Rockström, Johan. 2015. “Thriving Within Planetary Boundaries: To Prosper the World Needs a Great Transformation to Global Sustainability.” Horizons: Journal of International Relations and Sustainable Development, no. 4: 214–25. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48573570.
Richardson, Katherine, et al. 2023. “Earth beyond Six of Nine Planetary Boundaries.” Science Advances 9 (38): eadh2458. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458.
Stråth, Bo. 2024. “The Value of Energy: Three Conversations with James Quilligan.” Planetary Perspectives. https://www.bostrath.com/planetary-perspectives/the-value-of-energy-three-conversations-with-james-quilligan/
In this episode, we speak with senior advisors Andreas Lind and Cecilie Friis from the Danish think tank CONCITO about their project From Planetary Boundaries to Planetary Policies. They explore how addressing the climate crisis requires confronting the broader web of interconnected environmental challenges—and how Earth-system science can inform more effective and equitable policy responses. Lind and Friis discuss the urgent need to move from abstract recognition of planetary boundaries to concrete political action. What would it take to craft solutions that are globally viable? How can local communities meaningfully contribute to shaping policies at a planetary scale? The conversation highlights the potential of integrating planetary thinking into governance frameworks—bridging science, policy, and grassroots engagement in the face of accelerating ecological change.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00] Introduction
[12:00] From Planetary Boundaries to Planetary Policies.
[28:15] Can it be implemented?
[38:15] Carrying Capacity
[43:20] New planetary institutions?
Further readings:
Concito. n.d. Fra planetære grænser til planetær politik. https://concito.dk/projekter/fra-planetaere-graenser-til-planetaer-politik.
Richardson, Katherine, et al. 2023. “Earth beyond Six of Nine Planetary Boundaries.” Science Advances 9 (38): eadh2458. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458.
Rockström, Johan, et al. 2009a. “A Safe Operating Space for Humanity.” Nature 461: 472–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a.
Rockström, Johan, et al. 2009b. “Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity.” Ecology and Society 14 (2): Article 32. https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss2/art32/.
Steffen, Will, et al. 2015. “Planetary Boundaries: Guiding Human Development on a Changing Planet.” Science 347 (6223): 1259855. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855.
Steffen, Will, et al. 2020. “The Emergence and Evolution of Earth System Science.” Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 1: 54–63. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-019-0005-6.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. n.d. Planetary Boundaries Research. https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html.
In this episode, Ryan Bishop, Professor of Global Art and Politics at the University of Southampton, joins us to explain how the technological sphere increasingly shapes the geosphere of the Planet. Bishop unpacks the concepts of poly-scalar remote sensing and the concealed dimensions of tele-technology, reflecting on how media technologies intersect with governance and military power. How do remote sensing systems operating at multiple scales transform our relationship with the environment? In what ways might hidden tele-technologies constrain—or empower—individual and collective agency?
The episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00] Remote Sensing and Tele-Technology
[31:50] Governance, Sovereignty and Self-Destruction
[53:00] The University: Free Learning or ‘Research and Development Industry’?
[01:19:00] Perceptions of the Planetary: Anthropocene or Entropocene
Further readings:
Beck, John, and Ryan Bishop. 2016. “Introduction: The Long Cold War.” In Cold War Legacies: Legacy, Theory, Aesthetics, edited by John Beck and Ryan Bishop, 1–32. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Bishop, Ryan. 2015. “Smart Dust and Remote Sensing: The Political Subject in Autonomous Systems.” Cultural Politics11 (1): 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1215/17432197-2842445.
Bishop, Ryan. 2018. “Felo de Se: The Munus of Remote Sensing.” boundary 2 45 (4): 41–63. https://doi.org/10.1215/01903659-7142717.
Bishop, Ryan, and Daniel Ross. 2021. “Technics, Time and the Internation: Bernard Stiegler’s Thought – A Dialogue with Daniel Ross.” Theory, Culture & Society 38 (4): 111–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276421990435.
Bishop, Ryan, and John Phillips. 2010. Modernist Avant-Garde Aesthetics and Contemporary Military Technology: Technicities of Perception. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1r25gf.
Bratton, Benjamin H. 2016. The Stack: On Software and Sovereignty. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262029575.001.0001.
Donges, Jonathan F., Wolfgang Lucht, Finn Müller-Hansen, and Will Steffen. 2017. “The Technosphere in Earth System Analysis: A Coevolutionary Perspective.” The Anthropocene Review 4 (1): 23–33. https://www.stockholmresilience.org/publications/publications/2018-06-26-the-technosphere-in-earth-system-analysis-a-coevolutionary-perspective.html.
Readings, Bill. 1997. The University in Ruins. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Stiegler, Bernard. 2018. The Neganthropocene. London: Open Humanities Press.
In this episode, Jussi Parikka, Professor of Digital Aesthetics and Culture at Aarhus University, joins us to discuss his latest book, Living Surfaces: Images, Plants, and Environments of Media, published in 2024. Parikka’s work explores the intersections of media history, ecology, and geology, highlighting how digital infrastructures and media technologies both shape—and are shaped by—natural environments. We delve into how media operates not just as a tool or platform, but as an environmental force intertwined with the living surfaces of the planet. Parikka offers insights into how artistic, technological, and ecological practices converge in the age of planetary crisis.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00] Living Surfaces – Key terms
[17:20] The power dynamics of the Planetary
[37:30] The blurred line between Biosphere and Technosphere
[49:00] The translocality of struggles
[59:00] Anticipations for the future
Further readings:
Donges, Jonathan F., Wolfgang Lucht, Finn Müller-Hansen, and Will Steffen. 2017. “The Technosphere in Earth System Analysis: A Coevolutionary Perspective.” The Anthropocene Review 4 (1): 23–33.
Farocki, Harun. n.d. Home. https://www.harunfarocki.de/home.html.
Gil-Fournier, Abelardo, and Jussi Parikka. 2024. Living Surfaces: Images, Plants, and Environments of Media. The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/14823.001.0001.
Gil-Fournier, Abelardo, and Jussi Parikka. 2021. “An Ecoaesthetic of Vegetal Surfaces: On Seed, Image, Ground as Soft Montage.” Journal of Visual Art Practice 20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702029.2021.1917858.
Kittler, Friedrich. 2009. Optical Media.
Lu, Yangqiao. 2024. “Book Review: Living Surfaces: Images, Plants, and Environments of Media by Abelardo Gil-Fournier and Jussi Parikka.” https://mediaenviron.org/article/126578-book-review-_living-surfaces-images-plants-and-environments-of-media_-abelardo-gil-fournier-and-jussi-parikka-mit-press-2024-isbn-978026254795.
Stivale, Charles J., ed. 2005. Gilles Deleuze: Key Concepts. McGill-Queen’s University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.cttq486p.
Parikka, Jussi. 2023. Operational Images: From the Visual to the Invisual. University of Minnesota Press.
Virilio, Paul. 1977. Speed and Politics.
Virilio, Paul. 1997. Open Sky.
In this episode, Or Rosenboim, Professor of Contemporary History at Bologna University, joins us to explore the evolving concept of global order—from classical frameworks to contemporary debates about the future. She invites us to see globalization not just as a process, but as a lens through which to interpret the world. Rosenboim questions whether the idea of a fixed “world order” is itself misguided and provocatively suggests that embracing disorder could help us reimagine planetary politics. Is it time to rethink the very notion of “world order”? Could embracing disorder offer new approaches to global governance? And what lessons can today’s leaders draw from historical debates about global order?
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg.
[00:00] The Emergence of Globalism
[22:15] The terminology of the Global
[30:30] The new concept of the Planetary
[37:45] Constructions of the future
Further readings:
Andersson, Jenny. 2018. The Future of the World: Futurology, Futurists, and the Struggle for the Post–Cold War Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press. scholar.google.comsase.org+8mpifg.de+8academic.oup.com+8
Conrad, Sebastian, and Dominic Sachsenmaier. 2007. Competing Visions of World Order: Global Moments and Movements, 1880s–1930s. Palgrave Macmillan Transnational History Series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230604285.
Dunne, Tim, and Christian Reus-Smit, eds. 2017. The Globalization of International Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Moraru, Christian. 2017. “‘World,’ ‘Globe,’ ‘Planet’: Comparative Literature, Planetary Studies, and Cultural Debt after the Global Turn.” In Futures of Comparative Literature, edited by Ursula Heise, 124–133. New York: Routledge.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315227405-20/world-globe-planet-christian-moraru
Pankakoski, Timo. 2018. “Globalizing the Political: German Radical Conservatives on the Structural Transformation of the Global Order.” Global Intellectual History 4 (2): 156–80. doi:10.1080/23801883.2018.1461023.
Stefan Pedersen (2021) Planetarism: a paradigmatic alternative to
internationalism, Globalizations, 18:2, 141-154, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2020.1741901
Rosenboim, Or. 2014. “Barbara Wootton, Friedrich Hayek and the Debate on Democratic Federalism in the 1940s.” The International History Review 36 (5): 894–918. https://doi.org/10.1080/07075332.2013.871320.
Rosenboim, Or. 2017. The Emergence of Globalism: Visions of World Order in Britain and the United States, 1939–1950. Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400885237.
Rosenboim, Or. 2019. “State, Power and Global Order.” International Relations 33 (2): 229–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117819840803.
Rosenboim, Or, and Liane Hartnett. 2021. “International Political Thought.” In Historical International Relations. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351168960-10.
Rupert, Mark. 2012. Ideologies of Globalization: Contending Visions of a New World Order. New York: Routledge.
In this episode, we speak with Amanda Janoo, Economics and Policy Lead at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll)—a global network of changemakers working to transform our economic systems. Janoo introduces WEAll’s core mission: to prioritize the wellbeing of people and the planet over traditional, GDP-centered models of growth. She outlines how rethinking economic frameworks and embracing participatory, goal-driven policy design can pave the way for more just, sustainable, and resilient economies. The conversation explores the meaning and importance of a “wellbeing economy,” the shortcomings of conventional growth metrics, and the potential of collaborative policymaking to shape a more equitable future.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00] The Wellbeing Alliance and Heterodox Economics
[22:10] Changing the Public Narrative
[31:20] The Commons and Data
[41:20] How can wellbeing be advanced?
Further readings:
Coscieme, Luca, et al. 2019. “Overcoming the Myths of Mainstream Economics to Enable a New Wellbeing Economy.” Sustainability 11 (16): Article 4374. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164374.
Costanza, Robert, et al. 2014. “Time to Leave GDP Behind.” Nature 505 (7483): 283–285. https://doi.org/10.1038/505283a
Fioramonti, Lorenzo, et al. 2022. “Wellbeing Economy: An Effective Paradigm to Mainstream Post-Growth Policies?” Ecological Economics 192: 107261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107261.
Hough-Stewart, Lisa, and Amanda Janoo. 2024. “Policy Design for a Wellbeing Economy—Lessons from Four City Pilots.” Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy 2 (2): 204–220. https://doi.org/10.3138/jccpe-2023-000
Mason, Naomi, and Milena Büchs. 2023. “Barriers to Adopting Wellbeing-Economy Narratives: Comparing the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and Wellbeing Economy Governments.” Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy19 (1). doi:10.1080/15487733.2023.2222624.
Raworth, Kate. 2017a. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Raworth, Kate. 2017b. “A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: Humanity’s Compass in the 21st Century.” The Lancet Planetary Health 1 (2): e48–e49. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30028-1.
Rockström, Johan, et al. 2009. “A Safe Operating Space for Humanity.” Nature 461: 472–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a.
Wellbeing Economy Alliance. n.d. Website. https://www.weall.org.
Wellbeing Economy Alliance. n.d. “WEAll and the G7.” https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/p/blog-aj-weall-g7/.
Dagan Cohen, founder and creative director of CHANGENCY, as well as leader of the Amsterdam Donut Coalition, discusses his work of integrating art and design into societal changes with Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan. They also cover the efforts of the open network of the Amsterdam Donut Coalition, how to implement The Doughnut Economics Model by Kate Raworth into the Amsterdam municipality, all while emphasizing the importance of imagination and community in addressing ecological, economic and social challenges.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00-21.00] Creativity for Change: The Role of Art and Design in Creating New Narratives
[21.00-33.00] The Development of Putting Ideas into Practice
[33.00-1.02.00] Applying Doughnut Economics in Amsterdam
[1.02.00-1.13.30] Measuring the Impact and Value in Community Initiatives
Further readings:
Amsterdam Donut Coalitie. n.d. “About”. Website. https://amsterdamdonutcoalitie.nl/
Besley, Timothy, and Torsten Persson. Pillars of Prosperity: The Political Economics of Development Clusters. STU-Student edition, Princeton University Press, 2011, pp. xiv–xiv, https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400840526.
Changency Amsterdam. n.d. Website. https://changency.amsterdam/en/
Changency Amsterdam. n.d. “The Europe Challenge Project.” Website. https://changency.amsterdam/en/project/libraries-as-thriving-democratic-spaces-the-europe-challenge/
Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), 2025. “Global Donut Days 2025”. Website. https://doughnuteconomics.org/gdd2025
Afval Naar Oogst 2025. “From Waste to Harvest Initiative, Netherlands (Afval Naar Oogst).” Website. https://afvalnaaroogst.nl/
Hickel, Jason. 2020. “Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World.” William Heinemann Ltd.
Raworth, Kate. 2017a. “Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist.” Chelsea Green Publishing.
Raworth, Kate. 2017b. “A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: Humanity’s Compass in the 21st Century.” The Lancet Planetary Health 1 (2): e48–e49. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30028-1.
Richardson, Katherine, Rockström, Johan et al. 2023. “Earth beyond Six of Nine Planetary Boundaries.” Science Advances, vol. 9, no. 37, 2458. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458.
The Europe Challenge. n.d. Website. https://theeuropechallenge.eu/
In episode 9 of Mapping the Planetary, we welcome Stefano Bartolini, Associate Professor at the University of Siena, whose research explores Political Economy, Social Economy, and the Economics of Happiness. Together, they ask a fundamental question: Can economic prosperity coexist with genuine human well-being and planetary sustainability? The conversation examines how modern economies might evolve beyond growth-centered models to embrace a more holistic understanding of prosperity, one that values social connection, leisure, environmental balance, and happiness as much as material wealth.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00-5:00] Defining Economic Happiness
[5:00-12:17] Rethinking GDP — Degrowth, Value, and What We Measure
[12:17-23:50] Our Relationship Between Well-being, Consumerism and Ecological Limits
[23:50-33.23] Happiness as a Transformative Tool for Sustainability
Further readings:
Bartolini, Stefano. 2013. Manifesto per la Felicitá. Come passare dalla societá del ben-avere aquella del ben-essere.[Manifesto for Happiness. Shifting Society from Money to Well-Being.] Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.
Crouch, Colin. 2014. Post-Democracy. Polity. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip049/2003021910.html
Montessori, Maria. 1949. The Absorbent Mind. The Theosophical Publishing House.
World Health Organisation (WHO). 30 June 2025. From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies. Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection. https://www.who.int/groups/commission-on-social-connection/report
World Health Organisation (WHO). n.d. One Health Overview. https://www.who.int/health-topics/one-health#tab=tab_1
In episode 10, Daniela Russ, Junior Professor at the University of Leipzig, joins us to explore the fascinating intersections of energy, science, and planetary thoughts in the early Soviet Union (1917–1945). Drawing on the pioneering work of scientists Vladimir Vernadsky and Boris Veinberg, the conversation reveals how Soviet thinkers imagined planetary transformation, in both scientific and political contexts and how these early renditions of planetary thinking, still resonate in today’s debates on the environmentalism, globalism and the Anthropocene.
This episode is hosted by Hagen Schulz-Forberg and James Quilligan.
[00:00-08:15] Introduction to Electrification Research in the Early Soviet Union
[8:15-22:00] What is the Biosphere and the Noosphere?
[22:00-35:00] Science Meets Politics — Planetary Boundaries in a Revolutionary Landscape
[35:00-57:40] Lessons for the Present — What Early Soviet Science Can Teach Us Today
Further readings:
Russ, Daniela. 2022. Socialism is not just Built for a Hundred Years: Renewable Energy and Planetary Thought in the Early Soviet Union (1917-1945). Contemporary European history. 31 (4). S. 491–508. DOI: 10.1017/S0960777322000431.
Bonneuil, Christophe, and Jean-Baptiste Fressoz. 2016. The Shock of the Anthropocene: The Earth, History, and Us. Verso Books. https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=The+Shock+of+the+Anthropocene%3A+The+Earth%2C+History+and+Us&author=Bonneuil+Christophe&author=Fressoz+Jean-Baptiste&publication+year=2016
Chakrabarty, Dipesh. 2019. The Planet: An Emergent Humanist Category. Critical Inquiry Vol. 46, No. 1.
Kondratyuk, Yuri. 1929. The Conquest of Interplanetary Spaces. [Zavovevanie]. Siberian Union.
Mignolo, Walter D. 2011. The Darker Side of Western Modernity: Global Futures, Decolonial Options. Duke University Press.
Owens, Brandon. 2019. The Wind Power Story: A Century of Innovation that Reshaped the Global Energy Landscape. [Mnogovekovye tradicii Ukrainy v izpolzovanii energii vetra’, Alternativnaia Energetika Hoboken].
Platonov, Andrei P. 2019. Dshan or the first socialist Tragedy. [Dshan oder die erste sozialistische Tragödie] Prosa – Essays – Briefe. Berlin: Quintus, 301–2.
Veinberg, Boris. 1922. [K dvukhdesiatitysacheletiiu nachala rabot po unichtozheniiu okeanov: ocherk istorii chelovechestva ot pervobytnogo sostoianiia do 22 300 g.]Sibirskaia Priroda, 2, 24, 35.
Boris P. Veinberg. 1910. [Iz vospominanii Dmitrii Ivanovich Mendeleev kak lector]. Tomsk: Tipografiia Gubernskaia Upravleniia, 11–12.
Vernadsky, Vladimir I. 1945. ‘The Biosphere and the Noosphere’, American Scientist 33, 1, 9
