In this article, Adam Tooze revisits the concept of “polycrisis,” noting that while the term remains relevant in certain regional and institutional contexts, it appears less applicable as a descriptor of 2025 landscape. He contrasts the intense disruptions of 2020–2022 with the current relative calm in financial markets, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. Tooze suggests that […]
Polycrisis — is this the sequel? Read More »
In Chartbook 407, Adam Tooze revisits the concept of polycrisis, examining how overlapping economic, geopolitical, environmental, and social disruptions interact to amplify systemic fragility. He questions whether the world has moved beyond what he terms the Neoliberal Order Breakdown Syndrome, and whether we are witnessing the end of the neoliberal era or merely its transformation.
Chartbook 407: Polycrisis Revisited: Are we beyond Neoliberal Order Breakdown Syndrome? Read More »
This chapter of the Handbook on Migration and Human Rights examines the urgency of adopting a holistic vision for human–environmental security in shaping the future of the planet. It highlights how “human security” objectives can be aligned with “human rights” concerns in the design and implementation of responsible government policy aimed at safeguarding planet Earth.
Facing the Polycrisis: Human-Environmental Security for Planet Earth Read More »
In this report, the Club of Rome argues that the current peace architecture, largely shaped by a few dominant powers in the post–World War II era, is no longer fit for purpose. A post-hegemonic, pluriversal future is needed—one that embraces diverse worldviews, rebalances global power structures, and cultivates harmony between humanity and nature. The Club
Planetary Peace for Human Security: Responses to Existential Risks in the Anthropocene Read More »
The authors explore risk perceptions in Ukraine and Poland in the context of the ongoing Russian–Ukrainian conflict. Drawing on cross-sectional survey data, the research reveals significant differences in how respondents from both countries perceive a range of global threats. By comparing perceptions of multiple potential risks that individuals may face in the foreseeable future, the
This paper re-examines the principles and precepts of ‘old’ multilateralism in the context of the global polycrisis. It offers an analytical framework for ‘new’ multilateralism in Earth system governance, emphasizing the limitations of Global North–Global South binaries and proposing “patchworks” as flexible, cross-scale pathways for cooperation across policy silos.
Luke Kemp explores the historical patterns and future risks of societal collapse, tracing the evolution of human societies from egalitarian hunter-gatherers to hierarchical empires dominated by extractive elites. He argues that large, centralised systems, “Goliaths”, become increasingly fragile as inequality and concentrations of power grow, ultimately hollowing them out before external shocks bring them down.
Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse Read More »
This report examines five key societal and economic developments that significantly influence the ability of politicians to act in an era of polycrisis. These include: the global polycrisis as a defining condition of our time; increasing fragmentation within society; the structural transformation of the public sphere from mass media to micro-publics; the growing limitations of
Ability of Politicians to Act – Climate Protection in the Era of the Polycrisis Read More »
This book explores contemporary public policy and governance in the Global South, offering comparative analyses and detailed case studies from Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. It examines how governments are navigating 21st-century challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, democratic backsliding, deteriorating public services, and geopolitical shifts linked to the rise
Polycrisis! Implications for Public Policy in the Global South Read More »
The authors presents key insights from a scoping review on societal resilience in the context of polycrisis. It emphasises that strengthening societal resilience in the polycrisis requires a clear understanding of how interdependent and causally entangled crises interact. This understanding can inform the development of targeted policies that address the underlying drivers of vulnerability and
Rethinking Societal Resilience in a Time of Polycrisis Read More »
