Times are not just difficult but also alarming for every sphere of our existence. At first glance, it might appear that the raging pandemic has temporarily paused climate action and initiatives related to other environmental issues. Sustainability, it appears, may have taken a back-seat too. However, with a decade left for the end of ‘Agenda 2030’, achieving sustainable development has become even more important.

A significant feature of the raging pandemic is that it has disrupted the hyper-interconnected world characterized by globalization. Supply chains are badly affected and global markets are under severe stress. Evidently, the virus has laid bare the vulnerabilities and risks of a globalized world order. In fact, it has put under scanner not just globalization but also the Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, this could be a turning point for the international community to unlearn and revamp its basic conduct on global governance and make it more inclusive in nature. Besides, the pandemic has also thrown open an opportunity to give impetus to a glocalized framework of global governance to protect the ‘global commons’ in the light of the broader debate on sustainability.

The 1990s, characterized by the advent of globalization, transformed every bit of our lives. It not only resulted in an intricately interconnected world but also facilitated economic growth for several countries, including India. It offered new avenues for developing economies to experiment and innovate in such areas as technology, employability, investments and so on. Although globalization appeared glossy in the beginning, it started developing fissures in 2008 in the form of a massive economic recession. Over a decade later, it has been gobsmacked, once again, this time by the Covid-19 pandemic. These recurrent episodes offer stark evidence that globalization has failed to build resilient systems; this is a trait shared by both developed and developing economies.

New formula

This is where glocalization can fill the gap. Simply put, glocalization refers to the interpretation, representation and replication of the global elements at the local level.

The term, glocalization, is used quite frequently in business parlance but it has begun to gain momentum in cultural, social and political arenas too. Utilizing it appropriately in the environmental domain is the need of the hour.

Covid-19 has brought about the necessity of refining and revising globalization. This can be done by integrating glocal elements to achieve global good, be it sustainable development or climate action, by roping in local actors, such as subnational agencies, grassroots bodies, non-governmental organizations and other relevant non-State actors in the discussion on sustainability. Localizing economies would provide leverage to the development targets of those like India. This can help attain the much-needed balance between ecological equity and economic growth. Additionally, it is hard to overlook the expertise and knowledge offered by local populations that are located at ground zero and are in tune with ground realities. This kind of resource efficiency could prove to be useful in operationalizing the potential glocal elements of global governance. Factors like accountability, transparency and trust-building among the State and non-State actors are also vital in this context.

Considering the changes in modern living, starting from working remotely to radically cutting down on carbon footprints, glocalization could turn out to be a viable alternative to globalization, thereby creating innovative pathways for sustainable development in the near future.