Do we Need a Post-Liberal Environmentalism? Retrieving Local Politics and the Language of the Common Good

Environmental politics has long been dominated by global, top-down frameworks that frequently overlook the concrete realities of the local communities they target. As a result, a sharp disconnect often emerges between international policy interventions and the lived experience and immediate needs of these populations.
While liberal politics has succeeded in designing robust, resistant frameworks of rights to protect individuals from state and majority tyranny, it has struggled to cultivate a healthy sense of community. Liberal individualism has gradually eroded the local mores—the shared moral intuitions and civic habits—through which communities understand themselves and sustain collective life. In environmental affairs, liberalism has proven largely incapable of weaving concern for "our common home" into these local mores.
This panel asks whether environmentalism must be reimagined beyond the confines of liberal individualism. Specifically, it explores whether local political engagement, rooted in the language of the common good and personal dignity, offers a more resilient foundation for ecological stewardship.