This keynote explores the limitations of 17th-century concepts like absolute sovereignty in addressing 21st-century planetary challenges. The talk distinguishes between "global" phenomena (human-intended flows like money) and "planetary" phenomena (ecosystem perturbations like carbon emissions) that exceed national borders. The methodology involves a critical analysis of geopolitical trends and environmental philosophy, positing that the interconnectedness of global ecological systems mirrors the vulnerable nature of island ecosystems. Current governance institutions, based on nation-state interests, are deemed unfit for climate change and zoonotic diseases. Instead of a single world government, the speakers propose "networked translocal governance" and "planetary subsidiarity," delegating decision-making to the smallest capable units while "delegating up" high-level policy goals. Findings emphasize that effective governance must shift toward more holistic, planetary-scale approaches. Highlighting small islands as laboratories for modeling these systems, the talk frames island sustainability within a broader global context of multi-species flourishing and the rights of nature. Summary derived from the conference transcript; not an author-supplied abstract of record.