The Way We Live Damages the Place We Live: Capitalism and Climate Change

by GSC Blog Administrator | Jan 16, 2025 | Climate change and sustainable development | 0 comments

Article by Zitong Zhang

The urgency of addressing climate change has grown due to environmental issues such as rising sea levels, flooding, and drought. An essential factor worsening the situation is our economic system—capitalism. This system, which prioritises profit and growth, shapes people’s lifestyles through excess consumption and widespread transportation, both of which significantly contribute to environmental degradation and social inequality.

The feature of capitalism, theorised by sociologist Beck (1992), presents a set of challenges in what he describes as a “risk society.” In a risk society, modern technology and industrial practices have progressed so rapidly that they have generated complex risks —such as pollution, health hazards, and accidents—that our institutions struggle to control. Industrial modernity may have initially allowed for some regulation of these risks, but as our environmental issues deepen, capitalism’s priority on profits leaves these risks unregulated. Beck argues that as societal structures fail to manage the consequences of ecological exploitation and technological advancement, we become trapped in a cycle of risk and uncertainty, with climate change being a prime example of a risk that is increasingly out of our control.

Additionally, economic growth is paramount under capitalism, often at the expense of environmental sustainability. This system promotes high consumption as a tool to boost economies, encouraging individuals to pursue luxury goods as symbols of success. From tourism to fashion, capitalism shapes our values. This pursuit of material wealth reflects a vicious cycle: more consumption leads to more waste and higher carbon emissions, worsening climate change. Moreover, capitalism generates what some economists refer to as “emergent contradictions” (Urry, 2009), which means situations where short-term economic gains lead to long-term environmental costs. For instance, Urry (2009) notes that fossil fuel industries remain economically profitable but contribute significantly to carbon emissions, creating a paradox where economic success simultaneously drives ecological decline. Monbiot (2021) supports this view: “The apparent health of our economies today depends on seizing natural wealth from future generations.”

Capitalism’s emphasis on global mobility further amplifies the issue. Modern society is designed around high mobility, with travel embedded in our work, social interactions, and leisure activities. Urry (2009) describes how this “mobilised” lifestyle means that every aspect of our lives, from vacations to suburban living, requires significant transportation. This globalised travel culture and the rise of car-dependent suburban areas create what scholars call “high carbon path-dependent systems.” In other words, the more entrenched these systems become, the harder it is to reduce our carbon footprint, as we have become accustomed to long commutes, international travel, and extensive supply chains for consumer goods.

This “locked-in” system makes change difficult, as shifting to lower-carbon lifestyles involves economic adjustments and substantial lifestyle transformations. Achieving this shift would require incentives for low-carbon companies, from improving public transportation to supporting remote work (Urry, 2009). However, economic structure shapes public behaviour to maintain high mobility lifestyle, making transition to more sustainable living models challengeable.

Furthermore, capitalism often intensifies these disparities, prioritising profit over equitable resource distribution. As a result, wealthy corporations and nations continue to exploit natural resources and pollute, while poorer communities, often reliant on these resources, suffer the consequences. Climate change, thus, is not only an environmental issue but a social one, as it magnifies pre-existing inequalities across regions and social groups. The way people live under capitalism encourages consumption and dependency on high carbon pathways, which contribute directly to climate change. Moreover, capitalism intensifies social inequalities, placing poorer regions and marginalised communities at greater risk from climate-related impacts (Sakellari, 2021).

In conclusion, addressing climate change requires more than technological solutions or individual lifestyle changes—it calls for reevaluating the entire social system. Without addressing the profit driven motives that underpin our current economic system, any attempts to mitigate climate change risk are superficial and inadequate. Climate change is a global issue that transcends borders, yet its effects are experienced unevenly, often deepening social and economic divides. Tackling this problem will require a collective shift towards sustainability and social responsibility, where economic growth is no longer achieved at the planet’s expense or the well-being of its most vulnerable people.

References:

Beck, U. (1992). Risky Society: Towards a New Modernity. Sage publications. https://librar y .villanova.edu /Find /Record /390422

Monbiot, G. (2021). Capitalism is killing the planet- it’s time to stop buying into our destruction. https://www.the g uardian.com /environment /2021 /oct /30 /capitalism-iskillin g -the-planet-its-time-to-stop-bu y in g -into-our-own-destruction