Capitalism and the Environment: Where I Stand
By: Jamie Baranda
Tags: Conscious Capitalism, Environment, Conscious Consumerism, Climate Change, Capitalism

Photo by ANGELA BENITO on Unsplash

Capitalism is a system many nations heavily rely on but the effects this system has on our environment is often disregarded. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have been burning fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases for the sake of the production of goods. I researched two sides of an argument in order to help me form a point of view on my question, “Is capitalism one of the main reasons for climate change and should we as consumers make small changes in order to help the environment?”. The argument I focused on was whether it’s up to consumers or big companies to make sustainable choices in order to help the environment. Although both sides make good arguments, I’ve come to the conclusion that it should be up to big companies to make sustainable changes.

In my second blog post I analyzed two apps that help consumers shop more consciously. One of them is called “Good on You”, the app allows users to search their favorite brands and find out how sustainable and ethical they are. If it turns out the brand isn’t very sustainable, the app then directs users to other brands with similar products they might enjoy buying from. But something that’s often glossed over is that shopping sustainably and ethically is expensive. Shopping consciously involves a lot of investing and quite frankly, not many have the option to do so.

After analyzing an article about capitalism and climate change published by fastcompany.com, I found that constantly blaming individuals for climate change directs the attention away from the ones who are most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, companies and businesses. Yes the power of consumers is very strong and they have the ability to change the market but not everyone has access to the education we do when it comes to human causes of climate change. And unfortunately, not everyone believes climate change is real either. As I’ve mentioned before, not everyone has the option to shop sustainably but large corporations who are doing well in the competitive market have the money to purchase emission rights which can be used in climate vulnerable communities. The people who work at the top of those companies have access to learning about how they’re negatively affecting the environment when a lot of individuals don’t. It’s unfair to put the blame on individuals of a global issue when not everyone in the world doesn’t even know what’s going on. Even if people do have access to the internet where they can look up a company’s stance on climate change, a lot of the time companies lie in order to get more customers.

In an article focused on corporate honesty published by the NDRC, I discovered that companies can find ways to make it seem like they’re reducing their emissions when in reality they’re not even doing the bare minimum. The article uses Procter and Gamble as an example. If someone were to look up their climate commitment, they’d find that P&G plans to reduce annual emissions 50% by 2030, which sounds amazing. But what lots of people don’t know is that the commitment only applies to what’s known as “Scope 1” and “Scope 2” emissions. These emissions are what’s produced by a corporation’s own facilities. P&G’s climate commitment fails to cover “Scope 3” emissions, “the emissions from the production of its raw materials and the use and disposal of its products.” Scope 3 emissions are what makes up a majority of a company’s greenhouse gas emissions, and like P&G, many companies can make it seem like they want to help fight against climate change when they’re really not by failing to include Scope 3 emissions in their climate commitment.

In the time I’ve spent working on these blog posts, it’s safe to say I’ve learned something new in the process of writing each one. Although I’ve developed a stance on the argument, I still believe individuals making changes in their life to help fight against climate change is something everyone should do, every small action counts. But we’re running out of time and change should start at the source and be made by the people who have the power to make the most impact for the sake of the environment and everyone’s well-being. The people with power such as corporations should be held accountable both by the people and our governments. Once that happens I think the most effective changes will be able to be made.