A Sustainable World – An Economic Opportunity
Climate change, species extinction, resource depletion, environmental pollution – all of these are increasingly merging into a major systemic crisis. We need to address it much more holistically – and also recognize the enormous economic opportunities.
Fax, traveler’s check, toy store. Many words die out because they no longer correspond to reality. I fear that “international community” and “world order” could soon join them – given the pace at which the international system is fragmenting into self-centered power blocs. Yet many countries still apparently see value in coming together. As they have been doing now at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, the highest decision-making body of the United Nations on all environmental matters.
Because as fragmented and chaotic as geopolitics appears, the problems requiring joint solutions are deeply interconnected. Two comprehensive new studies published ahead of the conference in Kenya underscore this. They shook me – both negatively and positively.
First, the alarm signal. What the OECD states in its Environmental Outlook to 2050 should give us all pause – because it concerns us all, sooner or later: Climate change, species extinction, resource depletion, and environmental pollution are increasingly converging into a systemic “triple crisis” of planetary scale.
360-Degree View Instead of Silo Thinking
This connection must be vied and addressed much more holistically; humanity simply cannot afford silo thinking anymore. If we continue as we do today, experts warn that by mid-century we will see severe deterioration in all dimensions.
But now to the more encouraging side. If governments and businesses decisively invest in protecting climate and nature, millions of people could be lifted out of poverty and spared disease and premature death. Moreover, immense economic benefits beckon: By 2070, global economic output could be at least $20 trillion higher per year than under business as usual, according to the Global Environment Outlook recently presented by UNEP.
Non-Action Is Not an Option
Of course, investments are high – averaging around $8 trillion annually until 2050 for net-zero emissions as well as biodiversity protection and restoration. However, the costs of inaction would be significantly higher. Just consider what increasingly extreme weather events mean financially. That should resonate even with those skeptical of “green” topics.
I can only echo UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen’s message: “Either humanity continues toward a future ravaged by climate change, vanishing nature, degraded soils, and polluted air. Or it changes course and secures a healthy planet, healthy people, and healthy economies. That’s not really a choice.”
A sustainable world as a task, an opportunity, and an economic imperative – this perfectly matches my mindset. Despite all justified concerns, we must not see the future only in dark tones. And certainly not dismiss sustainability efforts as naïve or burdensome. Quite the opposite: If – simply put – more and more join in, the world can become livable again: cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable, smarter and more participatory. And also wealthier.
Harnessing High-Tech Materials
Ideas and plans abound. Knowledge, tools, and technologies exist, as the studies emphasize. This motivates me even more to advance the development of future-oriented materials such as high-tech plastics. They are essential to progress in virtually all areas of action.
Take the energy sector, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases fueling climate change: Plastics help transition to clean sources like wind and solar power. Or agriculture, the biggest driver of ecosystem loss. Plastics can enable more efficient, eco-friendly farming methods, for example through biodegradable seed coatings.
Circular Economy as a Comprehensive Concept
But, as mentioned, it’s not (only) about isolated solutions. It’s about conceptually linking climate, nature, and environmental protection more effectively. And there is a key strategy for this: the circular economy. A societal program that can unite conscious consumption, environmentally compatible production methods, and sustainable growth.
Applied consistently, it tackles the intertwined causes of the “triple crisis”: Climate- and health-damaging emissions will decline, we will need fewer resources, ecosystems and species will be preserved, and our waste volume will shrink.
This naturally includes ensuring that less plastic waste ends up in our environment. I very much hope we finally achieve a sensible global agreement on this – and that all actors prove the term “international community” does not become meaningless.