Politics, Ideology, and Society
Why Sustainability Is a Highly Political Issue
Because it can’t be solved by rational reasoning alone
SDGs and timeline
Few would argue that the issue of Sustainability concerns everyone — after all, we all live on the same planet. However, views on this issue are often diametrically opposed. While some sincerely believe in the paramount importance of Sustainability, others consider this problem either fabricated or used to cover up political abuses. There is no consensus here, and that is a massive problem in itself. Because without agreement among people, society cannot be either free or prosperous.
At the same time, achieving consensus can be a very lengthy process, and there are time limits for meeting Sustainability requirements. As you may know, these requirements are formulated as 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. Their achievement deadline is set for the year 2030.
Impact on business
Although these goals are not legally binding, they directly or indirectly impact practically all aspects of modern society. Their influence on business is particularly noteworthy.
The problem is that the paradigm of Sustainable Development is not very compatible with the goal-setting of the free-market economic system. While the driver of this system is the pursuit of never-ending growth, Sustainability prioritizes human well-being. Several public institutions have developed the so-called ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) framework based on this requirement.
It is designed to measure companies’ compliance with Sustainability requirements. ESG assessments rely on KPIs that form the ESG score for business companies. These are the essential indicators determining a company’s reputation and the resulting consequences, including demand for its products and investment prospects.
This factor is too serious about being ignored. As a result, the world’s largest brands are rushing to pledge their commitment to Sustainability to the public, devoting entire sections on their websites to this issue (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Accenture, Exxonmobil, etc.).
Beyond Consensus
However, the business’s desire to demonstrate its commitment to Sustainability values does not mean consensus among citizens. Attitudes towards the issue of climate change are perhaps the most striking example of public disagreements. The logic of those who consider its solution an urgent matter raises no doubt, but those who disagree with them challenge its premises themselves.
That is the crux of the problem. Because the essence of this issue is not limited to the framework of rational argumentation. If it were, the parties would at least have come to a consensus on what to consider as a criterion for establishing the truth. Instead, they tend to refer to moral values; the slogans they use speak for themselves — Climate Justice, Keep it Green, Save the planet — on the one hand, and Climate Alarmism, Climate Hoax, Jobs vs. Environment — on the other.
Why the Sustainability Issue is Political
In a free society, every party has the right to its judgment and to be heard. That is how democracy works, and no fairer system has been invented yet. However, in this situation, even the democratic principle is under pressure. Solving environmental problems is vital, and most Sustainability skeptics probably agree with this.
However, achieving this goal cannot be the ultimate objective. Rather, it is a condition. Human prosperity includes environmental well-being but is not limited to it. Universal prosperity is only possible with general agreement, and people can achieve this that is behind all the noise surrounding Sustainability issues.
It is precisely the inability to solve this problem through technical means alone that makes it political. Political solutions are never perfect, but they are the only acceptable solutions for a free society because they are arrived at through democratic procedures. However, the problem with these solutions is not just that people are prone to making mistakes or acting on prejudices. Politics often becomes not only a means of solving problems but also a tool of division and confrontation.
Political activity is impossible without public support, by definition. As A. Lincoln put it,
“Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.”
Unfortunately, the line between persuasion and manipulation is blurred. When achieving a political goal for another politician becomes more important than the common good, politics turns into populism. From there, it is just a step away from confrontation and even violence. One of the vivid examples of the danger of irresponsible politics is the events of January 6, 2021, when the inciting speech of the defeated presidential candidate, D. Trump, led to a tragedy with human casualties and a blow to the American democracy institution.
Bidirectional influence
The reality of the contemporary world is such that truth is often indistinguishable from rumors, fiction, or even blatant lies. As a result, many people are more likely to believe a charismatic leader’s word than to spend effort and time collecting and analyzing facts.
Unsurprisingly, such leaders are tempted to use controversial methods to achieve their political goals. Thus, ignorance, prejudice, and mass resentment often turn from regrettable human flaws into a demanded resource. Furthermore, since Sustainability touches on sensitive issues that concern people, it is unsurprising that it is a highly politicized subject.
This topic is one of those that can either unite society or divide it into “us” and “them.” The result of this movement can be both a tremendous benefit and progress for all humanity and moral decline and disappointment. To a large extent, this depends on the intentions of those who have an influence on human minds. Nevertheless, this does not mean a one-way impact. In a free democratic society, this influence is always mutual.
Each of us has the opportunity to think, compare, and learn. And not only from our mistakes but also from the examples of many previous generations. It is not only an opportunity but also a duty for everyone who thinks about the future of the Earth as the future of everything that is precious to humans in a meaningful life.
