The current polycrisis highlights that environmental crises and social inequalities are intensifying and exacerbating each other simultaneously. As global warming increases the likelihood of extreme weather events, causes ecosystems to collapse, and makes resources scarcer, more and more people find themselves in precarious situations. The consequences of these ecological crises affect the financially weakest the most: rising food prices, heat waves with no means of protection, and floods in poorly secured residential areas.

At the same time, social inequality hinders ecological change. People with low incomes cannot afford energy-efficient appliances or sustainable alternatives. Meanwhile, the wealthy find it easier to advance their interests politically. This creates a vicious cycle in which environmental crises exacerbate inequality and inequality blocks the urgent environmental measures needed to address them.

Municipal authorities are particularly affected by this tension. Read the full article here.