Think Inclusivity For A Green Future

If consuming better is the baseline of what living sustainably means, does that make it a practice only for the privileged? Singapore environmentalists Woo Qiyun and Bertrand Seah call for a rethink so that everyone is able to advance the movement.

- Woo Qiyun

As people who care about the state of our climate, our immediate first steps to reduce our environmental impact is by incorporating eco-friendly actions in our daily lives. This can include purchasing sustainably made items, carrying reusable bottles, and switching to a more plant-based diet. However, some of these actions can make sustainability appear expensive – ethically produced or zero-waste accessories often cost more. Even Bill Gates has referred to this as a “green premium”, which is the difference in cost between doing an activity that is environmentally damaging versus one that is not.

But is this green premium really true? If we accept that being green comes with a premium, then we have to ask ourselves who can pay that premium – it becomes reserved for those with some degree of privilege. We need to recognise that this fixation with buying better sometimes glosses over deep inequities that the environmental movement needs to address.