Radical action on the climate crisis can be a catalyst for social renewal
Rich world society is fractured. We push drugs to tackle obesity. We take pills to overcome depression. We are desperate for connection in societies that value hustle, making money and personal enrichment above all else. In return we get skyrocketing pollution, species extinction and endless natural disasters.
The climate crisis is a product of an economic system that shatters social cohesion. We live in atomised communities, bypassing each other in our cars. Our natural environments are syphoned off to private interests1. The rich conveniently skip to destinations around the world in planes and helicopters while everyone else is getting miserable trying to join them.
The good news is that radical measures to end pollution will lead to healthier societies, friendlier neighbourhoods and higher levels of trust.
Sociable neighbourhoods
We must reduce energy and land usage to minimise global catastrophe. This means building denser housing and infrastructure that is optimised for walking, cycling and public transport rather than cars. Residents won’t just live in their area, they’ll work, play and socialise in it too. This forges close-knit neighbourhoods and a sense of belonging. In a BBC Worklife piece Parisians describe the pleasure they took in their districts after COVID-19 ended the usual pattern of commuting to work and going out in other parts of the city2.
IPCC assessment reports show that social interaction, and social cohesion within neighbourhoods, are related to health and well-being3. Social cohesion refers to “shared norms and values, the existence of positive and friendly relationships, and feelings of being accepted and belonging”. Changes to how a neighbourhood looks can affect social cohesion. By encouraging the development of “15 minute cities” and low carbon lifestyles, we can improve social cohesion.
Barcelona is creating “green” streets as part of its “superblocks” programme. This prioritises pedestrians over cars and provides more spaces for play and socialising. Most residents say this has improved their health and wellbeing, and increased socialisation4. This has also cut pollution by 25% in some areas.
Since 2007 the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, has introduced car-free zones. Now in the city centre all cars are banned. Pollution has decreased by 70% and 92% of residents say they are happy with their quality of life5. Paris, London and Stockholm have all taken measures to reduce car usage through congestion charging or outright bans. These measures have proved popular and none have been reversed.
Vienna is often rated as the world’s most liveable city6. It’s not done this by being car-friendly or encouraging urban sprawl. The city has invested in high-quality and efficient public transport. Beautiful social housing provides comfortable living for a majority of residents. Since 2000 all new developments must include green spaces.
A study in Perth, Australia showed that high quality public open spaces forged a greater sense of community7. Research from 2004 compared a typical sprawling American suburb with Kentlands in Maryland, a denser neighbourhood optimised for walking8. The authors found a greater sense of community in Kentlands and attributed this to the greater number of natural features and shared spaces.
Biodiverse environments
There is a biodiversity crisis as well as a climate crisis. Incomprehensible numbers of animals, insects and plants are disappearing each year as agriculture and mining swallows habitats. On average wildlife populations have declined by 70% worldwide9. Invasive species are wrecking ecosystems leading to hacks such as Florida paying bounty hunters to remove pythons.
We rely on biodiversity to provide food, clean water and fresh air. It is also important for solidarity. By destroying natural environments we deepen the fracturing of our societies. Place attachment has a range of psychological benefits including connecting us to ancestors or cultures and providing emotional restoration and stress alleviation10. Much research shows that areas with high biodiversity increase place attachment and emotional bonds to the area.
In 1998 researchers found that residents living near greener areas were more socially active, knew more neighbours, felt neighbours were more helpful and supportive and had a greater sense of belonging11. Interviews with users of greenspaces in Sheffield in the UK showed that high tree cover and richness of wildlife led to greater place attachment12. Surveys of adults in Adelaide, Australia found that where people perceive more natural elements, social cohesion and social interaction are higher13. Another study in the Netherlands discovered that abundant, high quality green areas were associated with greater social cohesion14.
In the late 1950s many homes in Boston’s West End were destroyed as part of an urban renewal project. Famous research from 1963 described the trauma of those who were displaced15. If we continue the destruction of nature there will be millions more traumas worldwide.
Virtuous circle
Mitigating climate change will improve solidarity. In turn this will make it easier to further reduce carbon emissions and adapt to a warming world.
Societies that display higher trust have done more to tackle the climate crisis. Sweden has a high degree of trust in institutions and interpersonal trust. It has also seen some of the biggest reductions in greenhouse gases worldwide. A big tax reform in 1991 was implemented after a process of social deliberation and dialogue. This promoted trust and made it easier to increase Sweden’s carbon tax in the years since16.
More generally we know that trust is important for good governance. As societies increase their trust, greenhouse gas emissions decline, people are more willing to give up some of their income to help the environment and they agree to higher taxes for environmental purposes17. A 10% increase in trust boosted countries’ sustainability programmes by up to 70%18. Even when controlling for other variables such as ideology and income, interpersonal trust still explains support for environmental policies19.
Private sufficiency, public luxury
Since the 1990s America has suffered from widespread deaths of despair. Suicides, and drug and alcohol-related fatalities, began to spike particularly around the introduction of the OxyContin painkiller. But deaths of despair were worsening beforehand. As attendance at religious services declined, these deaths increased20. US states that repealed laws banning commerce on Sundays saw this pattern accelerate. The interpersonal connections that organised religion provided reduced individuals’ risk.
Social connections and solidarity are important for the health of societies. Those of us in rich countries may be wealthy in terms of money and goods but our social fabric has frayed as we’ve optimised for private luxury and public sufficiency21. By taking radical action on the climate crisis we can reverse this trend.
Cities that put people first and cars second; communities with accessible amenities; placing nature at the heart of how we live instead of destroying it. These measures will reduce pollution, build thriving neighbourhoods and end the unravelling of our societies.