Europe's Upcoming Era: The Impact of Equality on Shaping Europe's Next Phase
In modern societies, children and young people's life chances are deeply divided by economic status and social class, a fact that has far-reaching consequences for our world. Inequality fosters a culture of competition, leading to social distancing and insecurity, which heightens violence and psychological vulnerabilities. This divide tears apart the social fabric, eroding trust, diminishing social mobility, and fuelling perceptions of unfairness.
Addressing inequality must be at the heart of political agendas to prevent the far right from gaining more ground and society from spiralling into division and discord. More equal societies, which nurture sharing and reciprocity, produce much higher levels of all kinds of wellbeing than those based on excessive individualism, competitiveness, and social aggression.
Neglecting the social and economic roots of discontent can lead to authoritarian movements and violent extremism. Fifteen years ago, Richard Wilkinson and an unnamed individual drew attention to the profound damage caused to population health, people's life chances, and social cohesion by socioeconomic inequality.
The link between social inequality and planetary health has also come to light. Inequality shapes both environmental outcomes and the distribution of environmental burdens. Social inequality contributes to environmental degradation by reducing political and social cohesion needed to support effective environmental policies, concentrating pollution and resource overuse among wealthier groups, and exacerbating vulnerabilities among poorer and marginalized populations who suffer most from environmental harm.
More unequal societies tend to have worse environmental performance, including higher air pollution, lower recycling rates, greater carbon emissions by the wealthy, and weaker international cooperation on sustainability goals. Higher income and wealth inequality correlate with less collective willingness to support environmental initiatives, weakening efforts to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
Environmental degradation and climate change disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, such as low-income and marginalized groups, exacerbating existing social disparities and contributing to a "just transition" challenge where environmental policies must fairly share the burdens of change. Poorer communities often face higher exposures to pollution, reduced access to green infrastructure, and limited capacity to adapt to environmental stresses, which amplifies social inequities while worsening health outcomes.
Rising economic inequalities reduce social trust and political support for sustainability measures, hindering collective action. Societies with greater equality tend to be more cooperative and better at implementing environmental solutions. Conversely, when economic gains and resource use are unequally distributed, the wealthy may resist environmental policies that limit their consumption, while disadvantaged groups lack resources to adapt or advocate effectively.
In summary, social inequality and planetary health are deeply intertwined. Inequality drives environmental degradation both through excess consumption and emissions by the wealthy and through erosion of the social consensus needed for sustainability. It also amplifies the unequal distribution of environmental harms, making climate change and ecological decline issues of both environmental and social justice.
Addressing inequality is essential for achieving a just transition to sustainability, where both people and planet can thrive. If we want young people to thrive, we must tackle the inequalities that hold them back. Kate Pickett, a professor of epidemiology and co-author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level, emphasizes the importance of addressing inequality to ensure a sustainable future. Europe's social democrats must lead the fight against inequality by implementing progressive taxation, expanding social protections, and promoting healthy livelihoods.
- The far right's rise in political agendas can be prevented by addressing economic inequality, as more equal societies promote sharing and reciprocity that lead to higher levels of wellbeing.
- Socioeconomic inequality is not only detrimental to population health and social cohesion, but also contributes to environmental degradation by reducing political and social cohesion needed for effective environmental policies.
- The link between economic inequality and climate change is apparent, as higher income and wealth inequality correlate with less collective willingness to support environmental initiatives, weakening efforts to address climate change and biodiversity loss.
- Advocating for education and self-development, health-and-wellness, and environmental-science can help bridge social gaps arising from economic inequality, ultimately fostering a society that values cooperation over competition.
- General news concerning the impact of social inequality on planetary health and the unequal distribution of environmental harm must be addressed in order to ensure a just transition to sustainability, where both people and the planet can thrive.
