Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book briefly reviews the available empirical evidence on inequality and ecological crises and details the transmission channels of the inequality crisis to environmental degradation. It analyzes disparities in global material extraction, which they consider both the consequences of as well as the prerequisite for globally unsustainable patterns of economic growth. The book shows how political economy is able to renew our understanding of past paradigms, ideas, and theories related to natural resources and the environment. It presents the critical environmental justice framework, which he co-developed, addressing some shortcomings in existing environmental justice studies, including the importance of understanding multiple dimensions of inequality. The book analyzes inequalities in exposure and vulnerability to climate change and then study inequality in the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions between countries and individuals.