Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown - Paperback

by Laurie Parsons (Author)

A hard-hitting exposé that reveals how rich countries outsource the climate crisis to poor ones.

Around the world, leading economies are announcing significant success in the struggle against climate change. Heads of government proclaim their commitment to tackling the crisis, pointing to data that shows the progress they have made. Yet the atmosphere is still warming at a record rate. Are we being deceived?

In Carbon colonialism, Laurie Parsons exposes how rich countries cook the books on climate change - by outsourcing it to the global South. Conducting first-hand research across Asia, he reveals how exporting emissions and waste allows states and corporations to maintain a clean, green image. Meanwhile, landfills expand and droughts and floods intensify, with devastating effects on the world's most vulnerable communities.

Technical fixes and creative accounting are a mirage. The real obstacles to effective action are deeply embedded in the political systems and structures of our society. Parsons calls on readers to wake up from the fairy tales of greenwashing and ethical consumerism and end carbon colonialism now.

Back Jacket

Around the world, leading economies are announcing significant success in the struggle against climate change. Heads of government proclaim their commitment to tackling the crisis, pointing to data that shows the progress they have made. Yet the atmosphere is still warming at a record rate. Are we being deceived?

In Carbon colonialism, Laurie Parsons exposes how rich countries cook the books on climate change - by outsourcing it to the global South. Conducting first-hand research in southern Asia, he reveals how exporting emissions and waste allows states and corporations to maintain a clean, green image. Meanwhile, landfills expand and droughts and floods intensify, with devastating effects on the world's most vulnerable communities.

Technical fixes and creative accounting are a mirage. The real obstacles to effective action are deeply embedded in the political systems and structures of our society. Parsons calls on readers to wake up from the fairytales of greenwashing and ethical consumerism and end carbon colonialism now.

Author Biography

Laurie Parsons is Reader in Human Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London and Principal Investigator of the projects The Disaster Trade: The Hidden Footprint of UK Imports and Investment Overseas and Hot Trends: How the Global Garment Industry Shapes Climate Vulnerability in Cambodia. His other books include Going Nowhere Fast: Inequality in the Age of Translocality (2020) and Climate Change in the Global Workplace (2021).