Beyond Carbon Tunnel Vision: How Climate Change Hegemony Distorts Environmental Awareness and Hinders Comprehensive Action

The planetary ecological deterioration continues unabated despite half a century of global environmental concern and three decades promoting sustainable development. In addition, this period has not served to consolidate an awareness congruent with the nature of the eco-social crisis for most of the population. The paradigm of economic growth is still hegemonic, while the emergence of climate change as the latest environmental emblem has resulted in a modification of the mental frame through which individuals comprehend socio-natural interactions and, consequently, the imperatives for global sustainability. Today, a common misconception is the belief that climate change is the main factor of the contemporary ecological deterioration, and that an eventual decarbonisation of the economy will be sufficient to resolve the eco-social crisis. In contrast to other environmental concerns that have dominated public and political attention, such as the issue of resource scarcity, the rise and consolidation of climate change as an ‘environmental emblem’ is a consequence of its compatibility with the paradigm of economic growth. I argue that the prominence of climate change in environmental discourse, while undoubtedly raising awareness of one of the core planetary boundaries, has, in reality, actively hindered a holistic comprehension of the eco-social crisis. Its alignment and promotion within the growth paradigm is fostering a ‘decarbonisation-only’ mindset that obscures and misrepresents other vital planetary boundaries, such as the biosphere integrity. This perspective paper examines the ascendancy of climate change, considering its cognitive and political implications, before proposing targeted measures to make meaningful progress in both awareness and mitigation policies.