Sustainability is a business buzzword. Every corporation wears it like a badge, but hardly any actually live it. Why? Because the system works against it.
In capitalist logic, profit comes first — not the common good. Climate protection is nice to have as long as it doesn’t cost anything. The moment margins shrink, the good conscience suddenly stops being a viable business model.
When the Economy Meets the Climate
HeidelbergCement, RWE, BASF — they top the list of Germany’s largest CO₂ emitters. Together with thousands of other companies, they account for roughly 60 percent of total emissions.
Germany aims to be climate-neutral by 2045, the EU by 2050.
But politics has outsourced most of the work — to the very actors that have polluted the most so far. The polluter-pays principle makes sense in theory. In practice, the result is this: climate targets as PR material, not as binding commitments.
The Old Rule: Profits Private, Costs Socialized
For a long time, things were convenient. Profits stayed with companies, environmental costs were borne by society. Economists called this “externalities” — an academic euphemism for shifting responsibility.
Much of this still works the same way today. CO₂ certificates, emissions trading — everything is supposed to be “market-compatible.” Above all, no real intervention.
Greenwashing as a Business Model
Few systems are as adaptable as capitalism. When sustainability is trending, campaigns are launched, sustainability reports written, green logos designed — all to signal moral participation.
But once returns decline, sustainability goals quietly disappear into the archive. Green, yes — but only if it pays. A prime example is the German car industry: weak performance in e-mobility, and suddenly automotive lobbyists demand that the planned phase-out of combustion engines be scrapped.
These reaction patterns reveal the core issue: the problem isn’t a lack of goodwill. It’s flawed system design.
Sustainability Needs Structure, Not Slogans
Climate protection must not be a subchapter in annual reports. It has to be part of a company’s purpose. That means:
• treating ecological indicators on par with financial results,
• making CO₂ emissions a fixed component of every corporate balance sheet.
Companies that take this seriously become more resilient in the long run — because they build trust, not just returns.
Time for a Redesign
This isn’t about blame. It’s about structures. Companies are not enemies of the climate — but they operate under rules that reward short-term thinking.
That’s why BEconomics calls for new frameworks: transparent accounting, democratic oversight, and ownership models that enable sustainability instead of blocking it.
© The Economics Coach 2026 (Cover photo: TEC)
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