Unsustainable Inequalities

“[Chancel] analyses the links between environmental and economic inequality. His conclusion is that we cannot solve one without addressing the other. An original perspective on two of our most significant contemporary challenges.”—Martin Wolf, Financial Times

“Sobering but essential… [Chancel] identifies social inequality as a core driver of environmental unsustainability that leads to a vicious circle wherein the rich consume more and the poor lose access to environmental resources and become increasingly vulnerable to environmental shocks.”—Gillian Bowser, Science

“This book has unpacked the intricate relationship between social injustice and environmental harm and argues for delinking the complex nexus they form with economic inequality… A highly relevant and thought-provoking read during the COVID-19 pandemic when millions are affected socially and economically by lockdowns and restrictions.”—Gayathri D. Naik, LSE Review of Books

“Rising inequality and global warming are the most pressing issues of our time. Written by one of world’s leading experts on global inequality trends and sustainable development, this book demonstrates that they can and should be addressed together, and offers refreshing perspectives on how to do so. A must-read.”—Thomas Piketty, author of Capital and Ideology

“In this concise and precise book Chancel offers an indispensable metric to reveal the class conflicts that cut across the simplistic divide between ecology and social justice, reconciling those afraid of the ‘end of the world’ and those trying to ‘make ends meet.’”—Bruno Latour, author of Facing Gaia

“Well-structured, fluent, and sharp, Unsustainable Inequalities is a work of global relevance and paramount importance, even more so as inequalities as we have them make it impossible to confront the worsening climate crisis.”—Claude Henry, Sciences Po, Paris

“Lucas Chancel reflects on the complex articulation of the environmental and the socioeconomic spheres… [The book] opens up avenues toward a more desirable and livable future.”—Le Monde

“[Chancel] relentlessly sheds light on the failure of liberal policies.”—Politis