Profit over planet? The climate crisis as a market

The new ITAS anthology shows: Capitalism not only causes the climate crisis but also profits from it. “Green” technologies and net-zero pledges are presented as solutions, but they often reinforce the very structures that exacerbate the crisis.

How is the climate crisis transforming the economy and society, and who stands to gain from it? The new anthology “Profit statt Planet? Kapitalismus im Zeitalter der Klimakatastrophe” explores these and other questions related to technology, economics, and climate. It was edited by ITAS researchers Dana Mahr and Franziska Sörgel.

Crisis management as a business model

At the heart of the anthology is the thesis that capitalist dynamics not only cause ecological destruction but also translate the crisis into economic opportunities, for example, through carbon credits, sustainable financial products, or technological solutions promoted with buzzwords such as “green growth” and “net zero.” The volume examines the notions of progress, innovation, and justice associated with these concepts and considers possible societal alternatives.

A critical look at technological promises

The contributions in the anthology analyze the climate crisis as a systemic crisis of the 21st century.

Christian Büscher and Ulrich Ufer, for instance, take a critical look at the common “limits to growth” narrative, arguing that – against better judgment and contrary to what is necessary – there is still no sign of any effort to curb the driving forces of capitalist growth.

The contribution by Bettina Krings, Franziska Sörgel, and Nora Weinberger questions technological promises of salvation and shows that technical innovations often overlook social and ecological issues.

A literary perspective on a possible “Planet B”“

Beate Meiswinkel and Dana Mahr take a literary speculative approach with their story “Planet B: hoffentlich nachhaltig”. They depict a supposedly sustainable new beginning on the planet Gaia after the collapse of Earth and show how old structures of power and exploitation persist.

The anthology thus opens up new perspectives on the question of how climate protection can be designed to be socially just and ecologically effective. (21 May 2026)

Bibliographic information:

Mahr, Dana; Sörgel, Franziska (eds.)
Profit statt Planet? Kapitalismus im Zeitalter der Klimakatastrophe. Wie die ökologische Krise zum größten Geschäftsmodell der Zukunft wird. oekom, 2026, pp. 300.,
ISBN: 978-3-98726-186-2
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