"Green capitalism" means turning the global South into a giant sacrifice zone so rich folks in the US and Europe can drive electric SUVs.
To be clear, we need rapid electrification/ decarbonization; I call for this every day. But in the global North it must be accompanied by a downscaling of less-necessary forms of production (like SUVs), and a shift to just supply chains, or it reproduces imperialist exploitation.
Less-necessary forms of production: forms of production that are organized primarily around capital accumulation and elite consumption, rather than around human needs and well-being. SUVs, but also fast fashion, planned obsolescence, the military-industrial complex, etc...
Taking this approach reduces aggregate energy use, thus enabling faster decarbonization, and also means we will need less material extraction (for batteries, turbines, solar panels, etc) to achieve a low-carbon energy system.
Focus the economy on what is necessary for human needs and well-being. For the transport sector, transition should emphasize public transit, bikes and walkable cities. EVs are of course also necessary, but they should be primarily small and shared.
For those who want to learn more about this perspective, I describe it in "Less is More", but there's also this excellent audio documentary that covers the major issues:
"Just as Northern growth is colonial in character, so too 'green growth' visions tend to presuppose the perpetuation of colonial arrangements...."
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
