Who pays the bill for the ecological transition?

The ecological transition seems to generate less and less enthusiasm among the working class, to the point that "climate denialism" continues to grow, driven by the far right. In a courageous article, the journalist. Joan Burdeos He spoke directly about the left's failure to positively lead this fight. It's paradoxical that, while the poor and working-class are the ones who suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, they are the ones turning their backs on it. If we don't address the causes of this disaffection, it will be difficult to reverse.

In poor neighborhoods, there is often more pollution, energy poverty impacts health, people eat worse and less healthy food, and it is more difficult to access good health services. So, why is the ecological transition not embraced with enthusiasm? We cannot fall into the trap of thinking that it is a matter of a lack of values or awareness; rather, we need to analyze the combination of socioeconomic, psychological, and contextual factors that limit options and the capacity for action.

There are a number of economic limitations, given that sustainable options often entail a higher initial cost (such as efficient appliances, electric vehicles, or organic foods). The working class, with lower incomes, has greater difficulty accessing them, even though they may represent savings in the long term. But when daily life is a struggle for survival, long-term options are not an incentive. Furthermore, the environment is key because living in neighborhoods with fewer services or a lack of green infrastructure makes it difficult to adopt habits such as recycling or sustainable mobility.

But it must also be appreciated that the perception of sacrifice plays a central role in the working class's willingness to accept ecological changes.

When green measures involve changes that may entail a loss of comfort, increased costs, or greater effort (for example, paying more for green energy, changing consumption habits, or investing time in recycling), many people may perceive these actions as an additional sacrifice to an already precarious situation. If the effort is perceived as falling primarily on those sectors that benefit most from or even benefit from green policies, a sense of injustice is generated. This leads to resistance or disaffection, as the ecological transition is experienced as an unequal burden.

An example is the recycling culture, one of the pillars of the ecological transition. In the poorest neighborhoods, it is increasingly difficult to implement recycling systems such as those that lead to home-based recycling, undoubtedly because their conditions (work schedules, lack of caregivers at home, etc.) make it difficult. In Barcelona, ​​selective garbage collection has been successful in areas with low population density and single-family homes or small blocks of flats (such as Sarrià, Tres Torres, and Vallvidrera), with per capita incomes well above the city average. It has been less successful in densely populated neighborhoods with vertical housing structures, no space for internal waste management, with schedules that are difficult to reconcile with work, and with diverse and floating populations—that is, working-class neighborhoods.

When survival or immediate well-being are the primary concern, any change perceived as a sacrifice can be viewed as a threat. This makes the ecological transition considered less urgent or relevant compared to other basic needs.

For all these reasons, the perception of sacrifice can become a significant psychological barrier to the acceptance of ecological measures, especially if they are not accompanied by a fair distribution of efforts and compensatory measures that take into account the reality of those with fewer resources.

Finally, the lack of spaces for real participation and collective empowerment leads many people to believe that the ecological transition doesn't respond to their needs, but is imposed from above without taking their reality into account. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to remind left-wing political parties that it has been the defense and coordination of the working class that has achieved some of the most significant successes of the welfare state in Europe.