This is a Crisis: Facing up to the Age of Environmental Breakdown by UK based Institute for Public Policy Research is a meta study that links environmental degradation to economic costs. From the increase in floods, loss of topsoil, accelerating climate change, collapse of species populations, lack of diversity everywhere; to increases in migration and shocks in the markets.
“There would be repercussions in Europe. Rightwing groups use the fear of migration, as we saw during the EU referendum in Britain. What is that going to look like when far more people are forced from homes due to environmental shocks? What does that mean for political cohesion.”
Laurie Laybourn-Langton to Guardian
“IPPR are right to say that environmental change is happening ever-faster and threatens to destabilise society. Future problems with food supplies could cause price spikes that drive civil unrest, while increases in levels of migration can strain societies. Both together could overload political institutions and global networks of trade. This century will be marked by rapid social and environmental change – that is certain. What is less clear is if societies can make wise political choices to avoid disaster in the future.”
Simon Lewis, Professor of Global Change Science at University College London to BBC