By: Falak Aslam
As the world rushes toward “green” solutions, an important question arises: Is going green truly clean? Behind the noble slogans of sustainability lies a darker reality — one of hidden environmental costs, humanitarian crises, and widening global inequalities. The question Is going green an ill-informed strategy, one that is formulated without evaluating its costs? should be explored whether the green revolution is genuinely eco-friendly or simply another capitalist strategy that benefits a privileged few while burdening the many.
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The environmental damage we battle today was largely fueled by the industrialization of powerful nations. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, the UK is the fifth-largest historical emitter of CO₂. While it prides itself on the Climate Change Act of 2008 and its global climate leadership, its historic role in colonial deforestation, resource extraction, and emissions cannot be erased. Promoting green energy after causing environmental devastation appears paradoxical and hypocritical. Developed nations boosted their economies through unchecked exploitation, leaving developing nations to bear the brunt of the crisis.
Today, these same powerful nations dominate the green technology market, controlling patents and imposing tariffs that restrict access for developing countries. In India, the solar energy sector faces hurdles like a 40% customs tariff on solar modules and a 25% tariff on solar cells, inflating costs and slowing renewable transitions. As dependency theorists like A.G. Frank and Raúl Prebisch have warned, the green shift continues the pattern of global inequality — the Global South remains a resource base, while the Global North profits.
Beyond economic disparities, the human cost of green technologies is staggering. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 40,000 children work in hazardous cobalt mines — cobalt being a key component of EV batteries. Miners suffer severe health problems, including toxic metal exposure leading to birth defects and reproductive issues. A 2024 report titled Beneath the Green reveals that 56% of women in mining areas have experienced significant gynecological problems since industrial mining began. Despite the immense profits generated, little has been done to make mining safer or humane, exposing the brutal realities behind our “clean” technologies.
The green revolution is far from environmentally pure. It is estimated that producing an electric vehicle results in up to 60% more carbon emissions upfront compared to a petrol or diesel car. This carbon comes from the mining and refining processes of these metals. Research shows that for every tonne of extracted lithium, 5 to 15 tonnes of carbon are produced. A significant amount of water is also lost during the refining process.
Water is becoming increasingly toxic, with pollutants accumulating through biomagnification. The transportation of these raw materials to industries and the associated shipping processes contribute significantly to emissions. This is not a small problem but an invisible These hidden environmental costs, including emissions from transporting raw materials, are rarely addressed in mainstream narratives but are crucial to understanding the true impact of “green” industries.
India aims to have 80 million EVs on its roads by 2030, signaling an ambitious green shift. Yet, the rush toward EVs raises critical questions. Why are traditional sustainable practices — such as public transport, non-motorized mobility, biogas usage — being sidelined? Instead of truly sustainable development, India risks replicating the West’s extractive, environmentally destructive model.
New initiatives like the Critical Mineral Mission and mining expansions under Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) show an alarming preference for extraction over conservation. The union budget 2024–25 has even launched the Critical Mineral Mission that aims to expand domestic production of rare earth metals, because, clearly, what India really needs is more extractive industries, not sustainability. Meanwhile, energy to power these EVs will still largely come from coal-fired plants, making the transition questionable in its overall ecological impact.
Replacing fossil-fuel cars with electric cars is not enough. True sustainability demands a complete rethinking of our lifestyles and priorities. Norway offers a rare example: 96% of its electricity comes from clean hydropower, built thoughtfully at high altitudes to minimize methane emissions.
Meanwhile, India and many developing nations continue to chase extraction-heavy models in the name of progress. It’s time to stop idolizing the west for fashion and start taking inspiration from countries like Norway, which has transitioned to truly cleaner energy. 96% of all electricity in Norway is generated by hydropower. These hydropower plants are especially eco-friendly and are normally located at high altitudes with cold temperatures and very little vegetation, which minimises the release of toxic methane and carbon dioxide from stored water
SDG’s are close to becoming mere buzzwords, and going green is turning into just another viral trend. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for the promotion, transfer, dissemination, and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries. However, despite declarations and commitments, there is no concrete action taken to facilitate the transfer of green technologies to the Global South, where it could have the most significant impact, showcasing the fundamental lack of political will.
Technology has ventured too far into domains like AI and space exploration, but has achieved far less in areas where it should have made significant progress. The question is, if the Global North is so committed to the ideas of sustainable development and green technology, why doesn’t it make its innovations affordable and accessible? I wonder, do these innovations truly help, or do they only help the developed?
Hence technology alone cannot save us. Political will, public mobilization, and simpler, conscious living are critical. Instead of idolizing technological advancement that deepens inequalities, we must rebuild our societies around people and the planet, not profit. While innovations like EVs have a role to play, they cannot substitute the systemic change we urgently need. By choosing public transport, protecting biodiversity, reducing waste, restoring degraded land, and demanding justice, we can still turn the tide.
The writer is a Masters Student from Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir. falakaslam99000@gmail.com
