In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of decisions by Western countries that, on the surface, seem environmentally friendly. For decades, our nations have positioned themselves as champions of environmental protection, often criticizing countries like China, India, and even the U.S. under Trump for their less sustainable policies. However, this moral high ground is built on a foundation of generational wealth—wealth accumulated over centuries through practices that were both exploitative and harmful to the environment.

Today, Western nations can afford to prioritize environmental policies, even at the expense of higher profits, but let’s not mistake this for genuine care for the planet. The reality is that many Eastern nations don’t have the same luxury. They are still in the process of building wealth, striving for independence, and resisting exploitation by the West. Additionally, they aim to assert themselves as global powers capable of countering Western influence.

When global economic power shifts further toward the East, there’s little doubt that Western nations will revert to less environmentally conscious decisions if it means protecting their own prosperity and quality of life. Even now, much of the West’s supposed environmentalism is riddled with hypocrisy. By outsourcing production to Eastern countries, Western nations effectively shift the environmental burden elsewhere while continuing to criticize those nations for their unsustainable practices. Simply burying your garbage in your neighbor’s backyard doesn’t make you a recycler.