Capital is a finite resource, and the acquisition and use of it is central to the economic system. However another central driving force of capitalist endeavours is the continual need to acquire more and more to produce greater amounts of profit. In direct contrast to this, ideals of sustainable use of resources is complicated in a system of capitalist endeavors. As the author references as Daly’s impossibility theorem: “Capitalism as a world economy, divided into classes and driven by competition, embodies a logic that accepts no boundaries on its expansion and its exploitation of its environment.” Here, if the use of resources is to be done in a sustainable fashion, that specifically limits their consumption, being at odds with capitalism. Yet, when one looks at collectivist economies, they are not necessarily any better at ensuring proper use of resources. It may be in fact that there is no straight line that can be drawn from economic systems to sustainable development. However anecdotally, there are still good examples of sustainable development happening as a motivation of corporate responsibility, which is an important factor in the long term staying power of a corporation.
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