The polycrisis, Rabbi Sacks and the world as it ought to be

1. A Palace in Flames

“Judaism begins not in wonder that the world is, but in protest that the world is not as it ought to be. It is in that cry, that sacred discontent, that Abraham’s journey begins.” Radical Then, Radical Now p. 55

בראשית רבה ל״ט:א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו' (בראשית יב, א), רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (תהלים מה, יא): שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם. (תהלים מה, יב): וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדֹנַיִךְ. וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ, לְיַפּוֹתֵךְ בָּעוֹלָם, (תהלים מה, יב): וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ, הֱוֵי וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל אַבְרָם.

Bereshit Rabbah 39:1

“The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). “The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “Listen, daughter, see, and incline your ear. Forget your people and your father’s house” (Psalms 45:11). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is analogous to one who was passing from place to place, and saw a building with a [candle] burning in it. He said: ‘Is it possible that this building has no one in charge of it?’ The owner of the building looked out at him and said: ‘I am the owner of the building.’ So, because Abraham our patriarch was saying: ‘Is it possible that this world is without someone in charge?’ The Holy One blessed be He looked at him and said to him: ‘I am the owner of the world.’ “The king will desire your beauty, as he is your master” (Psalms 45:12) – to show your beauty in the world. “And bow to him” (Psalms 45:12) – that is, “the Lord said to Abram.”

"Abraham was struck by the contradiction between the order of the universe – the palace – and the disorder of humanity – the flames... It is as if God were saying to Abraham: I need you to help Me to put out the flames... The faith of Judaism... is that by acting in response to the call of God, collectively we can change the world. The flames … are not inevitable." A Palace in Flames, Covenant & Conversation, Lech Lecha

2. Our palace is on fire

The latest Stockholm Resilience Centre Planetary Boundaries analysis shows that six of nine Earth system boundaries have been crossed — including climate, biodiversity, land use, and biogeochemical flows — threatening planetary stability:

Nature loss is accelerating:

• Extinction: More than 28% of all assessed species (>47k) are threatened with extinction. That is ." (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, June 27, 2024)
• Wildlife: Wild mammals make up only 4% of mammal biomass after livestock 60% and humans 36%. Of that 4%, WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 found that wildlife populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish have seen a 69% drop on average since 1970.
• Insects: We have seen a drastic decline over the past 20 to 50 years (c.f. 'windscreen phenomenon'). For example, a US study found butterfly numbers dropped by 22% over two decades, and UK bumblebees had their worst year on record in 2024, with an average decline of 22.5% across 24 species (Natural History Museum, April 4, 2025).
• Soil: "About 33% of world soils are moderately to highly degraded and 12 million hectares (half the UK) of agricultural soils are lost globally through soil degradation every year." (UNDRR, "Soil Degradation").

Global warming is accelerating, and will continue to - whatever we do:

• In 2024, there were more than 600 reported extreme weather events... that displaced 824,000 and killed 1,700 people, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
• Scientists estimate that there could be 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050. (Earth.org, citing IPCC reports, March 20, 2025)
If the global temperature increases past a certain point (colour-coded for temperature thresholds), it's likely to trigger irreversible 'tipping points' for our planet.

3. We have a responsibility, as Jews, to act

Responding to the polycrisis is core to our fundamental values:

דברים ל׳:י״ט

הַעִדֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֒רֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live—

“At the heart of covenant is the profound realization that society is what we make of it. The way things are is not necessarily the way things ought to be. Covenant is born when a free people question the established order and conclude that there is a better way. ... It is a collective moral undertaking on the part of ‘We, the people’, all the people, rich, poor, weak, strong, powerful and powerless alike. It says, in effect: there is no one else to do it for us, and we can achieve together what none of us can do alone. It is built on the idea that we are individually and collectively responsible for our future. We each have a part to play. Covenant is the conscious decision to create a society in the light of shared ideals.” Rabbi Sacks, The Home We Build Together pp. 123-124

Be guardians of creation:

בראשית ב׳:ט״ו

וַיִּקַּ֛ח יהוה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעׇבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָֽהּ׃

Genesis 2:15

God יהוה settled the Human in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it.

Reject intergenerational injustice:

קוהלת רבה ז׳:י״ג:א׳

רְאֵה אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן אֵת אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתוֹ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נְטָלוֹ וְהֶחֱזִירוֹ עַל כָּל אִילָנֵי גַּן עֵדֶן, וְאָמַר לוֹ, רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי, תֵּן דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁלֹא תְקַלְקֵל וְתַחֲרִיב אֶת עוֹלָמִי, שֶׁאִם קִלְקַלְתָּ אֵין מִי שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַחֲרֶיךָ, וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁאַתְּ גּוֹרֵם מִיתָה לְאוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק. מָשָׁל משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְאִשָּׁה עֻבָּרָה שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲבוּשָׁה בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, יָלְדָה שָׁם בֵּן, גִּדְלָה שָׁם וּמֵתָה שָׁם, לְיָמִים עָבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל פֶּתַח הָאֲסוּרִים, כְּשֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹבֵר הִתְחִיל אוֹתוֹ הַבֵּן צוֹוֵחַ וְאוֹמֵר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כָּאן נוֹלַדְתִּי, כָּאן גָּדַלְתִּי, בְּאֵיזֶה חֵטְא אֲנִי נָתוּן כָּאן אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ. אָמַר לוֹ, בַּחֵטְא שֶׁל אִמְּךָ. כָּךְ בְּמשֶׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ג, כב): הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד, כְּתִיב (דברים לא, יד): הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ לָמוּת.

Kohelet Rabbah 7:13:1

“See the work of God, for who can mend what He has warped?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13)“See the work of God, for who can mend what He has warped?” When the Holy One blessed be He created Adam the first man, He took him and showed him all the trees in the Garden of Eden, and He said to him: ‘See My creations, how beautiful and exemplary they are. Everything I created, I created for you. Make certain that you do not ruin and destroy My world, as if you destroy it, there will be no one to mend it after you. Moreover, you will cause death to that righteous one.’ To what is the matter of [the death of] Moses our master analogous? [It is analogous] to a pregnant woman who was incarcerated in prison. She gave birth to a son, raised him, and she died there. Sometime later the king passed the entrance of the prison. As the king was passing, that son began screaming and he said: ‘My lord the king, I was born here, I grew up here; I do not know due to what sin am I placed here.’ [The king] said to him: ‘Due to your mother’s sin.’ So too regarding Moses, as it is written: “Behold, the man has become like one [of us]” (Genesis 3:22). And it is written: “Behold, your days are drawing near to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14).

"We all surely balk at the imprisonment of a child for a crime committed by a deceased parent, yet, says the midrash, if we fail to care for and preserve the world, that is precisely what we are doing for future generations." Rabbi Joe Wolfson, Times of Israel, Feb 2015

Protect others:

דברים ט״ז:כ׳

צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 16:20

Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יהוה is giving you.

רש"י על ויקרא י״ט:ט״ז:ב׳

(ב)לא תעמד על דם רעך. לִרְאוֹת בְּמִיתָתוֹ וְאַתָּה יָכוֹל לְהַצִּילוֹ, כְּגוֹן טוֹבֵעַ בַּנָּהָר וְחַיָּה אוֹ לִיסְטִים בָּאִים עָלָיו (סנהדרין ע"ג):

Rashi on Leviticus 19:16:2

(2) לא תעמד על דם רעך NEITHER SHALT THOU STAND AGAINST THE BLOOD OF THY FELLOW — witnessing his death, you being able to rescue him: if, for instance, he is drowning in the river or if a wild beast or a robber is attacking him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 8; Sanhedrin 73a).

Don't waste:

דברים כ׳:י״ט-כ׳

(יט) כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר. (כ) רַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע כִּי לֹא עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא אֹתוֹ תַשְׁחִית וְכָרָתָּ וּבָנִיתָ מָצוֹר עַל הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הִוא עֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה עַד רִדְתָּהּ.

Deuteronomy 20:19-20

(19) When you besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a human, that it should withdraw from you into the besieged city? (20) Only the trees which you know that they are not trees for food, those you may destroy and cut down, that you may build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it fall.

And take responsibility as part of our unique role, as a people:

ישעיהו מ״ב:ה׳-ח׳

(ה) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יהוה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ׃ (ו) אֲנִ֧י יהוה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ (ז) לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ח) אֲנִ֥י יהוה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים׃

Isaiah 42:5-8

Thus said God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth, Who gave breath to the people upon it And life to those who walk thereon: I the LORD, in My grace, have summoned you, And I have grasped you by the hand. I created you, and appointed you A covenant people, a light of nations—Opening eyes deprived of light, Rescuing prisoners from confinement, From the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not yield My glory to another...

“Judaism is not an escape from the world, but an engagement with the world. It does not anaesthetise us to the pains and apparent injustices of life. It does not reconcile us to suffering. It asks us to play our part in the most daunting undertaking ever asked by God of mankind: to construct relationships, communities, and ultimately a society, that will create a home for the Divine Presence. And that means wrestling with God and with men and refusing to give up or despair.” Covenant and Conversation: Exodus p. 64

And taking "radical responsibility" is an individual commitment, too:

תענית כ״ג א:ט״ו

יומא חד הוה אזל באורחא חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה נטע חרובא אמר ליה האי עד כמה שנין טעין אמר ליה עד שבעין שנין אמר ליה פשיטא לך דחיית שבעין שנין אמר ליה האי [גברא] עלמא בחרובא אשכחתיה כי היכי דשתלי לי אבהתי שתלי נמי לבראי

Taanit 23a:15

One day, he was walking on the road and saw a certain man [Honi] that was planting a carob tree. He said to him, 'How many years until this [tree] will be laden [with fruit]?' He said to him, 'Until seventy years.' He said to him, 'Is it obvious to you that you will live [another] seventy years?' He said to him, 'That man found the world with carob trees. In the same way as my fathers planted for me, I will also plant for my children.'

“The responsible life is a life that responds. The Hebrew for responsibility, achrayut, comes from the word acher, meaning “other.” Our great Other is God Himself, calling us to use the freedom He gave us, to make the world that is more like the world that ought to be. The great question, the question that the life we lead answers, is: which voice will we listen to? Will we heed the voice of desire, as in the case of Adam and Eve? Will we listen to the voice of anger, as in the case of Cain? Or will we follow the voice of God calling on us to make this a more just and gracious world?” Taking Responsibility (Bereishit, Lessons in Leadership, Covenant & Conversation)

“Judaism is the guardian of an ancient but still compelling dream. To heal where others harm, mend where others destroy, to redeem evil by turning its negative energies to good: these are the mark of the ethics of responsibility, born in the radical faith that God callson us to exercise our freedom by becoming his partners in the work of creation. That seems to me a life-affirming vision: the courage to take the risk of responsibility, becoming co-authors with God of the world that ought to be.” To Heal a Fractured World p. 273

4. We are called to this moment

אסתר ד׳:י״ד

(יד) כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִ֘ישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃

Esther 4:14

(14) On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”

Adamah's Mission Statement is powerful:

"We believe in the deep connection between people & planet, adam and adamah. Every day, we help people feel that connection, spark Jewish inspiration, and help build a more sustainable future for all. And because we are the link between our ancestors and our descendants, our generation is called to respond to the existential crises of our time with the full power of the Jewish people." (Adamah.org, "Our Mission")

We must raise awareness and inspire:

"Judaism is not a recipe for blandness or bliss. It is not a guarantee that you will be spared heartache and pain. It is not what the Stoics sought, apatheia, a life undisturbed by passion.
Nor is it a path to nirvana, stilling the fires of feeling by extinguishing the self…. [Instead] Judaism is a faith for those who seek to change the world. That is unusual in the history of faith. Most religions are about accepting the world the way it is. Judaism is a protest against the world that is in the name of the world that ought to be. To be a Jew is to seek to make a difference, to change lives for the better, to heal some of the scars of our fractured world.” Studies in Spirituality pp. 188-189

"There was a time in the 19th century when it was perfectly acceptable for civilised human beings to think it was morally acceptable to actually own another human being as a slave. And somehow or other in the space of I suppose, 20 or 30 years the public perception of that totally transformed. By the middle of the 19th century it was becoming intolerable. I suspect that we are right now at the beginning of a big change. Young people, in particular, are the stimulus that’s bringing it about. Climate change and ecological breakdown may one day be viewed with the same universal repugnance as slavery." David Attenborough, UK Parliament, July 2019 (cited by Rabbi Sacks, Morality p. 158)

We must push ourselves to actand influence:

To be a Jew is to be an agent of hope. Every ritual, every command, every syllable of the Jewish story is a protest against escapism, resignation and the blind acceptance of fate. Judaism, the religion of the free God, is a religion of freedom. Jewish faith is written in the future tense. It is belief in a future that is not yet but could be, if we heed God's call, obey His will and act together as a covenantal community. The name of the Jewish future is hope.” Future Tense, p.250

משנה אבות ב׳:ט״ז

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:

Pirkei Avot 2:16

He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.

5. What's Next?

Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home is a powerful call to action on the ecological crisis, integrating scientific understanding with theological and ethical reflections.

"We received this world as inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!" (Paragraph 159)

"Integral Ecology": Recognises that environmental, social, and economic issues are interconnected. The "cry of the earth" is linked to the "cry of the poor."
Critique of the "Technocratic Paradigm": Warns against an unchecked technological mindset that sees nature as a resource to be exploited.
Intergenerational Justice: Our responsibility to future generations.
Spiritual Conversion: Calls for a profound shift in mindset and lifestyle, moving from consumption to contemplation.
Global Solidarity: Emphasizes the need for international cooperation.
Stewardship (not domination): Reinterprets human dominion over creation as a responsibility to "till and keep" (le'ovdah u'le'shomrah – a direct parallel to Genesis 2:15,).

What would a Jewish version look like?

APPENDIX

Responsibility in the round...
When we forget the individual soul, when we stop paying attention to the inner life of the person, everything becomes confusing and unclear. Therefore, the beginning of teshuva (spiritual growth)...is the return to oneself, to the Source of one’s soul.
—Rav Kook SK 8:213

The four-fold song
There is a person who sings the song of the Self. He finds everything, his complete spiritual satisfaction, within himself.

And there is a person who sings the song of the Nation. He steps forward from his private self, which he finds narrow and insufficiently developed. He yearns for the heights. He clings with a sensitive love to the entirety of the Jewish nation and sings with it its song. He shares in its pains, is joyful in its hopes, speaks with exalted and pure thoughts regarding its past and its future, investigates its inner spiritual nature with love and a wise heart.

There is a person whose soul is so broad that it expands beyond the border of Israel. It sings the song of humanity. This soul constantly grows broader with the exalted totality of humanity and its glorious image. He yearns for humanity’s general enlightenment. He looks forward to its supernal perfection. From this source of life, he draws all of his thoughts and insights, his ideals and visions.

And there is a person who rises even higher until he unites with all existence, with all creatures, and with all worlds. And with all of them, he sings. This is the person who, engaged in the Chapter of Song every day, is assured that he is a child of the World-to-Come.

And there is a person who rises with all these songs together in one ensemble so that they all give forth their voices, they all sing their songs sweetly, each supplies its fellow with fullness and life: the voice of happiness and joy, the voice of rejoicing and tunefulness, the voice of merriment and the voice of holiness.

The song of the soul, the song of the nation, the song of humanity, the song of the world-they all mix together with this person at every moment and at all times.
—Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook (1865-1935); OK 2, pp.444-445

Climate, Risk, Insurance: The Future of Capitalism,
Günther Thallinger, Allianz SE Board
March 25, 2025

CO₂ emissions directly increase the amount of energy trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. This is not a vague or future issue—it is physical reality. The more emissions, the more energy retained. The more energy, the more extremely the atmosphere behaves. Storms intensify. Heatwaves last longer. Rain falls harder. Droughts cut deeper. This is the first principle.

These extreme weather phenomena drive direct physical risks to all categories of human-owned assets—land, houses, roads, power lines, railways, ports, and factories. Heat and water destroy capital. Flooded homes lose value. Overheated cities become uninhabitable. Entire asset classes are degrading in real time, which translates to loss of value, business interruption, and market devaluation on a systemic level.

The insurance industry has historically managed these risks. But we are fast approaching temperature levels—1.5°C, 2°C, 3°C—where insurers will no longer be able to offer coverage for many of these risks. The math breaks down: the premiums required exceed what people or companies can pay. This is already happening. Entire regions are becoming uninsurable. (See: State Farm and Allstate exiting California’s home insurance market due to wildfire risk, 2023).

This is not a one-off market adjustment. This is a systemic risk that threatens the very foundation of the financial sector. If insurance is no longer available, other financial services become unavailable too. A house that cannot be insured cannot be mortgaged. No bank will issue loans for uninsurable property. Credit markets freeze. This is a climate-induced credit crunch.

This applies not only to housing, but to infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, and industry. The economic value of entire regions—coastal, arid, wildfire-prone—will begin to vanish from financial ledgers. Markets will reprice, rapidly and brutally. This is what a climate-driven market failure looks like.

Some argue that the state will step in where insurers withdraw. But this assumes the state—i.e., the taxpayer—can afford to do so. That assumption is already breaking. Covering the cost of three or four major wildfires or floods in a single year strains public budgets to the limit. If multiple high-cost events happen within short time spans—as climate projections expect—then no government can realistically cover the damages without either austerity or collapse. (See: Germany’s €30B flood relief in 2021; Australia’s rising disaster relief costs 2020–2023).

There is also the false comfort of “adaptation,” as many risks do not lend themselves to meaningful adaptation. There is no way to “adapt” to temperatures beyond human tolerance. There is limited adaptation to megafires, other than not building near forests. Whole cities built on flood plains cannot simply pick up and move uphill. And as temperatures continue to rise, adaptation itself becomes economically unviable.

Once we reach 3°C of warming, the situation locks in. Atmospheric energy at this level will persist for 100+ years due to carbon cycle inertia and the absence of scalable industrial carbon removal technologies. There is no known pathway to return to pre-2°C conditions. (See: IPCC AR6, 2023; NASA Earth Observatory: “The Long-Term Warming Commitment”)

At that point, risk cannot be transferred (no insurance), risk cannot be absorbed (no public capacity), and risk cannot be adapted to (physical limits exceeded). That means no more mortgages, no new real estate development, no long-term investment, no financial stability. The financial sector as we know it ceases to function. And with it, capitalism as we know it ceases to be viable.

Capitalism must now solve this existential threat. The idea that market economies can continue to function without insurance, finance, and asset protection is a fantasy. There is no capitalism without functioning financial services. And there are no financial services without the ability to price and manage climate risk.

There is only one path forward: prevent any further increase in atmospheric energy levels. That means keeping emissions out of the atmosphere. That means burning less carbon or capturing it at the point of combustion. These are the only two levers. Everything else is delay or distraction.

The good news: we already have the technologies to switch from fossil combustion to zero-emission energy. Solar, wind, battery storage, green hydrogen, electrification, grid modernization, demand-side efficiency—these are mature and scalable solutions. (See: IRENA Global Renewables Outlook 2023; McKinsey: “Net-Zero Transition” 2022; UN: “Raising Ambition on Renewable Energy”).

The only thing missing is speed and scale. And the understanding that this is not about saving the planet. This is about saving the conditions under which markets, finance, and civilization itself can continue to operate.

Climate change and halacha
There are (admittedly flimsy) halachic arguments for a sustainable lifestyle (see Rabbi Wieder's talk at LSJS):

משנה תורה, הלכות שכנים י׳:ה׳

(ה) מִי שֶׁבָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁרָה שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן בְּצַד יָרָק שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי מֵי הַמִּשְׁרָה נִבְלָעִין בָּאָרֶץ וְהוֹלְכִין וּמַפְסִידִין אֶת הַיָּרָק. אוֹ שֶׁנָּטַע כְּרֵישִׁין קָרוֹב מִן הַבְּצָלִים שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהֵן מְפִיגִין טַעְמָן. אוֹ שֶׁנָּטַע חַרְדָּל בְּצַד כַּוֶּרֶת דְּבוֹרִים שֶׁהֲרֵי הַדְּבוֹרִים אוֹכְלִין הֶעָלִין וּמַפְסִידִין אֶת הַדְּבַשׁ וְכָל אֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק וְעַל הַנִּזָּק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ אִם יִרְצֶה עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעַ לוֹ הַנֵּזֶק. שֶׁזֶּה בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה וְהַנֵּזֶק בָּא לַחֲבֵרוֹ מֵאֵלָיו. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַרְחִיק כְּשֶׁהָיָה הַנֶּזֶק בָּא מֵאֵלָיו אַחַר שֶׁיִּפָּסְקוּ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל מַזִּיק. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל זֶה שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ מַזִּיקִין אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בִּשְׁעַת עֲשִׂיָּתוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִי שֶׁמַּזִּיק בְּיָדוֹ. הָא לְמָה זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְמִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ וְיוֹרֶה חִצִּים לַחֲצַר חֲבֵרוֹ וְאָמַר בִּרְשׁוּתִי אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁמּוֹנְעִין אוֹתוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל הַרְחָקוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת לְמַעְלָה בְּעִנְיָן זֶה אִם לֹא הִרְחִיקוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִי שֶׁהִזִּיק בְּחִצָּיו. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּרְחִיק מִשְׁרָה מִן הַיָּרָק וּכְרֵישִׁין מִן הַבְּצָלִים וְחַרְדָּל מִן הַדְּבוֹרִים שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים אוֹ יֶתֶר מְעַט כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הֶזֵּק בַּיָּדַיִם. אֲבָל לְהַרְחִיק עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא הַנֶּזֶק מֵאֵלָיו אֵין צָרִיךְ:

Mishneh Torah, Neighbors 10:5

(5) The following principles apply when a person intends to soak flax near a vegetable garden belonging to a colleague, in which instance the water used for soaking would be absorbed in the earth and damage the vegetables; or he plants leeks near onions belonging to a colleague, in which instance the flavor of the onions will be weakened; or he plants mustard next to a beehive, in which instance the bees will eat the leaves, and thus the honey will be spoiled. The person whose actions will cause the damage is not required to make a separation so that damage does not take place. Instead, it is the person whose property that will be damaged who must distance his crops if he wishes that the damage not occur. For the other person is performing his activity on his own property; the damage occurs on its own as it were. When do we say that he does not have to keep a distance? When the damage comes about by itself after the person whose deeds caused the damage ceases his activity. When, however, the acts that this person performs in his own domain cause damage to his colleague's property at the time he is performing the action, he is considered to have damaged the property with his hands. To what can the matter be likened? To a person who is standing in his own property and shooting arrows into his neighbor's, and saying: "What's the problem? I am acting in my own property. " Certainly, such a person should be prevented from causing damage. With regard to all the instances above where a separation was required, if the person does not make the required separation, he is considered to have caused the damage with his arrows. Therefore, one must make a separation of three handbreadths or slightly more between soaking flax and vegetables, leeks and onions, and mustard and bees, so that one will not be considered as having caused the damage through one's own actions. It is, however, not necessary to make a separation great enough to prevent the damage from occurring on its own accord.

חושן משפט קנ״ה:כ״ג

(כג) מרחיקין את הנבלות ואת הקברות ואת הבורסקי ואת הכבשונות והדבורים מהעיר חמשים אמה ואין עושים בורסקי אלא למזרח העיר מפני שרוח מזרחית חמה וממעטת היזק [ריח] עיבוד העורות:

Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 155:23

They would distance from the city; carcasses, graves, tanneries, kilns, and beehives from the city 50 amot, and the wouldn't make tanneries other than in the east of the city in order that the angry east winds would lessen the damage of the smell from working the hides ...