Should Rich Countries Pay More for Environmental Damage?

Noelia Ortega
3 min readJan 26, 2021

It is commonly believed that rich countries should pay more for environmental damage, which is a reasonable statement. However, poor countries should also play their part in a problem that belongs to the whole world. Poorer nations can elevate in their population to a better understanding of environmental challenges.

It is widely recognized that numerous multinationals are located in developing countries. Usually, these industries have detrimental effects on the natural resources of the country where they are located. The latest illustration of environmental damage was held in Brazil. The Amazon which is the lungs of Planet Earth was the victim of an enormous rainforest cut down. Internationally the news broadcasted the significant event, through pictures and videos that would show large areas of wildlife habitats destroyed. Thus, wealthy countries have financial wealth and the power to work for a better environmental future.

On the other hand, even though developed countries should pay more to heal the planet, especially because in many situations they are the main part of the problem. Developing countries should also play their part. Probably a poor nation won’t be able to support economically a project to cure the Earth. However, there are actions that could be taken by the governments of undeveloped countries; For instance, overpopulation is a social challenge usually seen in poor nations. This problem causes diverse types of pollution. Overpopulation could be controlled by governments under education programs. Educational programs do not require a high investment. Therefore, if governments of poorer nations take care of their overpopulation problems, they will contribute to a greener future.

In conclusion, wealthy nations should pay more for environmental damage. Developed countries have the financial power to work on long-term projects to save the planet from a gray future. In contrast, even though developing nations do not have the funds to invest in significant green projects, several actions could be implemented by the governments to collaborate in the reduction of the environmentally damaging effects.

REVISION OF THE ANSWER BY THE AUTHOR IN 2023:

Hello! Upon reviewing my response from 2021, I now believe that I should have provided a more straightforward answer. In today’s context, it seems like common sense to realize that affluent nations should contribute more towards addressing environmental damage, considering their greater financial resources. However, I also believe that if all nations collaborate, they can establish an equitable percentage of their governmental budgets dedicated to the environment.

For instance, both the United States and a developing nation could allocate 5% of their budgets to environmental initiatives. This 5% would be proportional to the financial capacity of each country’s budget. In the end, while the wealthier nation would contribute more in absolute terms, the environmental burden would be evenly distributed relative to each nation’s budget.

Poor countries should also play their part in a problem that belongs to the whole world.

Warnings about this essay

  1. The essay above was written by an IELTS student.
  2. The opinions on the essay may not be the real inclination of the author.
  3. Having English as a second language may cause grammar mistakes.
  4. Since it was written for educational purposes numerous illustrations tend to be fake.
  5. Please use the information on my platform to generate ideas about IELTS topics and vocabulary only.

Click below to find external useful links for your IELTS preparation.

An email for an IELTS student:

Suggested useful article for IELTS students:

5 STARS The best webpage to learn the IELTS writing structure:

This blog reflects my IELTS journey. Most of the essays do not do justice to the proper IELTS structure I learned at the end of my process. Thus, I always mention at the bottom take them to generate ideas and vocabulary only. During my learning process, I used to search online my practice questions to extend my idea bank, and I know how useful these essays could be. Practice and good luck!

--

--

Noelia Ortega

This blog portraits my IELTS journey as a self-taught student. Please take my essays to develop vocabulary and your idea bank. Good luck! :)