Climate change as Greek tragedy: a dual narrative of inaction and consequence

Purpose This paper aims to explore the climate crisis as a modern Greek tragedy, highlighting the moral and structural failures of financial institutions, governments and corporations. It examines the systemic contradictions of sustainability claims versus inaction and their impact on individuals and communities, with a dual narrative blending academic analysis and literary storytelling. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from critical international business studies, environmental economics and ethics. The narrative integrates a three-act tragic structure, interweaving macrolevel institutional analysis with a microlevel fictional storyline of a farming family confronting climate-induced challenges. Findings The paper reveals how institutional ambivalence, driven by short-term profit motives and political expediency, perpetuates inaction on climate change. This systemic inertia exacerbates inequalities, undermines sustainability efforts and leaves individuals, like the farmer’s family, vulnerable to ecological and economic collapse. It concludes with a call for collective responsibility and transformative action. Social implications By connecting macrolevel inaction with microlevel human suffering, the paper underscores the ethical urgency of addressing climate change through systemic reforms. It invites policymakers, corporations and individuals to confront their complicity and adopt long-term strategies for equitable sustainability. Originality/value This work uniquely merges the framework of Greek tragedy with critical social science to offer a novel perspective on climate inaction. It bridges theoretical discourse with emotive storytelling, humanizing the often-abstract consequences of international business practices on climate change.