Corporate ‘capture strategies’ impacting human and ecosystem health

The concept of regulatory capture has been extensively studied in academic literature, primarily within the social sciences. This phenomenon has been increasingly discussed in the environmental sciences as the impacts of regulatory capture on human and ecosystem health have become increasingly apparent. Regulatory capture is just one tactic employed by vested interests in the strategy of delaying, weakening, or abolishing policies designed to protect the public interest. Here, we define capture strategies as ‘the act of influencing individuals, organizations, or governments to prioritize corporate interests over those of human and ecosystem health’. Similar to the evolution of terms like whitewashing and greenwashing into the broader concept of colorwashing, this new definition expands the scope of capture to include a wide range of targets, such as individuals, educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, media, and local, national, and intergovernmental organizations. By broadening the definition, we anticipate that researchers, policymakers, and civil society will find it easier to identify and prevent such nefarious activities. This paper illustrates how ‘capture strategies’ have played, and (unless kept in check) will continue to play, an instrumental role in obstructing efforts to address the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and chemical pollution.