The environment does not appear to be a sociological issue at first glance. Geologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and other scientists should be researching the natural and physical world, not sociologists. However, we have just talked about how population expansion affects the environment, which sounds like a social topic. To begin with, our most serious environmental issues are the outcome of human activity, and this activity, like many other human actions, is the cause of our most serious environmental problems.

Changes in economic and environmental policies are required to address our environmental concerns, and the possibility for these changes to be implemented and their impact are largely influenced by social and political considerations.

Environmental sociology is a branch of sociology that studies the interactions between society and the environment. Following the 1960s environmental movement, the subfield grew in popularity. Environmental sociologists investigate a wide range of topics in this discipline, including:

What is the relationship between environmental circumstances and certain institutions and structures (such as laws, politics, and economic factors)? What variables, for example, influence the formulation and enforcement of laws aimed at reducing pollution and carbon emissions?

 What is the connection between group behaviour and the environment? What are the environmental consequences of trash disposal and recycling, for example?

What impact does the environment have on people's daily life, economic well-being, and public health?

Climate change is, without a doubt, the most pressing issue facing environmental sociologists today. Sociologists look at the human, economic, and political reasons of climate change, as well as the impacts it has on many facets of social life, such as behaviour, culture, values, and the economic health of people affected. The link between social behaviour and the environment is studied by several environmental sociologists. Many sociologists acknowledge the crucial and significant linkages between consumerism and consumer behaviour, as well as environmental concerns and remedies, therefore there is a lot of overlap between environmental sociology and consumption sociology in this area.

Environmental sociologists look at how social activities, such as transportation, energy consumption, and trash and recycling practices, influence environmental results, as well as how environmental conditions influence social behaviour.