Contrary to some ecological critics, it is argued that it is not Marx's labour theory of value which should be blamed for environmental degradation and the ecological crisis, but rather the nature of capitalism itself insofar as it implies a continued appropriation of natural resources as a free gift of nature to capital. It is also argued that the necessarily limited environmental reforms under capitalism cannot ensure ecological sustainability. In historical perspective, it is argued that communism could offer the conditions for such an ecological sustainability, and create the preconditions for the supersession of the labour theory of value.

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The exacerbated (economic and ecological) crisis and the failure of conventional theories and policies aiming at eco-reguladon and sustainable development of capitalism make it imperative to consider this socio-ecological crisis from an and-systemic, communist perspective. This árdele is an attempt to articulate a unified and integrated interpretation of this socio-ecological crisis, based on a dialectical conception of the reladonship between society and nature. The overaccumuladon, rising organic composition of capital, and falling rate of profit play a central role in the analysis of this crisis and the ardculadon of its pardcular forms. As argued, capital's strategic response to crisis and the deep restructuring of capitalism cannot ensure ecological and social sustainability, and more importantly the requirements of a socially acceptable human development While there is some evidence of a recurrent accumuladon and crisis, we are rather witnessing a secular downturn of capitalism and all attempts or tendencies towards "dematerialization" or "decoupling" of capitalist producdon (and growth) from its detrimental ecological impact fail to efTecdvely encounter the root causes of crisis. An attempt is finally made to draw the 'Ijroad contours" of an altemative, communist outlook in overcoming this socio-ecological crisis, and a working-class strategy ensuring the condidons of sustainable human development and an ecologically compadble society.

After a critical review of conventional approaches to sustainability, this paper contrasts orthodox (neoclassical) economic theory with a political economy approach, arguing that such an approach focusing on the historically specific organizational form of production and the inherent characteristics of the capitalist mode of production is crucial for exploring the preconditions, the content and the prospects of sustainability. Analyzing briefly these characteristics and the developmental trends of capitalism, we locate the basic causes behind the currently exacerbated economic and ecological crisis, and on these grounds we briefly explore the required systemic transformations necessary to ensure a socially and ecologically, truly sustainable development.

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