There are differences of opinions about this but most empirical elucidations suggest that social and environmental changes are interrelated i. e., one acts as a driver for the other. The important question here is, which one is more profound on causal-effect relation? The succinct answer would be 'social change' because natural and environmental processes are in some way inevitable while social changes are mostly human-induced. Hence, environmental change is a function of human-induced social change.

Is this to say that socities are naturally static or—when they transform—it is purely an act of choice?

I would like to remember one of my teacher's words, He told that " When economist becomes ecologist, all these environmental changes or challenges will be balanced"

This is more like the Egg and Chicken analogy; which one came first. Drawing from our experience in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, environmental changes led to social-economic changes - restiveness, migration, livelihoods, etc. The next question will be, what caused the changes in the environment which led to these social issues ? I believe it is a matter of striking an objective/realistic balance between the two.