Who do we need permission from? The rocks?

If we can’t manage to keep Earth’s ecosystem thriving to support us, we certainly won’t be able to create a new self-sustaining ecosystem elsewhere. And without that, there’s no chance of any non-Earth settlement being able to sustain a healthy human society and culture long-term.

I'm unconvinced that pulling back from space programs will make Earth's ecosystem thrive.

A Mars colony (edit: or space station) owned by a private company will be a corporate prison, the inhabitants are 100% dependent on that company - who would voluntarily put their lives into the hands of the whims of some narcissistic hoarder with no empathy or regard for workers?

Agreed. That would be a super-weird concept, like a country owned by a private corporation.

Any ideas?

I'm not convinced that suspending space programs would create solutions to climate change.

https://spacegenetics.hms.harvard.edu/