The problems of greed, disregard for others' suffering, and avoidance of responsibility are universal aspects of the human psyche. The Soviet Union and People's Republic of China have a legacy of industrial pollution at least as damning as any capitalist country:
As you suggest, the best known solution is identifying these externalities, exposing their abuse through a free press, and holding polluters accountable through collective action.
https://www.gerdludwig.com/stories/soviet-pollution-a-lethal...
https://worldcrunch.com/culture-society/china39s-polluted-ri...
Reporters are routinely arrested in communist Vietnam for reporting on industrial pollution:
https://cpj.org/2016/05/two-journalists-arrested-while-cover...
As you suggest, the best known solution is identifying these externalities, exposing their abuse through a free press, and holding polluters accountable through collective action.