The world with its content was given to mankind in order for man to benefit from it. At the same time, one can also benefit the world and improve it.
We aren’t talking benefiting on a physical level. One could change the world spiritually by making it better or worse.
If a person sins, not only does he ruin himself spiritually but he also drags the world down with him. On the flip side, if one improves himself, he doesn’t just elevate himself but also the entire world is elevated with him.
There are two reasons for this. The first is that by the fact that he goes up the ladder he shows others the right path by example.
Secondly, in Hashem’s eyes, anyone who benefits this person also gets a zchut for it. We find this by Yaakov avinu that all the stones were arguing with each other in order to have the merit to be under Yaakov’s head. According to this understanding it was because they all wanted to be elevated together with the tsadik.
Imagine a very wealthy person who has a limo driving him around. Just like he gets to sit there so do his servants and helpers who have to go with him. They benefit from all the services that are offered in that ride.