Sustainable Development Goals: Can Capitalism Change?

This chapter presents the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agreed upon, in 2015, by 195 nations. The objectives combine biosphere, social and economic goals. The argument in this chapter is that the SDG logic is strictly modern, since it has as one of its premises that economic growth (SDG8) is necessary for sustainable development. Since economic growth has historical trade-offs and contradictions with social-oriented and nature-oriented goals, a number of post-development alternatives have emerged from that premise. Here, I examine alternatives emerging in the Global South and the Global North that challenge the sustainable development view. Recent definition of objectives, goals and lessons by these distinct worldviews allowed for a comparison between them and the SDG. This analysis reveals (1) the SDG has gaps related to cultural diversity and to inner dimensions of sustainability and (2) there is more complementarity and synergy between the distinct worldviews than there are trade-offs, although existing trade-offs are substantial. Further dialogue between distinct worldviews will be key to fostering a future state of planetary well-being that allows for the healthy and peaceful coexistence of the various ‘universes’ that inhabit our planet.