Sustainable Development: Evolution and Criticalities

Sustainable development is our present. With Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all international and national plans must take into account the sustainability of their activities. Yet the concept has much deeper roots on the international stage than many might assume. Major international climate conferences – such as the Brundtland Commission, the Rio Conference, and even the more recent COPs – have all significantly shaped this idea. However, few are aware of how the North/South divide, along with the work of the Brandt Commission in the 1960s, effectively contributed to the development of the multidimensional concept we know today. Its multidimensionality allows for various interpretations – one of which is promoted by the UN and soon after embraced by the EU through the Green Deal. Criticism of this international framework has grown over the past decade, with many denouncing the failure of the SDGs, and calling for more concrete action. With its own adjustments, Social Democracy too is facing criticism, and offering new proposals.