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A balancing act between economic growth and sustainable development: Historical trajectory through the lens of development indicators

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  • Tadashi Hirai

Abstract

The evolution of the development discourse is profoundly political. Despite a range of innovations the situation remains much the same, and has led over time to the dominance of the economic growth model. Whilst academic/ideological vigour, policy relevance and institutional support, together with intellectual independence, are essential; too radical an alternative approach would be dismissed by mainstream opinion, either by design or neglect. To survive and to remain influential, any alternative requires the mainstream to engage with it for political feasibility. The development discourse has thus evolved through a delicate balancing act, acknowledging a need for a cautiously optimistic outlook. By tracing changes in two approaches to development (basic needs and human development) and in two global development goals (millennium development goals and sustainable development goals) through their selection and use of indicators, this article explores both the explicit and the implicit power of the mainstream in the past and present alternatives.

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  • Tadashi Hirai, 2022. "A balancing act between economic growth and sustainable development: Historical trajectory through the lens of development indicators," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1900-1910, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:30:y:2022:i:6:p:1900-1910
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2357
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    1. Chang Liu & Bowen Deng, 2023. "Is it really paid for sustainable development? The economic significance of firms' green practice," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 908-925, April.
    2. Idiano D'Adamo & Massimo Gastaldi & Ilhan Ozturk, 2023. "The sustainable development of mobility in the green transition: Renewable energy, local industrial chain, and battery recycling," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 840-852, April.
    3. Nicholas Bamegne Nambie & Philomena Dadzie & Dorcas Oye Haywood-Dadzie, 2023. "Measuring the Effect of Income Inequality, Financial Inclusion, Investment, and Unemployment, on Economic Growth in Africa: A Moderating Role of Digital Financial Technology," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 111-124, July.
    4. Yeboah, Samuel, 2023. "Balancing Growth and Green: Strategies for Sustainable Development in Developing Economies," MPRA Paper 118180, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 20 Jun 2023.
    5. Ayad, Fayssal, 2023. "Mapping the path forward: A prospective model of natural resource depletion and sustainable development," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    6. Tatiana N. Litvinova & Nodira B. Abdusalomova & Tatiana A. Dugina & Igor V. Denisov, 2024. "Change Management Based on Smart Technologies for Sustainable Business Development," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 25(1), pages 17-30, September.
    7. Peter Ferguson & Linda Wollersheim, 2023. "From sustainable development to resilience? (Dis)continuities in climate and development policy governance discourse," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 67-77, February.

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