Desarrollo sostenible y globalización: cuando el futuro influye sobre el presente

Abstract

In this article we will focus on the definitions of the concepts of Globalisation and Sustainable Development, in order to trace some of their most relevant features and analyse its consequences, aims and evolution over the last decades. Afterwards, we will take an approach to some of the criticisms concerning Sustainable Development, and which must be taken into account, so that they do not become true and, therefore, do not truncate the whole process. We will also provide an analysis of how the Sustainable Development is taking shape, which will be carried both from a global perspective, which related to the change in individual and social values, and from a more technological perspective, which focuses on production efficiency and technical and scientific developments. As we will see, both perspectives are necessary and can be implemented, even though some changes need to be done in the values of the social (political and cultural) system. Such changes do not refer only to personal and social values —these are very important to help us adopt attitudes that are on the line of sustainability—, but also to the way of governing, the way in which decisions are made and, especially, to the distribution of economic power.