DEVELOPMENT

1 Executive summary
ΑGREENING
WITHOUT STATES
The equation between the right to development for
all and the limits of the physical world has still not
been solved. However, driven by coalitions of mainly
non-state actors, who take on board some shared or
global challenges that they deem critical (especially
environmental ones), there is a sea change in mindsets
and new practices emerge.
Multinationals, local governments, large NGOs, and those actors accustomed to cooperating
outside formal channels dominate a hyper-connected world where innovation,
expertise, and resilience are the keys to action. The nation-state does not disappear, with
a continuing presence notably on the social inclusiveness front, but its influence on issues
of environmental transition is overshadowed by hybrid coalitions whose contours and
interests fluctuate in line with the causes they are defending at a particular time. Pathways
that are more viable, though less equitable and thus less sustainable, take shape.
ΑALIGNING
ASPIRATIONS
Solutions to the equation between development for
all and the limits of the physical world are being
found. Recognition that the issues are interdependent
and that managing them requires concerted global
action pushes many States and local governments but
also the private sector in both the Global North and
Global South to radically reform their strategies and
practices. New political partnerships, fostered by
hyper-connectivity and innovation, successfully align
the aspirations of the many stakeholders regarding
environmental questions and the need for inclusive development. In a world increasingly
aware of its natural limits and the need for integration, more sustainable pathways and
new forms of prosperity emerge – even though they remain fragile – fostering broader
access to a universal notion of dignity.
Foresighting for Development
Development agencies, steering through future worlds. Afd2025
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