ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I ask three questions: (1) Can capitalism survive? (2) Can the UN’s sustainability goals be realized? and (3) Are democracy and sustainability compatible? My answers to these questions are: (1) Yes, capitalism can survive because of capitalism’s ability to transform and adapt to changing social and economic situations. (2) Yes, the UN’s sustainability goals can be realized because in the same way as most Western societies transformed their societies toward a welfare state in the aftermath of WWII, it will be possible for many societies to transform their societies toward a sustainable society. (3) Democracy is partly compatible with sustainability because it is challenging to combat climate change through democracy. At the same time, democracy can contribute to achieving other important goals of a sustainable society.
