We hear a lot about “sustainable development”—it’s the buzzword of virtually every UN convening—but often with little clarity on what it means in practice.

Countries like the US, Canada or the UK hardly developed “sustainably”, so to demand that others organise their economies and societies in ways that we never did can feel like pulling up the ladder behind us.

Moreover, how is “development” really defined? Reaching a certain level of GDP per capita? Having the right kinds of “advanced” industries, like finance or tech? And what do any of these indicators tell us about the things that really matter, like ensuring a decent, affordable life for everyone without compromising the planet?

Joining Adrienne to answer these questions is Amir Lebdioui, a development economist, Associate Professor in Political Economy at the University of Oxford and author of “Survival of the Greenest”. In this episode, Amir breaks down the economics of sustainable development, the implications of global tariff wars and what we should all be learning from China.