SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE, AND HUMAN RIGHTS

AN INTEGRATED ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The aim is to explore the interconnection between three fundamental concepts—sustainable development, distributive justice, and human rights—from the perspective of an economist, with an emphasis on theoretical implications, policy choices, and global empirical evidence, with particular reference to Europe and Italy. Through a critical review of the theoretical foundations, drawing on the contributions of welfare economics, development economics, and the capabilities approach, special attention is given to the redistributive effects of sustainable policies and the economic relevance of fundamental human rights. The analysis highlights the urgent need for a “new” economic approach, one that is inherently multidimensional and oriented toward building more equal, inclusive, and resilient societies. Human capital, social capital, and growth have become increasingly central to the analysis of economic systems. A proper enhancement of human resources generates positive externalities in terms of increased individual well-being, and also collective welfare, thereby supporting the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights. Human capital — conceived as the individual stock of knowledge, skills, and competencies that facilitate participation in the labor market and social life — shapes the economic growth trajectories of different countries through several channels. This is strongly linked to education, innovation, and territorial development. The value of this relationship is particularly significant today, as prolonged economic turbulence continues to affect mostly leading industrialized economies, and leaves many low-income countries trapped in poverty and high levels of debt, despite the opportunities offered by integration into the global economy and the support received from the international community. In recent decades, humanity has faced unprecedented global challenges: environmental crises, rising inequalities, forced migration, pandemics, and increasing social tensions. Ongoing trade disputes and conflicts are undermining trust at the international level, with negative consequences for global economic prospects. Recently, the International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth forecasts for the next two years to below 3 percent, well beneath the average of previous decades. Against this backdrop, the prevailing worldview—atomized, mechanistic, and conflict-driven—is increasingly incompatible with the complexities of the XXI century. Ecologically, the climate emergency has shattered the illusion of national isolation. Technologically, the hyperconnectivity of digital networks has blurred the boundaries between the local and the global, the private and the public. Existentially, humanity is beginning to confront its own limitations—not only in terms of finite resources, but also in relation to the dominant narratives that have shaped its political and economic trajectories for centuries. Growing economic inequalities, environmental degradation, and the violation of fundamental human rights raise severe questions about the sustainability of the dominant present model. In this context, sustainable development emerges as an essential paradigm for ensuring an equitable future and long-term growth, wherein the policy decisions of national governments and international institutions can play a decisive role in guiding current economic growth toward a more equitable and inclusive transformation. This requires a strong focus on distributive justice and the protection of human rights. A "New Global Pact on sustainability and human rights" could strengthen both the legitimacy and the effectiveness of international economic policies.