The challenges from economic to sustainable development: The Chilean perspective

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to describe the economic development Chile has had in the last few years with main focus on economic growth, leaving behind social and environmental variables which could be classified as unsustainable development.

Methodology/approach: Statements, examples, and data are presented in order to support that the development Chile has experienced in the last years is not a sustainable development. Further, through interviews and focus groups across the nation, opinion leaders and citizens have been approached in order to assess their future vision of a sustainable country.

Practical implications: This chapter provides inputs for further decision making processes for public and private policies towards sustainable development in Chile.

Originality/value: The development of Chile is commonly assessed from an economic point of view without considering social or environmental variables which are as important as the economic parameters for realizing a real sustainable development. Thus this chapter adopts a triple-bottom line approach to argue that social and environmental issues should be considered simultaneously with economic progress.