Towards an Elaborated Theory of Inclusive Development

Sustainable development often leads to strong trade-offs, mostly in favour of economic growth. Inclusive development responds by focusing mainly on the social and environmental aspects of development and on current generations. While the literature covers inclusive growth in some detail, few authors actually elaborate on inclusive development and how the concept can be made operational. This article first positions inclusive development in the development debate. It then discusses inclusive development per se, in the Anthropocene, and from a relational perspective. Finally, it elaborates how inclusive development can be implemented by (i) developing relevant epistemic communities, communities of practice and social movements, (ii) transforming governance into interactive governance to enable empowerment and (iii) adopting appropriate governance instruments. It concludes that inclusive development will only be brought about through genuine interactive governance that provides the instruments and creates the conditions for adaptive learning and the empowerment of marginalized people.