The capability approach: A promising foundation for sustainable development?

Over the past few years, the capability approach (CA) has been increasingly recognized as a promising foundation of sustainable development despite the persistent critiques of its deliberative democracy concept. This paper theoretically and empirically analyzes CA?s potential and challenges as a foundation for sustainable development. We find that CA is more suitable than standard economic theory as a theoretical framework of sustainable development. Some, although not all of CA?s implicit motivational assumptions, are confirmed by our empirical findings. We also find that, to overcome CA?s idealized concept of a deliberate democracy, the framework will have to be strengthened. We finally discuss the need for future research and ways to further develop CA as a foundation for sustainable development.