Rethinking Transition through Temporalities: Discursive Alternatives for Crafting Sustainable Futures

Abstract

Time is a contested terrain where visions of the future collide, unfold, and reconfigure. Its significance becomes even more pronounced in moments of so-called ‘transition,’ where competing paradigms seek to shape the direction of socio-environmental pathways. This article unravels the temporal dimensions of Sustainable Development, Green Transition, Degrowth, and Buen Vivir/Sumak Kawsay, revealing the tensions between linear, progress-driven narratives and decelerative, cyclical, and relational conceptions of time. Particularly, this article explores how Indigenous ethical-philosophical principles - such as Kawsak Sacha, Tinkuy, and Tukuna - invite a reconceptualization of socio-environmental justice that transcend the linear extractivist logics of modernity. Drawing from post-development and decolonial theory, this article argues that a pluriversal transformation, which acknowledges multiple temporalities, is crucial for fostering a more socially and ecologically just future. This transformation calls for a profound re-engagement with the rhythms of nature and regenerative cycles that sustain life, positioning time itself as a site of struggle and Indigenous knowledge as a critical source for reimagining sustainable futures