Unfortunately, we are unlikely to get the world of our wishes. The SDGs negotiations reflect what is currently possible in a multilateral framework: relatively little. No government is truly willing to tackle the causes of inequality and hunger, which would require making fair taxation and comprehensive welfare a top priority. Such reforms would be more effective than any development aid, but for now they are off limits. The language agreed upon so far is not reassuring. A timeworn commitment to economic growth at all costs is no answer to the question of how development can be balanced against the limits of our planet and the fact that billions of people live in poverty. In a finite world, infinite growth is impossible, and rising output will not put food on everyone's table if the benefits of growth are not fairly distributed.