In view of the increasing transgression of planetary boundaries and rising social disparities, one of the biggest questions for the future remains to what extent the economic systems of the Global North will be able to find answers to the complex challenges of the 21st century. A possible orientation framework is offered by the idea of socio-ecological transformation, which addresses economic and political actors as shapers of a sustainable economy that can meet the needs of present and future generations within planetary boundaries.

Against this background, the short study showed perspectives for the design of possible economies of transformation that can have a transformative effect in the direction of sustainable development. For an initial assessment of potential, the approaches of the green economy, the bioeconomy, the circular economy and the digital economy were considered in terms of their sustainability. Based on a critical reflection on the question of growth, principles of a sustainable economy were outlined, with which a change of economic path could be possible.