Sustainable economic practices are usually discussed under two premises that, upon closer examination, prove to be untenable: On one hand, it is a common belief that permanent economic growth can be reconciled with adequate protection of ecological foundations, provided that concepts of dematerialization (efficiency) or ecologicalization (consistency) are more widely applied. On the other hand, sustainable development is seen as a matter of "correct" and profound innovations. This work addresses the resulting contradictions and draws conclusions that culminate in a multi-stage transformation scheme. The resulting program takes into account a critical engagement with the dominant growth and innovation paradigm. Therefore, the elaboration of its concrete steps ranges from addressing the span.