Considering that the concept of development has a history of being associated with unsustainable neoliberal development, sustainable development aims to provide a sustainable model of development even as critical scholars argue that sustainable development is neoliberal. Departing from the concept of pliable neoliberalism, coined by James H. Mittelman, this thesis aims to engage in a critical and theoretical discussion regarding the connection between pliable neoliberalism and the political dimension of sustainable development from a decolonial, Marxist and post-structuralist approach, through a semi-systematic literature and theory review as well as a thematic deconstruction. The findings reveal how the emergence of pliable neoliberalism has resulted in an unofficial political dimension of sustainable development: the SDG discourse of ‘leaving no one behind.’ In particular, the decolonial and Marxist approach focuses on how the political dimension of sustainable development employs modernity's rhetoric while masking colonial logic. In contrast, the post-structuralist approach emphasizes how the shift from rigid to flexible neoliberalism underscores the necessity for sustainable development to foster new ontological beliefs. The display of the findings also highlights the need for future research to move past the focus of rigid neoliberal and sustainable development and to instead partake in a broader and Pluriversal discussion of how pliable neoliberalism is affecting sustainable development. As such, the thesis intends to provide the starting point for a broader and Pluriversal discussion starting from a critical approach to start generating new knowledge.