Development planning in the Lao PDR will profit from a strong focus on the principles of sustainable consumption and production to guide investments into institutions, policies and strategies that manage the country’s transition to a middle income economy in a way commensurate with the SDGs and harnesses the potential of a resource-rich country and the large amount of infrastructure and capital that still needs be built over coming decades. Well-designed policies will help steer the country away from the pitfalls of an extractive economic pattern towards an economy based on innovation and potential.