What does activism for sustainable development look like? How do activists navigate ‘sustainable development’ discourses and identities? And what role do online learning networks play in reshaping their practices? Drawing from activist ethnographic research conducted in Latin America, this talk sheds light on how activists strategically navigate discourses and identities related to sustainable development. However, amidst this strategic flexibility, there exists a looming risk: the overshadowing or sidelining of grassroots community engagement. Ecological endeavours are inherently intertwined with political implications, and socio-political arguments are deeply embedded within ecological concerns (Harvey, 2018). The complexities of ecological and socio-political dimensions demand that they be viewed as interconnected and influencing one another in intricate ways. The talk invites us to maintain a critical lens on the discourses surrounding ‘sustainable development’. By interrogating and challenging dominant discourses, activists can continue to strive for sustainable development that genuinely empowers communities and catalyzes meaningful change, not just in Latin America but beyond.