This chapter critically examines the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of missing common property and commons governance, focusing on Indigenous and local communities. While the SDGs aim to promote sustainability and equity, their implementation often disregards traditional collective resource governance systems, leading to unintended social-ecological consequences. Using discourse analysis and illustrative case studies, the chapter explores how top-down policies marginalize customary institutions, weaken collective resource management and disrupt local livelihoods. It highlights the tensions between global sustainability frameworks and place-based governance practices, emphasizing the need for more inclusive, context-sensitive approaches. By integrating insights from political ecology, sociology, common-pool resource theory and Indigenous knowledge systems, the chapter argues that recognizing and strengthening local governance mechanisms is essential for achieving truly sustainable development. Furthermore, it discusses how power asymmetries influence decision-making processes, often sidelining those most affected by environmental policies, which includes the danger of using the SDGs for commons grabbing purposes. The findings contribute to broader debates on environmental governance, sustainability and social justice, advocating for a rethinking of the SDGs implementation to align with local realities. Ultimately, this chapter calls for policies that not only protect the environment but also uphold the rights, agency and well-being of Indigenous and local communities, ensuring a more just and effective approach to sustainability.