Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) at Leuphana University Lüneburg is an internationally operating centre conducting research, teaching and continuous education in the fields of entrepreneurial sustainability management, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship.

The Centre analyses causes, structures and processes of environmental, social and sustainability related problems applying concepts and methods of business management, entrepreneurial and environmental sciences. It develops integrated, sustainability solutions for companies, the economy and society by creating integrative ecological, social and economic approaches to sustainability management and entrepreneurship.

How can sustainability performance in and of companies be measured effectively and efficiently? What are relevant framework conditions for effective CSR and sustainability management? How can stakeholder relationships be managed effectively? These and other questions are examined by CSM that also deals with practical up-to-date issues such as supply chain management, biodiversity management or social businesses.

CSM offers a distance learning MBA in Sustainability Management - the first Green MBA worldwide and the leading programme for sustainability management and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Centre is furthermore involved in developing programmes and courses on CSR and sustainability management at Leuphana University Lüneburg and other universities.

 

Main research areas

The CSM provides input into numerous curricular programmes and courses on CSR and sustainability management at the Leuphana University Lüneburg and at other universities. Since 2003 the CSM offers the MBA in Sustainability Management as continuous education program to educate and support ‘change agents for sustainability’ in business. In addition to the comprehensive MBA programme, there is also a modular certificate program - theCertificates of Corporate Sustainability Managementon topics such as circular economy, decarbonisation management, sustainability reporting & accounting, sustainability management in sport or sustainable supply chain management.

The Centre also makes a substantial contribution to on-campus degree programmes at the Leuphana University Lüneburg.

Continuing education programmes

The MBA in Sustainability Management is the first university MBA in sustainability management and corporate social responsibility (CSR) worldwide. The e-learning supported distance learning degree programme can be completed in either part-time (two years) or full-time (one year). The MBA in Sustainability Management is accredited according to European guidelines and leads to the internationally recognised degree "Master of Business Administration" (MBA).

The CSM is also active in a number of other international continuing education programmes in CSR and sustainability management. For years the Centre has collaborated in continuing education and distance programmes with the FernUniversität Hagen (Germany’s leading open university) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT). The CSM organises the whole area of environmental management for their interdisciplinary programme of studies in environmental sciences (the Infernum Master of Science in Environmental Sciences at the UMSICHT Fraunhofer Institute).

  1. Published

    The Relationship of Environmental and Economic Performance at the Firm Level: A Review of Empirical Studies in Europe and Methodological Comments

    Wagner, M. & Wehrmeyer, W., 01.01.2002, In: European Environment. 12, 3, p. 149-159 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    The Role of Accountants in Controlling Sustainability Information

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 2013, EMAN-EU 2013 Conference MATERIAL FLOW COST ACCOUNTING: CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. Guenther, E. & Bergmann, A. (eds.). Dresden: TU Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, p. 121-125 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    The Role of an SME’s Green Strategy in Public-Private Eco-innovation Initiatives: The Case of Ecoprofit

    Hansen, E. G. & Klewitz, J., 01.01.2012, In: Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 25, 4, p. 451-477 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The role of business models for sustainable consumption: A pattern approach

    Lüdeke-Freund, F., Froese, T. & Schaltegger, S., 01.10.2019, A Research Agenda for Sustainable Consumption Governance. Mont, O. (ed.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 86-104 19 p. (Elgar research agendas).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. E-pub ahead of print

    The Role of Individual Beliefs for Corporate Sustainability Transformations

    Buhr, M. & Weissbrod, I., 28.02.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility. 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published
  8. Published

    The Role of the Accountants in Corporate Sustainability Accounting. An Analysis from a Promotor Perspective

    Zvezdov, D., 2012, European Academy of Management (EURAM) : EURAM 2012 Social Innovation for Competitiveness, Organisational Performance and Human Excellence. Rotterdam: Erasmus University Rotterdam, p. 97 1 p. (European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference; vol. 2012).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    The Social Case as a Business Case: Making Sense of Social Entrepreneurship from an Ordonomic Perspective

    Beckmann, M., 2011, Corporate Citizenship and New Governance: The Political Role of Corporations (Ethical Economy). Pies, I. & Koslowski , P. (eds.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, p. 91-115 25 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The sustainability balanced scorecard: An introduction to the SBSC and its links to accounting and reporting

    Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Schaltegger, S., 2019, Measuring and controlling sustainability: Spanning Theory and Practice. Lindgreen, A., Vallaster, C., Yousafzai, S. & Hirsch, B. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 33-53 21 p. (A Gower book).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review