The Great Sustain­ability Re­set

Corporate sustainability is no longer a feel-good add-on. It is a contested, high-stakes arena where politics, economics, and geopolitics collide. 

Just two years ago, the trajectory seemed clear. Governments were tightening regulation, public support was strong, and scientific consensus was driving corporate action. Today, this alignment has fractured. 

Political priorities have shifted. Regulatory frameworks are being challenged and recalibrated. Public discourse has become more polarized. Many commentators speak of a “sustainability backlash”. 

But is sustainability really in retreat?

In this talk, Andreas Rasche, Professor at the Department of Management, Society and Communication, will unpack what he calls the "Great Sustainability Reset". 

Yes, the backlash is real. It is reshaping corporate strategies, compliance landscapes, and investor expectations. Yet the story is more nuanced. 

Rather than disappearing, sustainability is being fundamentally reframed. It is increasingly tied to questions of energy security, supply-chain robustness, industrial policy, and Europe’s strategic autonomy. Sustainability is moving from the margins of corporate responsibility to the core of economic resilience.

Andreas Rasche argues that this reset may ultimately strengthen, not weaken, the long-term case for sustainable transformation.

This event is part of CBS Library and Academic Services' celebration of CBS' research, and it contributes to the CBS research dissemination efforts.