Governance, Law & Institutions

Transformations toward sustainability require well-defined legal and institutional structures and strategic political-administrative decision-making processes. Our research on sustainability governance, law and institutions aims to generate knowledge on how democratic structures and processes can empower and guide socio-technical and socio-ecological change, while remaining adaptable to rapidly evolving circumstances. Recognizing the significance of cultural, legal-institutional, and biophysical contexts in which governance unfolds, we emphasize the absence of universal solutions.

Our research contributes to rigorous theory-building and empirical evidence, using cutting-edge methods, and spanning all levels: The local levels, we study how participatory and collaborative governance contribute to sustainable governance outcomes; at the national level, we research how the 17 SDGs contribute to transforming state-based institutions; at the European and international level, we explore the interplay of different regulatory mechanisms with a focus on how global supply chain regulations unfold and how international legal institutions contribute to a global sustainability transformation.

In combination, our internationally leading research contributes to the grand theme of how democratic institutions, strategies and legal instruments need to be shaped to further urgently required sustainability transformations.

Institute of Sustainability Governance