Centre for Sustainability Management

What Centre for Sustainability Management does

The Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) is an academic competency center and research hub embedded within Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, a public German university in Lüneburg. Founded in 2003 by Prof. Dr. Stefan Schaltegger, CSM operates as the originator of the world's first university MBA in sustainability management and CSR. Its core offering is a part-time, blended-learning MBA Sustainability Management program combining online study materials, interactive multimedia content, and five mandatory in-person seminar sessions on the Leuphana campus each year. The program targets mid-career professionals seeking to transition into or advance within sustainability management roles, with over 1,000 students and alumni having participated since founding and a record 60 graduates completing the program in 2025.

CSM's product surface extends beyond the multi-year MBA. It offers four Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management (CCSM) covering sustainable supply chain management, decarbonization management, circular economy, and sustainability reporting and accounting, providing shorter-form modular executive education. The 2024-launched MBA-Toolbox Sustainability Management packages 20 practical tools as a downloadable resource commemorating the program's 20-year anniversary. Corporate partners — including AUDI AG (2025 workshop host), Gesundheitsholding Lüneburg GmbH (2026 workshop host), Konica Minolta GmbH, and Bohlsener Mühle — host graduation workshops where cohorts of 20-25 students develop applied sustainability solutions for real industry challenges.

CSM's business model is tuition-driven through Leuphana Universität Lüneburg's Professional School, with the MBA priced on a multi-year subscription basis and exact pricing available only on consultation. Distribution is direct via the university's application portal, supported by content marketing through the CSM blog, LinkedIn presence, the CSM-Alumni e.V. network of over 400 active members with regional chapters, and annual Home Coming Days conferences. The center is funded through tuition and institutional budgets within the public university framework, with no external venture capital. Its commercial moat rests on category-defining first-mover brand status, the durability of its alumni ecosystem, and the institutional integration with Leuphana's conferring-degree authority.

Name

Centre for Sustainability Management

Legal name

Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

Website

https://sustainament.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) is an academic center at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg offering the world's first university MBA in sustainability management (founded 2003), supplemented by CCSM certificate programs, serving mid-career professionals and corporate partners through blended learning and applied workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education (Sustainability Management)

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Sustainable & Responsible Supply Chain (ESG, Scope 3) (BPAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Sustainability management education
• Executive MBA programs
• Corporate sustainability training
• Blended learning programs
• Professional certificate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lüneburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. MBA Tuition Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for the part-time MBA Sustainability Management program offered through Leuphana Universität Lüneburg's Professional School. The program operates as a continuing education master's degree with enrollment-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Centre for Sustainability Management delivers a part-time, blended-learning MBA Sustainability Management program (world's first, founded 2003) covering sustainable development, CSR, sustainability entrepreneurship, and sustainability management, complemented by four CCSM professional certificate programs (Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Decarbonization Management, Circular Economy, Sustainability Reporting & Accounting) and the MBA-Toolbox resource collection. Programs combine online study materials and interactive multimedia with five mandatory on-campus seminar sessions at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, and incorporate corporate partner workshops (e.g., AUDI AG, Gesundheitsholding Lüneburg GmbH) for applied sustainability projects.

Product overview

The Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) at Leuphana University Lüneburg operates as an educational institution offering a portfolio of academic programs and professional certificates in sustainability management. The core offering is the MBA Sustainability Management, the world's first university MBA in sustainability management and CSR, established in 2003. This blended-learning, part-time program is supplemented by the MBA-Toolbox containing 20 practical tools for sustainability management. Additionally, CSM offers four CCSM (Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management) certificate programs covering Nachhaltiges Lieferkettenmanagement, Dekarbonisierungsmanagement, Zirkuläres Wirtschaften, and Sustainability Reporting & Accounting. Together, these programs serve professionals seeking to implement corporate sustainability and sustainable development through business approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MBA Toolbox Sustainability Management: A collection of 20 tools for sustainability management developed to celebrate the MBA's 20th anniversary
• CCSM Certificates

Products and services

• MBA Sustainability Management A part-time, blended-learning MBA program offered by CSM at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, covering sustainable development, sustainable entrepreneurship, CSR, and sustainability management. Designed for working professionals seeking an academically rigorous qualification combined with practical business skills, delivered through online study materials and five mandatory in-person seminar sessions on campus.
• MBA-Toolbox Sustainability Management A downloadable resource collection of 20 tools for sustainability management compiled by CSM to mark the MBA program's 20-year anniversary, providing practical resources for implementing sustainability management practices.
• CCSM Certificate: Sustainable Supply Chain Management (Nachhaltiges Lieferkettenmanagement) A professional certificate program within the Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management (CCSM) portfolio, focusing on sustainable supply chain management for professionals responsible for procurement and supply chain sustainability.
• CCSM Certificate: Decarbonization Management (Dekarbonisierungsmanagement) A professional certificate program within the Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management (CCSM) portfolio, focusing on decarbonization management for professionals working on corporate climate and emissions strategies.
• CCSM Certificate: Circular Economy (Zirkuläres Wirtschaften) A professional certificate program within the Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management (CCSM) portfolio, focusing on circular economy principles and implementation for professionals pursuing resource-efficient business models.
• CCSM Certificate: Sustainability Reporting & Accounting A professional certificate program within the Certificates of Corporate Sustainability Management (CCSM) portfolio, focusing on sustainability reporting and accounting practices for professionals handling non-financial disclosure and ESG data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 graduates completed the program in 2025 - a record cohort
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gesundheitsholding Lüneburg GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Healthcare holding company hosted 2026 graduation workshop where 25 students developed sustainability solutions for the healthcare sector including climate resilience for facilities, natural habitat preservation, and sustainable community catering.
• AUDI AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025AUDI AG serves as workshop partner for MBA graduation projects. In 2025, 25 students developed sustainability solutions for challenges including sustainability foresight, inclusive product design, biodiversity strategies, and resilient supply chains. Topics developed in close collaboration between company representatives, program leadership, and faculty.
• Bohlsener MühleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Bohlsener Mühle opened its facilities for 15 CSM alumni and students to examine sustainable regional development and organic food production as a case study in cooperative and market-oriented sustainability management.
• Konica Minolta GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2017Konica Minolta hosted the 2017 MBA graduation workshop with 20 students examining sustainability across R&D, procurement, marketing, sales, and communications under the lens of sustainable business management.
• INOCASminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Startup spun off from CSM research project on Macauba palm for sustainable biofuel production. INOCAS works with local Brazilian farmers to cultivate Macauba palm sustainably for bioplastics, cosmetics, and animal feed applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): University-based institute within the University of Cambridge offering executive education, postgraduate programs, and research in sustainability leadership. Directly comparable as a globally recognized, university-affiliated sustainability education and research center.
• Bard College MBA in Sustainability: Graduate program offering an MBA focused on sustainable business, located at a US liberal arts college. Direct peer as another university-affiliated MBA in sustainability management with a similar practitioner-academic blend.
• Erasmus Centre for Sustainability and Climate (ECSC): University-based sustainability research and education center at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Comparable as a European university-affiliated hub combining sustainability research, MBA-adjacent courses, and executive education.
• Presidio Graduate School: Graduate school offering MBA and other degree programs oriented around sustainable management and values-led business. Direct peer as an institution specializing in sustainability-focused management education.
• IMD Business School Sustainability Programs: Top-tier business school in Switzerland with executive education in sustainability and climate leadership. Direct peer as an executive education provider in sustainability management serving a similar mid-career professional cohort.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre: Academic research center on sustainability and resilience at Stockholm University. Peer as a European university-affiliated sustainability research and education institution with strong brand reputation.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Business Institute (SBI): European training and advisory organization offering sustainability executive education and corporate programs. Emerging peer offering partial overlap with CSM's CCSM certificate offerings.
• Net Zero Institute: Emerging executive education and certification provider focused on net-zero and climate strategy training for professionals. Comparable as a newer entrant into the same executive sustainability training niche CSM occupies.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Extension School Sustainability Programs: Large US university's continuing education division offering sustainability-related graduate certificates and degrees. Broad incumbent that competes for the same mid-career professional learners albeit with a much wider portfolio of programs.

Others

• Frank Bold Society: Czech-based nonprofit sustainability consultancy and think tank working on corporate ESG, sustainability reporting, and policy. Comparable as a European organization that trains and advises companies on sustainability management but does not offer an MBA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-sustainability-management
• Xx.com/sustainament_de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Sustainability Management