The Brazilian economy has long been defined by its enormous potential. Over the past 30 years, some of this has at last been realised. Latin America’s largest economy has rapidly risen in global importance while poverty at home has declined. Yet, despite periods of progress, Brazil remains prone to…

Urbanization brings benefits like housing and jobs but also challenges like biodiversity loss. CML's Urban research program uses science to create sustainable cities, focusing on the built environment (circular economy, urban mining) and enhancing urban nature for biodiversity and human benefits.

Porosity between Politics and the Economy addresses the relationships between politics and the economy in deeply original ways. It is a book motivated by a sense of urgency aroused by both the failure of modern capitalism and the environmental crisis.

Are you thinking about studying Philosophical Perspectives on Politics and the Economy? Learn more and watch the introduction and the programme presentation.

Mission: The department of Industrial Ecology is dealing with research into the development of tools for decision making on sustainable production and consumption.

This minor is in Dutch.

Material culture and the role of rural communities in exchange systems of the eighth and ninth centuries

This interdisciplinary minor addresses sustainabilty challenges from a systems perspective, and investigates ways to sustain society within planetary boundaries.

Natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce. If we want to maintain our current standard of living, we will need inventive solutions. The researchers at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) share their thoughts on how to achieve a fully circular economy in which as little use as possible…

In the Governance of Sustainability programme students will learn to become a future ‘change agents’ who can develop and inform governance solutions to complex environmental sustainability challenges.

Former clients en projects

Leiden University offers its students a wide range of bachelor's, master's and minors that explore sustainability or climate. Here, you find an overview of those programmes in the academic year 2020-2021.

The MA in Politics, Society and Economy of Asia takes a social science approach to the study of one or more countries or regions in modern or contemporary Asia.

On 7 February 2019, Helena Ursic-Vrabec defended her thesis 'Uncontrollable: Data subject rights and the data- driven economy'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. dr. S. van der Hof.

The master's programme in Philosophical Perspectives on Politics and the Economy at Leiden University continues the programme formerly known as Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

We also conduct research to make meaningful contributions to society. For instance, by talking about our research, contributing to community projects or by inviting people to help us with our research. Scroll down and discover how Science and Society can mutually reinforce each other.

How can we organise society so as to keep our planet habitable for us and for all other life forms around us? To answer this question, Leiden researchers collaborate across disciplines, from biology to data science, and from environmental economy to archaeology.

Over the past century, the world population has grown exponentially, as has our need for energy and raw materials. If we wish to continue to live prosperously in the future, we have to radically restructure our economy and consumption. Scientific research shows us how to do this.

Over the past century, the world population has grown exponentially, as has our need for energy and raw materials. If we wish to continue to live prosperously in the future, we have to radically restructure our economy and consumption. Scientific research shows us how to do this.

Both within the university and also with outside partners, Leiden University participates in sustainability programmes. These initiatives hopefully contribute to a growing and more robust sustainability movement, locally and world wide.

The Master Honours Classes & Challenges are part of Leiden’s honours education for master’s students. While the Honours Academy is responsible for the practical organisation, the education is coordinated by teachers of all faculties.

Carbon dioxide capture and utilization technologies are necessary to create a truly circular economy. The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formate is an appealing carbon utilization method as it can be performed at room temperature and pressure, it only requires two electrons, and it has…

The Leiden Advocacy Project on Plastic (LAPP) is a pro bono initiative concerning legal questions on plastics and is founded to address and research the legal issues related to plastic pollution.

Over 2,700 cars on the Fremantle Highway that caught fire on 26 July have been so badly damaged that they cannot be sold. Can we recycle these cars?

Corporate R&D organizations and their relation to academic laboratories.

On 29 June May 2022 Yujing Tan successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

To be eligible for Industrial Ecology at Leiden University and Delft University of Technology, you must meet the following admission requirements.

The Bachelor Honours Programme Sustainability is a joint iniatiative by the Honours Academies of Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Irna Hofman defended her thesis on 10 January 2019.

Your time at Leiden and Delft is about more than just studying. Some of your best experiences will stem from being a part of our lively and diverse student community, as well as from life in these beautiful cities.

Jaroslaw Kantorowicz and Rok Spruk examine the contribution of institutional reforms to economic growth.

The World of the Fullo takes a detailed look at the fullers, craftsmen who dealt with high-quality garments, of Roman Italy. Analyzing the social and economic worlds in which the fullers lived and worked, it tells the story of their economic circumstances, the way they organized their workshops, the…

On 15 February 2022, Morshed Mannan defended the thesis 'The Emergence of Democratic Firms in the Platform Economy: Drivers, Obstacles, and the Path Ahead'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. I.S. Wuisman and Prof. J.A.A. Adriaanse.

As Bolivia reels from the collapse of the government in November 2019, a wave of social protests, and now the impact of Covid-19, this book asks: where next for Bolivia?

Here you can find an overview of the offered courses provided by the Department of Economics per study program.

A wide range of metals need to be mined for solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. But the overall mining activity is set to decrease as clean energy replaces fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas.

How can we maximize human wellbeing while keeping resource use and emissions of the economic system within planetary limits? The institute of Environmental Sciences aspires to be a global leader in this field. Our staff wants to create impact. We work on future solutions and educate change-makers.

How to get involved in sustainability? Read more about four projects that Leiden University helped realise in the past few years.

CML’s education programme aims at training (under)graduate and graduate students for integrated and multidisciplinary sustainability research and for better decision making in managing the world’s natural resources, environmental quality and biodiversity.

How do different communities of residents in The Hague perceive and manage food waste in relation to citizenship (rights and responsibilities)?

Are you interested in taking up an extra challenge during your master’s programme? Have a look at our variety of opportunities.

Science, Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)