Beyond Governance Project
The Beyond Governance Project researches how businesses can navigate radical uncertainty and global crises. It rethinks sustainable development and offers businesses and policy makers concrete proposals for alternative, effective approaches to sustainable business.
CSR, ESG and stakeholder capitalism are struggling to address global crises
Leading approaches to business sustainability - such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG and stakeholder capitalism - have been unable to address global crises such as climate change, inequality, and authoritarianism. These activities are unable to protect stakeholders and the environment while they raise costs for business and impair international competitiveness. Their design suffers from scientific flaws which undermine the sustainability transition and are fueling an anti-sustainability backlash.
We present an alternative, more effective approach to sustainable business
The Beyond Governance Project outlines a vision for sustainable development based on an ecological view of the relationship between people, firms, markets, the state, and the environment. It has a central focus on policies and practices related to sustainable business, market regulation, and corporate governance. It pushes the content of these policies and practices beyond a focus on economic efficiency while ensuring their compatibility with societal values and the needs of the sustainability transition.
Who are we?
A collaboration of academia, business and civil society
The Project, founded in 2025, involves researchers from Maastricht University, Nyenrode Business University, Erasmus University, and the University of Amsterdam. It receives practical and financial support from academia, businesses, law firms, and civil society organisations.
Registered foundation
The Beyond Governance Project operates through the Dutch ‘Stichting Centrum voor Corporate Governance Amsterdam’ (RSID 809565766). Established in 2000 to create the first university chair in the Netherlands dedicated to Corporate Governance, the foundation has now been repurposed to support our transformative research ambitions.