Backlash to Sustainability Transformations: Implications, Strategies and the Role of Research

This discussion paper examines the growing backlash against sustainability transformations amid geopolitical instability, economic pressures, and the rise of the far right. It argues that this backlash is closely intertwined with questions of (in)justice, societal polarization, and far-right mobilization, and must be understood in the context of a broader erosion of democratic values and institutions. At the same time, sustainability-oriented and transformative research is itself coming under increasing pressure from funding cuts, shifting research agendas, and calls for greater ‘neutrality’. Backlash is therefore not only a subject of research but also an increasingly challenging condition in which such research is conducted. The authors call for a research agenda that critically engages with the rapidly evolving challenges posed by the backlash. In addition, they urge researchers and research institutions to critically reflect on their roles, defend academic freedom, build strong cross-sectoral alliances and maintain their commitment to sustainability transformations.