Systematic leadership towards sustainability implies utilization of systems thinking for step-wise approaches to transformative changes towards sustainable societies. This ‘call-for-papers’ (CfPs) for a Special Volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production is focused upon what types of research are needed for us to make the necessary local, regional, national and global changes. This CfPs is for anyone who wishes to address these challenges seriously, that is, to utilize essential aspects of leadership to contribute strategically to the transition towards sustainable societies. To successfully address these challenges, people from different sectors and disciplines must work together in a coordinated and efficient way. We wish to explore the question: What support do such transformative endeavors require and how can science contribute?

In today's business environment, "garbage" isn't simply worthless refuse to be disposed of anymore; it often represents a material with monetary value. The human population is using up about 30 percent more natural resources in one year than the earth can regenerate. Because businesses constitute half of the world's largest economies, there can be no sustainability without sustainable businesses. The Business of Sustainability: Trends, Policies, Practices, and Stories of Success is a foundation set that effectively captures and articulates the why, what, who, and how of sustainability and business. Volume I covers the scientific, economic, and social underpinnings of sustainability and identifies the challenges facing business leaders.