Mapping the evolving research landscape of sustainability science from 2006 to 2023: unveiling its transformation

Exploring the trends of sustainability science research is vital for advancing our understanding of creating a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet and society. This overview article explores a segment of the sustainability science research landscape from 2006 to 2023 by examining articles published in the Sustainability Sciencejournal. The initial step involved categorizing articles into four distinct periods, each representing a phase in the journal and field’s evolution. The changing research topics and their interconnectedness were investigated by involving natural language processing, non-negative matrix factorization topic modeling, and Jaccard similarity analysis in Python. The study reveals shifting emphases over these periods: 2006–2010 focused on human–environment links; 2011–2015 shifted to practical solutions, such as climate adaptation; 2016–2020 focused on the integration of transdisciplinary knowledge, SDGs, and sustainability transitions; and 2021–2023 centered on transformative changes in sustainability. Based on the Sustainability Sciencejournal publications, the field has evolved from foundational principles to current priorities such as transdisciplinary approaches, deep sustainability transformations, bioeconomy, and intergenerational narratives. The evolving landscape responds to environmental, societal, cultural, and technological changes. While the Sustainability Sciencejournal has played an essential role, there remains potential to further concentrate on emerging topics and transformative methodologies. This study offers valuable insights into propelling sustainability science forward to address global challenges and pave the way for a sustainable and equitable future.