School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
Organisation profile
Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.
Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.
Main research areas
Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.
Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.
Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.
We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.
Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.
Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.
With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.
Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses
In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.
TransPharm: Transforming into a sustainable European pharmaceutical sector
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Olsson, O. (Project manager, academic)
01.06.22 → 31.05.26
Project: Research
Transitionsgestaltung für nachhaltige Innovationen - Initiativen in den kommunal geprägten Handlungsfeldern Energie, Wasser, Bauen und Wohnen - TP 3
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic) & Laws, N. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.05.15 → 30.04.18
Project: Research
Transversale Bildungsfelder. (Ent-)Kopplung von Bildungsorganisation und Wirtschaftsregion in der Bucht von San Francisco und in der Zukunftswerkstatt Buchholz
Herberg, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.12 → 19.01.17
Project: Dissertation project
TreeDi: Tree Diversity Interactions: The role of tree-tree interactions in local neighbourhoods in Chinese subtropical forests; P2: Complementarity through trait variation
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic), Harpole, W. S. (Project manager, academic), Ma, Z. (Project manager, academic) & Yang, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.22 → 31.05.27
Project: Research
TreeDi: TreeDiversity Interactions (TreeDi): The role of tree-tree interactions in local neighbourhoods in Chinese subtropical forests - International Research Training Group funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic), von Oheimb, G. (Project manager, academic), Fichtner, A. (Project manager, academic), Perles-García, M. D. (Project staff), Bruelheide, H. (Project manager, academic) & Wang, Y. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.18 → 30.09.22
Project: Research
TreeDi: Tree Diversity Interactions (TreeDi): The role of tree-tree interactions in local neighbourhoods in Chinese subtropical forests; P1: Spatial above- and belowground complementarity
von Oheimb, G. (Project manager, academic), Fichtner, A. (Project manager, academic), Liu, X. (Project manager, academic), Ma, K. (Project manager, academic) & Bu, W. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.22 → 31.05.27
Project: Research
TR_Experiment Stickstoffeintrag
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic)
02.12.13 → 31.12.17
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
TrICo Subproject: Community Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Hoyer, R. (Project manager, academic), Wenzel, M. (Project manager, academic), Reihlen, M. (Project manager, academic), Farny, S. (Project manager, academic), Cnossen, B. (Project manager, academic), Hörisch, J. (Project manager, academic), Weisenfeld, U. (Project manager, academic), Penz, F. (Project staff), Lommel, L. (Project staff) & von Wulffen, C. (Project staff)
01.08.23 → 31.12.27
Project: Transfer (Scientific Services)
TrICo Subproject: Community Sustainable Production
Ben Khalifa, N. (Project manager, academic), Heger, J. (Project manager, academic), Klusemann, B. (Project manager, academic), Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Schmidt, M. (Project manager, academic), Schulz, J. (Project staff), Stöver, E. (Partner), Dieringa, H. (Partner), Zeise, P. (Project staff), Hendriok, L. (Project staff) & Krämer, R. (Project staff)
01.08.23 → 31.12.27
Project: Transfer (Scientific Services)
TrICo Subprojekt: Community School Improvement and Leadership
Kleinknecht, M. (Project manager, academic), Abels, S. (Project manager, academic), Pietsch, M. (Project manager, academic), Marsch, S. (Project staff), Frentz, J. (Project manager, academic), Schellig, H. (Project staff), Hofmann, L. (Project staff) & List, F. (Project staff)
01.01.23 → 31.12.27
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
TR_Zusatz von Kreide in Kläranlagen
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic)
15.11.12 → 25.06.13
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
TTT: Tundra Trait Team
Haider, S. (Project staff), Bjorkmann, A. (Project manager, academic) & Myers-Smith, I. H. (Project manager, academic)
10.05.18 → …
Project: Research
TM 1.3 C FuE-Projekt 08: Übertragung eines Verfahrens zur Quantifizierung und Bewertung von NSO-Heterocyclen in Umweltproben
Ruck, W. (Project manager, academic), Japsen, A. (Project staff) & Mänz, J. S. (Project staff)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
01.12.11 → 31.10.15
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Umfang des Informationsanspruchs gegenüber dem BMU nach dem IFG und dem UIG hinsichtlich Daten, die der Bundesaufsicht nach dem Atom- und Strahlenschutzrecht vorliegen, sowie sensibler und sicherheitsrelevanter Daten nach der Störfall-Verordnung (Stsch 70001)
Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.08 → 31.03.10
Project: Research
Umweltauswirkungen von Umckaloabo
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.10 → 30.09.11
Project: Research
Umweltbewusstsein in Deutschland 2002. Eine repräsentative Bevölkerungsumfrage.
Kuckartz, U. (Project manager, academic) & Grunenberg, H. (Project staff)
01.10.01 → 28.02.03
Project: Research
Umweltbildung als Innovation - Evaluation von BLK-Modellversuchen zur Umweltbildung
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.95 → 31.12.96
Project: Research
Umweltbildung: ein Problem der Lehrerbildung
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, H. (Project manager, academic) & Schulte, M. (Project staff)
01.01.95 → 31.12.97
Project: Research
Umweltbildung in anderen Ländern und Kontinenten
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.95 → 31.03.96
Project: Scientific event
Umweltbildung unter globalen Perspektiven
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.95 → 31.12.96
Project: Research
Umwelt- und Klimarekonstruktion Forschungsbohrung Garding2
Urban, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.11 → 01.02.16
Project: Dissertation project
Umweltverträgliches Rodentizid
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.06.19 → 30.11.20
Project: Research
Umweltwissenschaftliche Institutionenentwicklung und Aufbau universitärer Umweltbildung
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.00 → 31.12.00
Project: Research
UCOM: Understanding Communal Orientation in Men
Block, K. (Coordination), Martiny, S. E. (Partner), Meeussen, L. (Partner), Olsson, M. (Partner), Schmader, T. (Partner), Schuster, C. (Partner), Van Grootel, S. (Partner) & Van Laar, C. (Partner)
01.11.17 → 31.12.18
Project: Research
Understanding human-carnivore relationships: from social conflicts to ecosystem services
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Lozano Mendoza, J. (Project staff), von Wehrden, H. (Partner), Dorresteijn, I. (Partner) & Fischer, J. (Partner)
01.11.16 → 31.10.17
Project: Research
BETA-FOR: Understorey plant assemblages and primary production
von Oheimb, G. (Project manager, academic) & Fichtner, A. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.22 → 01.05.26
Project: Research
Unesco Chair
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.01.13 → 31.12.19
Project: Other
UE4SD: University Educators for Sustainable Development
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Mader, M. (Coordination), Mader, C. (Project staff) & Burandt, S. (Project staff)
01.10.13 → 19.09.17
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Unraveling patterns of ecosystem services supply: a case study in Southern Chile
Benra, F. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.18 → 31.08.22
Project: Dissertation project
VaNaTe: Unravelling the relation between Values of Nature and Telecoupling
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.23 → 30.04.26
Project: Research
VaNaTe: Unravelling the relation between Values of Nature and Telecoupling
Loos, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.23 → 30.04.26
Project: Research
Unternehmerische Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung. Eine vergleichende Untersuchung am Beispiel ausgewählter europäischer Großunternehmen.
Hetze, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.09 → …
Project: Dissertation project
Unterstützung des Deutschen Sparkassen- und Giroverbands bei der Bewertung der Folgen des EEG 2014 auf die Finanzierung von Erneuere Energien Vorhaben in den Sparkassen
Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.14 → 30.11.14
Project: Research
Untersuchungen zum Abbau siliziumorganischer Verbindungen mithilfe von Labor-Experimenten
Grabitz, E. (Project staff), Olsson, O. (Project manager, academic) & Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.16 → 30.11.20
Project: Dissertation project
UFCL: Urban Future Climate Lab
Kause, A. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.24 → 30.09.30
Project: Research
UROC - Living Campus Accelerator Toolkit
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Schäpke, N. (Coordination)
03.02.17 → 15.03.18
Project: Research
Using plant functional traits to reveal mechanisms behind species richness patterns along elevation gradients
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic), Ratier Backes, A. (Project manager, academic), Römermann, C. (Partner), Knight, T. M. (Partner), Keil, P. (Partner), Alexander, J. M. (Partner) & Arévalo, J. R. (Partner)
01.01.17 → 31.12.21
Project: Research
Verantwortung für Nachhaltigkeit
Baumgärtner, S. (Project manager, academic), John, F. (Project staff), Quaas, M. F. (Partner), Klauer, B. (Partner), Schiller, J. (Partner), Krysiak, F. C. (Partner), Petersen, T. (Partner) & Williams, G. (Partner)
01.07.13 → 30.06.14
Project: Research
RUBIN I: Verbundprojekt: Anwendung von Reinigungswänden - Teilvorhaben: Koordination des Forschungsverbundes, Erstellung eines Leitfadens
Burmeier, H. (Project manager, academic) & Birke, V. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.00 → 31.12.06
Project: Research
Verbundprojekt: Reduktion von Spurenstoffen im Wasserkreislauf durch gezieltes chemisches Design als ein Beitrag der nachhaltigen Chemie zur nachhaltigen Wasserwirtschaft am Beispiel der Textilveredelung, Teilprojekt 1
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Rücker, C. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
16.11.10 → 31.03.13
Project: Research
KLIMZUG-NORD: Verbundvorhaben KLIMZUG-NORD: Anpassungsprozessedes Naturschutzes an den Klimawandel (Teilprojekt 3.7)
Urban, B. (Project manager, academic), Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic), Runge, K. (Project manager, academic) & Katz, C. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.04.09 → 30.09.14
Project: Research
Vereinfachung des Abfallrechts
Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic) & Versteyl, L.-A. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.06 → 08.09.09
Project: Other
Vereinfachung und Verschlankung des Naturschutzrechts
Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.07 → 30.04.08
Project: Research
Verfassungsrechtliche Schutzpflichten zur Bekämpfung des Bienensterbens
Böttinger, J. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
02.03.16 → 30.09.20
Project: Dissertation project
DBU-Sulfonamide: Verringerung des Eintrags an Tierarzneimitteln in die Umwelt mit besser abbaubaren Sulfonamiden
Hamscher, G. (Coordination), Haiß, A. (Project staff), Kümmerer, K. (Partner), Kietzmann, M. (Partner), Höper, H. (Partner), Lattmann, J. (Partner, non-academic) & Jantzen, K. (Partner, non-academic)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.10.10 → 10.02.14
Project: Research
Verringerung von unerwünschten Effekten beim Einsatz von Desinfektionsmitteln im Krankenhaus durch Chemical Leasing
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Streek, M. (Partner, non-academic)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.11.10 → 02.04.13
Project: Research
VerS: VerS - Verfall gesellschafticher Strukturen – Chance für nachhaltige Entwicklung
Newig, J. (Project manager, academic) & Balsam, R. (Project staff)
01.07.09 → 31.12.11
Project: Research
Verwertung evokativer unternehmerischer Ansätze für Umwelt und Gesellschaft
Halberstadt, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.16 → 30.11.20
Project: Other
VidEX: Video4Bio – Lehren und Lernen mittels biologischer Experimentier-Videos
Stinken-Rösner, L. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.21 → 31.12.21
Project: Other
VCSE: Virtual Campus for a Sustainable Europe
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Barth, M. (Project manager, academic) & Burandt, S. (Project staff)
01.02.07 → 30.04.10
Project: Transfer (R&D project)