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.
KT 03 TM 1.1 Biokerosin: Platform for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic), Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Averdunk, K. (Coordination), Barua, K. K. (Project staff), Groeneveld, J. H. (Project staff), Hüsing, E. (Project staff), Kügemann, M. (Project staff), Lüdeke-Freund, F. (Project staff), Moser, C. (Project staff), Wahl, N. (Project staff), Walmsley, D. (Project staff), Wreesmann, J. (Project staff), Bailis, R. (Project staff) & Burritt, R. L. (Project manager, academic)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
01.01.11 → 31.12.15
Project: Research
tdAcademy: Platform for Transdisciplinary Research and Studies
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Grauer, C. (Project staff) & Lam, D. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.06.20 → 31.08.23
Project: Research
PLUS Change: PLUS Change - Participatory Land Use Strategies: Meeting biodiversity, climate and social objectives in a Changing world.
Newig, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.06.23 → 31.05.27
Project: Research
Political Leadership as a Key Driver towards Sustainability.
von Stauffenberg, A.-K. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.19 → 12.12.23
Project: Dissertation project
P4F: Politics4Future: Youth teacher engagement on SDG 4.7 – Building political agency in youth teacher trai-nees for global citizenship learning, sustainability and social transformation
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Joon, D. (Project staff) & Bürgener, L. (Coordination)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.01.22 → 01.07.24
Project: Research
Politikberatung in der Wissensgesellschaft: Eine Analyse umweltpolitischer Beratungssysteme
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.06.98 → 31.05.01
Project: Research
Politik der Suffizienz: Eine theoretische und empirische Analyse der Möglichkeiten und Grenzen einer politischen Umsetzung der Suffizienzstrategie (Arbeitstitel)
Spengler, L. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.10 → 03.03.17
Project: Dissertation project
PoNa: Politiken der Naturgestaltung. Ländliche Entwicklung und Agro-Gentechnik zwischen Kritik und Vision
Mölders, T. (Project manager, academic) & Gottschlich, D. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.08.08 → 30.04.09
Project: Research
Politiken nachhaltiger Naturgestaltung als Beitrag zur Demokratisierung der Demokratie – Agro-Gentechnik im Mehrebenensystem (Arbeitstitel)
Gottschlich, D. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.09 → …
Project: Research
"Portal Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung" (Machbarkeitsstudie)
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.02 → 28.02.03
Project: Research