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.
CS Barometer: Corporate Sustainability Barometer 2012. State of the art and progress of sustainability management in major German companies
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Harms, D. (Project staff), Hörisch, J. (Project staff) & Windolph, S. E. (Project staff)
01.08.11 → 31.12.13
Project: Research
Slow Fashion: Creative, technical and economic innovations for mass-market offerings in the clothing sector
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Kaspar, U. (Project staff) & Freudenreich, B. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.01.15 → 30.06.18
Project: Research
Crowdfunding of Environmental Innovations: Identification of target groups and communication of success factors for start-ups & SMEs
Hörisch, J. (Project manager, academic), Tenner, I. (Project staff) & Buhr, M. (Project staff)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
06.12.18 → 19.09.22
Project: Research
DANCE: DArwin's Naturalization Conundrum rEvisited (DANCE) – Darwin meets omics
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic), Galmán, A. (Partner), Neumann, S. (Partner), van Dam, N. M. (Partner), Uthe, H. (Partner), Winter, M. (Partner) & Daehler, C. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.20 → 31.12.23
Project: Research
KLAM: DAS: Klimaanpassung managen! Weiterbildung für Bildungsakteure, Naturschutzexpert_Innen, Umwelt-, Nachhaltigkeits- und Klimaschutzbeauftragte in Kommunen sowie Multiplikator_innen zu regionalen Klimaanpassungsmanager_Innen
Urban, B. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, K. (Project staff) & Katz, C. (Coordination)
01.06.16 → 31.03.19
Project: Transfer (professional training)
BNE in der Kita - Grabau: Das Leben nachhaltig gestalten lernen: Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Kita. Begleitforschung und Weiterbildung für ErzieherInnen und LehrerInnen im Naturerlebniszentrum Grabau
Stoltenberg, U. (Project manager, academic), Asmussen, S. (Project staff), Benoist, B. (Project staff), Holz, V. (Project staff), Offen, S. (Project staff), Kosler, T. (Project staff) & Moths, K. (Project staff)
01.03.10 → 01.03.13
Project: Research
Lipidprofil: Das Lipidprofil des initialen oralen Biofilms - Charakterisierung und prophylaktische Modifikation
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Reich, M. (Project staff)
01.11.10 → 16.07.13
Project: Research
Das Recht auf Zugang zu Informationen im Rahmen der europäischen REACH-Verordnung
Schulze-Rickmann, S. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
17.03.07 → 25.08.09
Project: Dissertation project
Digidok: Das Versuchsprotokoll 2.0 - aus analog wird digital
Abels, S. (Project manager, academic) & Stinken-Rösner, L. (Project staff)
01.01.22 → 31.12.22
Project: Research
DATIpilot: DATIpilot - Community - CommunitE-Innovation - Innovations-Ökosysteme für gemeinschaftsgetragene Energieversorgung; TP2: Rechtliche Analyse und Werkzeuge
Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.25 → 28.02.27
Project: Research
DIANE-CM: Decentralised Integrated Analysis and Enhancement of Awareness through Collaborative Modelling and Management of Flood Risk
Evers, M. (Project manager, academic), Lange, L. (Project staff) & Teklesadik, A. D. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.09.09 → 30.09.11
Project: Research
D&D: Decolonising and Diversifying the Curriculum
Brogan, A. (Project manager, academic), Hobuß, S. (Project staff), Bremer, V. (Project staff), Edlich, M. G. P. (Project staff), List, F. (Project staff) & Lommel, L. (Project staff)
28.06.23 → …
Project: Teaching
Deficits in EU and US Mandatory Environmental Information Disclosure Laws - Legal, Comparative Legal and Economic Facets of Pollutant Release Inventories
Bünger, D. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
09.03.07 → 25.01.11
Project: Dissertation project
Degradation of emerging contaminants by advanced oxidation technologies: Kinetics, identification of degradation products and assessment of biodegradability and toxicology
Wilde, M. L. (Project manager, academic)
04.04.13 → 31.03.15
Project: Research
Kili-SES (NCP): Demand and values of Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP)
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Groß, M. (Project staff), Pearson, J. (Project staff) & Julius, J. (Project staff)
01.07.20 → 01.02.26
Project: Research
Der anthropogene Klimawandel und seine Resonanz in der Bevölkerung - Eine theoretische und empirische Untersuchung des Klimabewusstseins in Deutschland
Weber-Moritz, M. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.02 → 30.04.07
Project: Dissertation project
Der Beitrag des privaten Umweltrechts zu den Umweltschutzzielen
Wogersien, J. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
21.03.06 → 12.06.06
Project: Dissertation project
Der Beitrag von Semi-Subsistenzwirtschaft zu einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung ländlicher Räume. Eine Untersuchung in ausgewählten Regionen Polens (Arbeitstitel)
Szumelda, A. U. (Project manager, academic) & Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.09 → …
Project: Dissertation project
Der partizipative Weg in die nachhaltige Gesellschaft? Formative Evaluation der Gestaltung neuer Partizipationssituationen in Politik und Wirtschaft zur Förderung nachhaltiger Entwicklung auf der Basis systemübergreifender Prinzipien der Partizipation
Basmer-Birkenfeld, S.-V. (Project manager, academic), Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic) & Wulfsberg, J. P. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.16 → …
Project: Dissertation project