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.
Bridging The Great Divide in Sustainability Science: Bridging The Great Divide in Sustainability Science: Linking High-Performance Modeling and Transition Experiments to Foster Transformational Change Towards Sustainability
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Forrest, N. (Project staff), Engler, J.-O. (Project staff), Zimmermann, H. (Project staff), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Laubichler, M. (Project manager, academic), Ghosh, A. (Project staff), Reich, M. (Project staff), John, B. (Project staff) & Feller, R. L. (Project staff)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.06.16 → 30.09.19
Project: Research
CapaCity: Building Capacity for Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Cities
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), John, B. (Project manager, academic), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Keeler, L. W. (Project manager, academic), Beaudoin, F. D. (Project manager, academic), Fink, J. (Project manager, academic), Shandas, V. (Project manager, academic), Lerner, A. (Project manager, academic), Almasan, O. (Project manager, academic) & Tamm, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.18 → 15.03.19
Project: Research
CapaCity: Building Sustainability Implementation Capacity in City Staff and Leadership
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), John, B. (Project staff), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Keeler, L. W. (Project staff), Beaudoin, F. D. (Project manager, academic), Fink, J. (Project staff), Shandas, V. (Project staff), Lerner, A. (Project staff), Almasan, O. (Project staff) & Tamm, K. (Project staff)
01.03.17 → 28.02.18
Project: Research
Bürgerbeteiligung bei Onshore-Windenergie – Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Beteiligung von Nachbarn bei der Planung, Genehmigung und Finanzierung der Errichtung und des Betriebs von Windenergieanlagen
Maly, C. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
12.02.14 → 30.09.17
Project: Dissertation project
Biodiversity: Business and Biodiversity Initiative
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Beständig, U. (Project staff)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
01.06.09 → 04.10.11
Project: Research
Business Case für erneuerbare Energieerzeugungs- und Nutzungskonzepte in KMU
Hansen, E. G. (Project manager, academic) & Revellio, F. (Project staff)
01.06.14 → 31.07.15
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Can Subjective Indicators Make Sustainability Assessment More Community Relevant? The Important Role of the Stakeholders’ Participation and the Use of Indicators Set towards the Localization of Sustainable Development
Hatakeyama, T. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.16 → 28.02.22
Project: Dissertation project
CAPFLO - Local resilience capacity building for flood mitigation
Newig, J. (Project manager, academic) & Kochskämper, E. (Project staff)
01.01.16 → 30.06.19
Project: Research
CfN: Caring for natures? Geschlechterperspektiven auf (Vor)Sorge im Umgang mit ,Natur/en‘
Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Mölders, T. (Project manager, academic), Kapitza, K. (Project staff), Deininger, M. (Project staff) & Katz, C. (Partner)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.02.17 → 30.09.20
Project: Research
