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.

  1. 2014
  2. Published

    Energie(wende)politik – Auf dem Weg zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung?

    Heinrichs, H., 2014, Kreislaufwirtschaft 2.0: 9. Tagung Siedlungsabfallwirtschaft am 17. und 18. September 2014 in Magdeburg. Haase, H. (ed.). LOGiSCH Verl., p. 13-20 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  3. Published

    Environmental Fate and Exposure Modeling of Nanomaterials

    Scheringer, M., Praetorius, A. & Goldberg, E., 2014, Frontiers of Nanoscience. Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V., p. 89-125 37 p. (Frontiers of Nanoscience; vol. 7).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    Environmental Policy and Landscape Architecture

    Fischer, H., Michelsen, G. & Wolschke-Bulmahn, J., 2014, Environmental Policy and Landscape Architecture. Wolschke-Bulmahn, J., Fischer, H. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (eds.). München: Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft , p. 11-18 8 p. (CGL-Studies; vol. 18).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    EXKURS: Klimawandel im Modellgebiet Lüneburger Heide - Wasserverfügbarkeit als zentrale Herausforderung

    Mersch, I. & Urban, B., 2014, Kursbuch Klimaanpassung: Handlungsoptionen für die Metropolregion Hamburg. K.-N. V. (ed.). Hamburg: TuTech Verlag, p. 80-81 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to scientific reportsResearch

  6. Published

    Exploring plant community assembly for its potential for grassland restoration: the role of traits and functional diversity in assembling grasslands

    Weidlich, E. W. A., Conradi, T., Kollmann, J. & Temperton, V. M., 2014, Integrating ecological knowledge into nature conservation and ecosystem management: GfÖ 2014, 44th Annual Meeting; Book of Abstracts. Mantilla-Contreras, J. & Pätsch, R. (eds.). Gesellschaft für Ökologie, p. 117 1 p. (Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie; vol. 44).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Extreme Climate Events as Opportunities for Radical Open Citizenship

    John, B. & Kagan, S., 2014, In: Open Citizenship. 5, 1, p. 60-75 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Flächenrecycling und Naturschutzrecht

    Sanden, J., 2014, In: Bodenschutz. 3, p. 96-104 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    From Protest to Surveillance – The Political Rationality of Mobile Media: Modalities of Neoliberalism

    Leistert, O., 2014, Peter Lang Verlag. 280 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  10. Published

    Gamma GAMM applied on tree growth data

    Zuur, A. F., Fichtner, A., Ieno, E. N. & Saveliev, A. A., 2014, A beginner's guide to generalized additive mixed models with R. Zuur, A. F., Saveliev, A. A. & Ieno, E. N. (eds.). 1 ed. Newburgh: Highland Statistics Ltd., p. 217-239 23 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    General Patterns and Conclusions

    Schaltegger, S. & Harms, D., 2014, Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges. Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E., Harms, D. & Hörisch, J. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 241-252 12 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review