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

    Nachhaltige Raumentwicklung

    Hofmeister, S., Mölders, T. & Thiem, A., 2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Spektrum, p. 523-548 26 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesEducation

  3. Published

    Nachhaltiges Investment erfordert "Business Cases for Sustainability"

    Schaltegger, S., 2014, Nachhaltige Geldanlagen: Produkte, Strategien und Beratungskonzepte. Martin, F. & Stefan, S. (eds.). 2 ed. Frankfurt/Main: Frankfurt School Verlag, p. 110-126 17 p.

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

  4. Published

    Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften im Spannungsfeld von Gender, Care und Green Economy: Debatten – Schnittstellen – blinde Flecken

    Gottschlich, D., Roth, S., Härtel, A., Röhr, U., Hackfort, S., Segebart, D. & König, C., 2014, Berlin: LIFE e.V., 27 p. (CaGE Texte; vol. 1).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  5. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit aus rechtlicher Perspektive

    Schomerus, T., 2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin u.a.: Springer Spektrum, p. 290-304 15 p.

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

  6. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit in der Automobilproduktion: Inwieweit kann der Geschäftserfolg eines Automobilherstellers von einem nachhaltigen Produktionsmodell profitieren?

    Ahrens, C., 2014, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 110 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  7. Published

    Nachhaltigkeit lernen an Hochschulen

    Michelsen, G., 2014, Nachhaltigkeit gestalten: Trends und Entwicklungen in der Umweltkommunikation ; Ergebnisse der 19. Internationalen Sommerakademie der Deutschen Bundesstifung Umwelt unter dem Titel "Aktuelle Trends und Entwicklungen in der Umweltkommunikation" vom 09. - 14. Juni 2013 im Internationalen Begegnungszentrum St. Marienthal. Bellendorf, P., Bittner, A., Exner, V., Gruber, F., Peters, U., Pyhel, T. & Witte, U. (eds.). 1 ed. München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 275-288 14 p. (DBU-Umweltkommunikation; vol. 6).

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

  8. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung im Verbund

    Gómez, J. M., Halberstadt, J., Severith, M. & van Vliet, S., 2014, Konzepte, Anwendungen und Entwicklungstendenzen von betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen (BUIS): Tagungsband zu den 6. BUIS-Tagen am 24. und 25.4.2014 in Berlin (16. Tagung der Fachgruppe Betriebliche Umweltinformationssysteme der Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.). Wohlgemuth, V., Lang, C. V. & Marx Gomez, J. (eds.). Shaker Verlag, p. 25-41 17 p.

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

  9. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung zwischen Transparenzanspruch und Management der Nachhaltigkeitsleistung

    Schaltegger, S., 2014, CSR und Reporting: Nach­haltigkeits- und CSR-Berichterstattung verstehen und erfolgreich umsetzen. Fifka, M. S. (ed.). Berlin: Gabler Verlag, p. 21-34 14 p. (Management-Reihe Corporate Social Responsibility).

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

  10. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsethik

    Oermann, N. O. & Weinert, A., 2014, Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Heinrichs, H. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Berlin u.a.: Springer, p. 63-86 24 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  11. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitskompetenz im Spannungsfeld zwischen Kontextabhängigkeit und Perspektiverweiterung

    Katz, C., Thiem, A., Moths, K. & Heilmann, S., 2014, Karriereverläufe in Forschung und Entwicklung: Bedingungen und Perspektiven im Spannungsfeld von Organisation und Individuum. Busolt, U., Weber, S., Wiegel, C. & Kronsbein, W. (eds.). Berlin: Logos Verlag, p. 307-330 24 p.

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