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. 2015
  2. Published

    Key Competencies: Reconciling Means and Ends in Education for Sustainable Consumption

    Fischer, D. & Barth, M., 01.01.2015, Schools for Health and Sustainability: Theory, Research and Practice. Simovska, V. & Mannix McNamara, P. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 41-60 20 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Labelling Sustainable Software Products and Websites: Ideas , Approaches , and Challenges

    Kern, E., Dick, M., Naumann, S. & Filler, A., 01.01.2015, 29th International Conference on Informatics for Environmental Protection. Atlantis Press, p. 82-91 10 p. (Advances in Computer Science Research).

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

  4. Published
  5. Published

    Participatory scenario planning in place-based social-ecological research: Insights and experiences from 23 case studies

    Oteros-Rozas, E., Martín-López, B., Daw, T. M., Bohensky, E. L., Butler, J. R. A., Hill, R., Martin-Ortega, J., Quinlan, A., Ravera, F., Ruiz-Mallén, I., Thyresson, M., Mistry, J., Palomo, I., Peterson, G. D., Plieninger, T., Waylen, K. A., Beach, D. M., Bohnet, I. C., Hamann, M., Hanspach, J., Hubacek, K., Lavorel, S. & Vilardy, S. P., 01.01.2015, In: Ecology and Society. 20, 4, 66 p., 32.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Postkoloniale Perspektiven auf 'weltwärts': Ein Freiwilligendienst in weltbürgerlicher Absicht

    Kontzi, K., 01.01.2015, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. 256 p. ( Entwicklungstheorie und Entwicklungspolitik; vol. 15)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  7. Published

    Processes for green and sustainable software engineering

    Kern, E., Naumann, S. & Dick, M., 01.01.2015, Green in Software Engineering. Calero, C. & Piattini, M. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 61-81 21 p. (Green in Software Engineering).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Promoting landscape heterogeneity to improve the biodiversity benefits of certified palm oil production: Evidence from Peninsular Malaysia

    Azhar, B., Saadun, N., Puan, C. L., Kamarudin, N., Aziz, N., Nurhidayu, S. & Fischer, J., 01.01.2015, In: Global Ecology and Conservation. 3, p. 553-561 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Putting Architecture in its Social Space: the Fields and Skills of Planning Maastricht

    Herberg, J., 01.01.2015, Architecture, Materiality and Society: Connecting Sociology of Architecture with Science and Technology Studies. Müller, A.-L. & Reichmann, W. (eds.). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 166-197 32 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Soil carbon, multiple benefits

    Milne, E., Banwart, S. A., Noellemeyer, E., Abson, D., Ballabio, C., Bampa, F., Bationo, A., Batjes, N. H., Bernoux, M., Bhattacharyya, T., Black, H., Buschiazzo, D. E., Cai, Z., Cerri, C. E., Cheng, K., Compagnone, C., Conant, R., Coutinho, H. L. C., de Brogniez, D., Balieiro, F. D. C., Duffy, C., Feller, C., Fidalgo, E. C. C., da Silva, C. F., Funk, R., Gaudig, G., Gicheru, P. T., Goldhaber, M., Gottschalk, P., Goulet, F., Goverse, T., Grathwohl, P., Joosten, H., Kamoni, P. T., Kihara, J., Krawczynski, R., La Scala, N., Lemanceau, P., Li, L., Li, Z., Lugato, E., Maron, P. A., Martius, C., Melillo, J., Montanarella, L., Nikolaidis, N., Nziguheba, G., Pan, G., Pascual, U., Paustian, K., Piñeiro, G., Powlson, D., Quiroga, A., Richter, D., Sigwalt, A., Six, J., Smith, J., Smith, P., Stocking, M., Tanneberger, F., Termansen, M., van Noordwijk, M., van Wesemael, B., Vargas, R., Victoria, R. L., Waswa, B., Werner, D., Wichmann, S., Wichtmann, W., Zhang, X., Zhao, Y., Zheng, J. & Zheng, J., 01.01.2015, In: Environmental Development. 13, p. 33-38 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Sports and Nature Conservation: Ten Theses on the Optimisation of Shared Communication

    Adomßent, M., 01.01.2015, In: Journal of Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Development . 2, 3, 5 p., 153.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review