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

    Introducing education for sustainable development into Egyptian schools

    Sewilam, H., McCormack, O., Mader, M. & Abdel Raouf, M., 04.2015, In: Environment, Development and Sustainability. 17, 2, p. 221-238 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Linking stakeholder survey, scenario analysis, and simulation modeling to explore the long-term impacts of regional water governance regimes

    Withycombe Keeler, L., Wiek, A., White, D. D. & Sampson, D. A., 04.2015, In: Environmental Science & Policy. 48, p. 237-249 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Model choice and size distribution: a Bayequentist approach

    Engler, J.-O. & Baumgärtner, S., 04.2015, In: American Journal of Agricultural Economics. 97, 3, p. 978-997 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Natural habitat does not mediate vertebrate seed predation as an ecosystem dis-service to agriculture

    Schäckermann, J., Mandelik, Y., Weiss, N., von Wehrden, H. & Klein, A. M., 04.2015, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 52, 2, p. 291-299 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Impacts of software and its engineering on the carbon footprint of ICT

    Kern, E., Dick, M., Naumann, S. & Hiller, T., 01.04.2015, In: Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 52, p. 53-61 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Making REDD+ pay: Shifting rationales and tactics of private finance and the governance of avoided deforestation in Indonesia’

    Dixon, R. & Challies, E., 01.04.2015, In: Asia Pacific Viewpoint. 56, 1, p. 6-20 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Regionale StadtLandschaften

    Hofmeister, S. & Klee, A., 30.04.2015, In: Raumforschung und Raumordnung. 73, 2, p. 77-78 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  10. Published

    Konzept für die Fortentwicklung des deutschen Klimaschutzrechts

    Ekardt, F., Klinski, S. & Schomerus, T., 05.2015, Marburg: Metropolis Verlag für Ökonomie. 535 p. (Beiträge zur sozialwissenschaftlichen Nachhaltigkeitsforschung; vol. 17)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    A continental-scale analysis of feral cat diet in Australia

    Doherty, T. S., Davis, R. A., van Etten, E. J. B., Algar, D., Collier, N., Dickman, C. R., Edwards, G., Masters, P., Palmer, R. & Robinson, S., 01.05.2015, In: Journal of Biogeography. 42, 5, p. 964-975 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review