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

    Grassland management intensification weakens the associations among the diversities of multiple plant and animal taxa

    Manning, P., Gossner, M. M., Bossdorf, O., Allan, E., Zhang, Y. Y., Prati, D., Blüthgen, N., Boch, S., Böhm, S., Börschig, C., Hölzel, N., Jung, K., Klaus, V. H., Klein, A. M., Kleinebecker, T., Krauss, J., Lange, M., Müller, J., PAŠALIć, E., Socher, S. A., Tschapka, M., Türke, M., Weiner, C., Werner, M., Gockel, S., Hemp, A., Renner, S. C., Wells, K., Buscot, F., Kalko, E. K. V., Linsenmair, K. E., Weisser, W. W. & Fischer, M., 01.06.2015, In: Ecology. 96, 6, p. 1492-1501 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Harnessing the biodiversity value of Central and Eastern European farmland

    Sutcliffe, L. M. E., Batáry, P., Kormann, U., Báldi, A., Dicks, L. V., Herzon, I., Kleijn, D., Tryjanowski, P., Apostolova, I., Arlettaz, R., Aunins, A., Aviron, S., Baležentiene, L., Fischer, C., Halada, L., Hartel, T., Helm, A., Hristov, I., Jelaska, S. D., Kaligarič, M., Kamp, J., Klimek, S., Koorberg, P., Kostiuková, J., Kovács-Hostyánszki, A., Kuemmerle, T., Leuschner, C., Lindborg, R., Loos, J., Maccherini, S., Marja, R., Máthé, O., Paulini, I., Proença, V., Rey-Benayas, J., Sans, F. X., Seifert, C., Stalenga, J., Timaeus, J., Török, P., van Swaay, C., Viik, E. & Tscharntke, T., 01.06.2015, In: Diversity and Distributions. 21, 6, p. 722-730 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Pennycress-corn double-cropping increases ground beetle diversity

    Groeneveld, J. H. & Klein, A. M., 01.06.2015, In: Biomass and Bioenergy. 77, p. 16-25 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Watermills in the historic irrigation system 'Palmeral de Elche', Spain: An example of early hydropower exploitation

    Melendez-Pastor, I., Pedreño, J. N. & Wittenberg, H., 08.06.2015, In: Water Supply. 15, 5, p. 1140-1151 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Catch, bycatch and discards of the GalapagosMarine Reserve small-scale handline fishery

    Zimmerhackel, J. S., Schuhbauer, A. C., Usseglio, P., Heel, L. C. & Salinas-de-León, P., 09.06.2015, In: PeerJ. 3, 6, 22 p., 995.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    The justice dimension of sustainability: A systematic and general conceptual framework

    Stumpf, K. H., Baumgärtner, S., Becker, C. & Sievers-Glotzbach, S., 09.06.2015, In: Sustainability. 7, 6, p. 7438-7472 35 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Species-Specific Effects on Throughfall Kinetic Energy in Subtropical Forest Plantations Are Related to Leaf Traits and Tree Architecture

    Goebes, P., Bruelheide, H., Haerdtle, W., Kröber, W., Kuehn, P., Li, Y., Seitz, S., von Oheimb, G. & Scholten, T., 16.06.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 6, 13 p., e0128084.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    What is sustainable agriculture? A systematic review

    Velten, S., Leventon, J., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J., 18.06.2015, In: Sustainability. 7, 6, p. 7833-7865 33 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Tree species identity and functional traits but not species richness affect interrill erosion processes in young subtropical forests

    Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Song, Z., Bruehlheide, H., Härdtle, W., Kühn, P., Li, Y. & Scholten, T., 24.06.2015, Göttingen: Copernicus Publications, p. 701-736, 36 p. (SOIL Discuss; vol. 2).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  11. Published

    Ramsey Discounting of Ecosystem Services

    Baumgärtner, S., Klein, A.-M., Thiel, D. & Winkler, K., 27.06.2015, In: Environmental and Resource Economics. 61, 2, p. 273-296 24 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review