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. 2016
  2. Published

    Besser, weniger, anders – auf guten Wegen zur Nachhaltigkeit?

    Biesecker, A., Hofmeister, S. & von Winterfeld , U., 04.2016, In: Das Argument. 315, p. 82-90 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Langzeiteffekte eines Online-Trainings zur Reduktion von depressiven Beschwerden für Personen mit Diabetes Mellitus Typ 1 und Typ 2: Ergebnisse einer randomisiert-klinischen Studie nach 12 Monaten

    Nobis, S., Lehr, D., Berking, M., Baumeister, H., Riper, H., Snoek, F. J. & Ebert, D. D., 04.2016, In: Diabetologie und Stoffwechsel. 11, S1, P89.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Martin Hack, Energie-Contracting - Energiedienstleistungen und dezentrale Energieversorgung

    Schomerus, C.-T., 04.2016, In: Zeitschrift für das gesamte Recht der Energiewirtschaft EnWZ. 4/2016, p. Aktuell 10-11 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsTransfer

  5. Published

    Medienökologien fürs Anthropozän

    Schrickel, I. & Stürmer, M., 04.2016, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 14, 1, p. 180-185 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Does excess nitrogen supply increase the drought sensitivity of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings?

    Dziedek, C., von Oheimb, G., Calvo, L., Fichtner, A., Kriebitzsch, W.-U., Marcos, E., Härdtle, W. & Pitz, W., 01.04.2016, In: Plant Ecology. 217, 4, p. 393-405 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Energizing marginal soils - The establishment of the energy crop Sida hermaphrodita as dependent on digestate fertilization, NPK, and legume intercropping

    Nabel, M., Temperton, V. M., Poorter, H., Lücke, A. & Jablonowski, N. D., 01.04.2016, In: Biomass and Bioenergy. 87, p. 9-16 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Impact of prescribed burning on a heathland inhabiting spider community

    Krause, R. H. & Assmann, T., 01.04.2016, In: Arachnologische Mitteilungen. 2016, 51, p. 57-63 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Plant diversity increases spatio-temporal niche complementarity in plant-pollinator interactions

    Venjakob, C., Klein, A.-M., Ebeling, A., Tscharntke, T. & Scherber, C., 01.04.2016, In: Ecology and Evolution. 6, 8, p. 2249-2261 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Two Decades of Sustainability Management Tools for SMEs: How Far Have We Come?

    Johnson, M. & Schaltegger, S., 01.04.2016, In: Journal of Small Business Management. 54, 2, p. 481-505 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review