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

    Albert Schweitzer: A Biography

    Oermann, N. O., 24.11.2016, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 288 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  3. Published

    A new valuation school: Integrating diverse values of nature in resource and land use decisions

    Jacobs, S., Dendoncker, N., Martín-López, B., Barton, D. N., Gomez-Baggethun, E., Boeraeve, F., McGrath, F. L., Vierikko, K., Geneletti, D., Sevecke, K. J., Pipart, N., Primmer, E., Mederly, P., Schmidt, S., Aragão, A., Baral, H., Bark, R. H., Briceno, T., Brogna, D., Cabral, P., De Vreese, R., Liquete, C., Mueller, H., Peh, K. S. H., Phelan, A., Rincón, A. R., Rogers, S. H., Turkelboom, F., Van Reeth, W., van Zanten, B. T., Wam, H. K. & Washbourn, C. L., 01.12.2016, In: Ecosystem Services. 22, Part B, p. 213-220 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    A synthesis of convergent reflections, tensions and silences in linking gender and global environmental change research

    Iniesta-Arandia, I., Ravera, F., Buechler, S., Díaz-Reviriego, I., Fernández-Giménez, M. E., Reed, M. G., Thompson-Hall, M., Wilmer, H., Aregu, L., Cohen, P., Djoudi, H., Lawless, S., Martín-López, B., Smucker, T., Villamor, G. B. & Wangui, E. E., 01.12.2016, In: Ambio. 45, Supplement 3, p. 383-393 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    At the Limit: Introducing Energy with Human Senses

    Stinken, L., Carmesin, H.-O. & Heusler, S., 01.12.2016, In: The Physics Teacher. 54, 9, p. 552-555 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review

  6. Published

    Contrasting changes in the abundance and diversity of North American bird assemblages from 1971 to 2010

    Schipper, A. M., Belmaker, J., de Miranda, M. D., Navarro, L. M., Böhning-Gaese, K., Costello, M. J., Dornelas, M., Foppen, R., Hortal, J., Huijbregts, M. A. J., Martín-López, B., Pettorelli, N., Queiroz, C., Rossberg, A. G., Santini, L., Schiffers, K., Steinmann, Z. J. N., Visconti, P., Rondinini, C. & Pereira, H. M., 01.12.2016, In: Global Change Biology. 22, 12, p. 3948-3959 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Disentangling Puzzles of Spatial Scales and Participation in Environmental Governance: The Case of Governance Re-scaling Through the European Water Framework Directive

    Newig, J., Schulz, D. & Jager, N. W., 01.12.2016, In: Environmental Management. 58, 6, p. 998 - 1014 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Effects of biodiversity strengthen over time as ecosystem functioning declines at low and increases at high biodiversity

    Meyer, S. T., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Hertzog, L., Hillebrand, H., Milcu, A., Pompe, S., Abbas, M., Bessler, H., Buchmann, N., De Luca, E., Engels, C., Fischer, M., Gleixner, G., Hudewenz, A., Klein, A.-M., de Kroon, H., Leimer, S., Loranger, H., Mommer, L., Oelmann, Y., Ravenek, J. M., Roscher, C., Rottstock, T., Scherber, D. C., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Scheu, S., Schmid, B., Schulze, E.-D., Staudler, A., Strecker, T., Temperton, V. M., Tscharntke, T., Vogel, A., Voigt, W., Weigelt, A., Wilcke, W. & Weisser, W. W., 01.12.2016, In: Ecosphere - An esa open access journal. 7 , 12, 14 p., 1619.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Effects on the (CSR) Reputation: CSR reporting discussed in the light of signalling and stakeholder perception theories

    Hetze, K., 01.12.2016, In: Corporate Reputation Review. 19, 3, p. 281-296 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change

    Ravera, F., Iniesta-Arandia, I., Martín-López, B., Pascual, U. & Bose, P., 01.12.2016, In: Ambio. 45, 3, Supplement, p. 235-247 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change

    Ravera, F. (Editor), Iniesta-Arandia, I. (Editor), Martín-López, B. (Editor), Pascual, U. (Editor) & Bose, P. (Editor), 01.12.2016, Secaucus: Springer. 393 p. (AMBIO; vol. 45, no. 3 (Supplement))

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch