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. 2017
  2. Published

    Modelling age-related changes in motor competence and physical fitness in high-level youth soccer players: implications for talent identification and development

    Fransen, J., Bennett, K. J. M., Woods, C. T., French-Collier, N., Deprez, D., Vaeyens, R. & Lenoir, M., 02.09.2017, In: Science and Medicine in Football. 1, 3, p. 203-208 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Quantitative and qualitative insights into consumers’ sustainable purchasing behaviour: A segmentation approach based on motives and heuristic cues

    Eberhart, A. K. & Naderer, G., 02.09.2017, In: Journal of Marketing Management. 33, 13-14, p. 1149-1169 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Managing and Measuring the Business Case for Sustainability: Capturing the Relationship between Sustainability Performance, Business Competitiveness and Economic Performance

    Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M., 08.09.2017, Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental and Economic Performance. Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M. (eds.). Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, p. 1-27 27 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Mapping the Links of Corporate Sustainability: Sustainability Balanced Scorecards as a Tool for Sustainability Performance Measurement and Management

    Wagner, M. & Schaltegger, S., 08.09.2017, Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental and Economic Performance. Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M. (eds.). Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing, p. 108-126 21 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Die Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie: Wegweiser für eine Politik der Nachhaltigkeit

    Michelsen, G. (Editor), 14.09.2017, 2 ed. Wiesbaden: Hessische Landeszentrale für politische Bildung. 176 p. (forum hlz)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Acknowledging temporal diversity in sustainability transformations at the nexus of interconnected systems

    Weiser, A., Lutz, L. M., Lang, D. J. & Kümmerer, K., 20.09.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 162, p. 273-285 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Clean energy storage technology in the making: An innovation systems perspective on flywheel energy storage

    Wicki, S. & Hansen, E., 20.09.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 162, p. 1118-1134 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Mindfulness and Sustainable Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review of Research Approaches and Findings

    Fischer, D., Stanszus, L., Geiger, S., Grossman, P. & Schrader, U., 20.09.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 162, p. 544-558 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Policy implementation through multi-level governance: analysing practical implementation of EU air quality directives in Germany

    Gollata, J. A. M. & Newig, J., 24.09.2017, In: Journal of European Public Policy. 24, 9, p. 1308-1327 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient Measurement by a Simple 1H NMR Method

    Cumming, H. & Rücker, C., 30.09.2017, In: ACS Omega. 2, 9, p. 6244-6249 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review