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. 2018
  2. Published

    Comparative studies of water governance: A systematic review

    Özerol, G., Vinke-De Kruijf, J., Brisbois, M. C., Flores, C. C., Deekshit, P., Girard, C., Knieper, C., Mirnezami, S. J., Ortega-Reig, M., Ranjan, P., Schröder, N. & Schröter, B., 01.12.2018, In: Ecology and Society. 23, 4, 28 p., 43.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Ecological changes and local knowledge in a giant honey bee (Apis dorsata F.) hunting community in Palawan, Philippines

    Matias, D. M. S., Borgemeister, C. & von Wehrden, H., 01.12.2018, In: Ambio. 47, 8, p. 924-934 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Energy policy and transdisciplinary transition management arenas in illiberal democracies: A conceptual framework

    Noboa, E. & Upham, P., 01.12.2018, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 46, p. 114-124 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Global trait–environment relationships of plant communities

    Bruelheide, H., Dengler, J., Purschke, O., Lenoir, J., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Hennekens, S. M., Botta-Dukát, Z., Chytrý, M., Field, R., Jansen, F., Kattge, J., Pillar, V. D., Schrodt, F., Mahecha, M. D., Peet, R. K., Sandel, B., van Bodegom, P., Altman, J., Alvarez-Dávila, E., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Baraloto, C., Barroso, J. G., Bauters, M., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A. D., Blonder, B., Čarni, A., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Cornelissen, J. H. C., Craven, D., Dainese, M., Derroire, G., De Sanctis, M., Díaz, S., Doležal, J., Farfan-Rios, W., Feldpausch, T. R., Fenton, N. J., Garnier, E., Guerin, G. R., Gutiérrez, A. G., Haider, S., Hattab, T., Henry, G., Hérault, B., Higuchi, P., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Karger, D. N., Kessler, M., Kleyer, M., Knollová, I., Korolyuk, A. Y., Kühn, I., Laughlin, D. C., Lens, F., Loos, J., Louault, F., Lyubenova, M. I., Malhi, Y., Marcenò, C., Mencuccini, M., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Myers-Smith, I. H., Neill, D. A., Niinemets, Ü., Orwin, K. H., Ozinga, W. A., Penuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Petřík, P., Phillips, O. L., Pärtel, M., Reich, P. B., Römermann, C., Rodrigues, A. V., Sabatini, F. M., Sardans, J., Schmidt, M., Seidler, G., Silva Espejo, J. E., Silveira, M., Smyth, A., Sporbert, M., Svenning, J. C., Tang, Z., Thomas, R., Tsiripidis, I., Vassilev, K., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., Weiher, E., Welk, E., Wesche, K., Winter, M., Wirth, C. & Jandt, U., 01.12.2018, In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2, 12, p. 1906-1917 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Green thinking but thoughtless buying? An empirical extension of the value-attitude-behaviour hierarchy in sustainable clothing

    Jacobs, K., Petersen, L., Hörisch, J. & Battenfeld, D., 01.12.2018, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 203, p. 1155-1169 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Harnessing the Sustainable Development Goals for businesses: A progressive framework for action

    Redman, A., 01.12.2018, In: Business Strategy and Development. 1, 4, p. 230-243 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Linking concepts of change and ecosystem services research: A systematic review

    Rau, A.-L., Bickel, M. W., Hilser, S., Jenkins, S., McCrory, G., Pfefferle, N., Rathgens, J., Roitsch, D., Schroth, T. N., Stålhammar, S., Villada, D., Weiser, A., Wamsler, C., Krause, T. & Wehrden, H., 01.12.2018, In: Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems. 4, 1, p. 33-45 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Neighbourhood interactions drive overyielding in mixed-species tree communities

    Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Bruehlheide, H., Kunz, M., Li, Y. & von Oheimb, G., 01.12.2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1, 8 p., 1144.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    PharmCycle: a holistic approach to reduce the contamination of the aquatic environment with antibiotics by developing sustainable antibiotics, improving the environmental risk assessment of antibiotics, and reducing the discharges of antibiotics in the wastewater outlet

    Andrae, J., Beyer, F., Cornelissen, G., Einfeldt, J., Heseding, J., Kuemmerer, K., Oelkers, K. & Floeter, C., 01.12.2018, In: Environmental Sciences Europe. 30, 1, 15 p., 24.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Social bees are fitter in more biodiverse environments

    Kaluza, B. F., Wallace, H. M., Heard, T. A., Minden, V., Klein, A. & Leonhardt, S. D., 01.12.2018, In: Scientific Reports. 8, 1, 10 p., 12353.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review