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. 2020
  2. Published

    Professionalisierung von Lehramtsstudierenden für inklusiven naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht

    Egger, D., Brauns, S., Sellin, K., Barth, M. & Abels, S., 01.05.2020, In: Journal für Psychologie. 27, 2, p. 50-70 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives: a typology of amplification processes

    Lam, D. P. M., Martín-López, B., Wiek, A., Bennett, E. M., Frantzeskaki, N., Horcea-Milcu, A. I. & Lang, D. J., 14.05.2020, In: Urban Transformations. 2, 1, 24 p., 3.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Impulsierung einer nachhaltigeren Ernährungsweise: Abschlussbericht

    Schaltegger, S., Wüst, S. & Petersen, H., 15.05.2020, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 114 p.

    Research output: Working paperProject reportsResearch

  5. Published

    Das Eiablageverhalten des Großen Feuerfalters (Lycaena dispar rutilus) in der Kulturlandschaft Siebenbürgens, Rumänien

    Höppner, O. & Loos, J., 06.2020, In: Oedippus. 37, p. 5-13 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Der schnelle Anstieg des Grundwassers nach Starkregen

    Wittenberg, H., Aksoy, H. & Miegel, K., 06.2020, In: Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung. 64, 2, p. 66-74 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Advancing understanding of natural resource governance: a post-Ostrom research agenda

    Cumming, G. S., Epstein, G., Anderies, J. M., Apetrei, C.-I., Baggio, J. A., Bodin, Ö., Chawla, S., Clements, H. S., Cox, M. E., Egli, L., Gurney, G. G., Lubell, M. N., Magliocca, N. R., Morrison, T. H., Müller, B., Seppelt, R., Schlüter, M., Unnikrishnan, H., Villamayor-Tomas, S. & Weible, C. M., 01.06.2020, In: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 44, p. 26-34 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Between Ostrom and Nordhaus: The research landscape of sustainability economics

    Drupp, M. A., Baumgärtner, S., Meyer, M., Quaas, M. F. & von Wehrden, H., 01.06.2020, In: Ecological Economics. 172, 17 p., 106620.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Building capacity for the science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services: Activities, fellows, outcomes, and neglected capacity building needs

    Gustafsson, K. M., Díaz-Reviriego, I. & Turnhout, E., 01.06.2020, In: Earth System Governance. 4, 10 p., 100050.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Chances and challenges of the biologization of the economy of rural areas

    Pleissner, D., 01.06.2020, In: Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 23, p. 46-49 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch