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. 2021
  2. Published

    Legacy effects of pre-crop plant functional group on fungal root symbionts of barley

    Roy, J., van Duijnen, R., Leifheit, E. F., Mbedi, S., Temperton, V. M. & Rillig, M. C., 09.2021, In: Ecological Applications. 31, 6, 16 p., e02378.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    On the frontiers of collaboration and conflict: how context influences the success of collaboration

    Schoon, M., Chapman, M., Loos, J., Ifejika Speranza, C., Carr Kelman, C., Aburto, J., Alexander, S., Baggio, J., Brady, U., Cockburn, J., Cundill, G., Garcia Lopez, G., Hill, R., Robinson, C., Thondhlana, G., Trimble, M. & Whittaker, D., 09.2021, In: Ecosystems and People. 17, 1, p. 383-399 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Principles for the application of life cycle sustainability assessment

    Valdivia, S., Backes, J. G., Traverso, M., Sonnemann, G., Cucurachi, S., Guinée, J. B., Schaubroeck, T., Finkbeiner, M., Leroy-Parmentier, N., Ugaya, C., Peña, C., Zamagni, A., Inaba, A., Amaral, M., Berger, M., Dvarioniene, J., Vakhitova, T., Benoit-Norris, C., Prox, M., Foolmaun, R. & Goedkoop, M., 09.2021, In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 26, 9, p. 1900-1905 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    sPlotOpen – An environmentally balanced, open-access, global dataset of vegetation plots

    Sabatini, F. M., Lenoir, J., Hattab, T., Arnst, E. A., Chytrý, M., Dengler, J., De Ruffray, P., Hennekens, S. M., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Kattge, J., Levesley, A., Pillar, V. D., Purschke, O., Sandel, B., Sultana, F., Aavik, T., Aćić, S., Acosta, A. T. R., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Arroyo, L., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Banerjee, A., Bauters, M., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A. D., Bonari, G., Bondareva, V., Brunet, J., Čarni, A., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Ćušterevska, R., De Bie, E., de Gasper, A. L., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dolezal, J., Dziuba, T., El-Sheikh, M. A. E. R. M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fazayeli, F., Field, R., Finckh, M., Gachet, S., Galán-de-Mera, A., Garbolino, E., Gholizadeh, H., Giorgis, M., Golub, V., Alsos, I. G., Grytnes, J. A., Guerin, G. R., Gutiérrez, A. G., Haider, S., Hatim, M. Z., Hérault, B., Hinojos Mendoza, G., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Hubau, W., Indreica, A., Janssen, J. A. M., Jedrzejek, B., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kapfer, J., Karger, D. N., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Khanina, L., Killeen, T., Korolyuk, A., Kreft, H., Kühl, H. S., Kuzemko, A., Landucci, F., Lengyel, A., Lens, F., Lingner, D. V., Liu, H., Lysenko, T., Mahecha, M. D., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Moeslund, J. E., Monteagudo Mendoza, A., Mucina, L., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Naqinezhad, A., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G. E., Pärtel, M., Pauchard, A., Peet, R. K., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Peyre, G., Phillips, O. L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rivas-Torres, G., Rodwell, J. S., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Shan, H., Shirokikh, P., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Sklenář, P., Škvorc, Ž., Sparrow, B., Sperandii, M. G., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J. C., Tang, Z., Tang, C. Q., Tsiripidis, I., Vanselow, K. A., Vásquez Martínez, R., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A. C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D. A., Waller, D. M., Wang, H. F., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T. J. S., Willner, W., Wiser, S. K., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zobel, M. & Bruelheide, H., 09.2021, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 30, 9, p. 1740-1764 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    The Relationship between Stakeholder Theory and Corporate Social Responsibility: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for Social Issues in Management

    Dmytriyev, S. D., Freeman, R. E. & Hörisch, J., 09.2021, In: Journal of Management Studies. 58, 6, p. 1441-1470 30 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Actors in transitions: narratives of roles and change in the German e-mobility transition

    Upham, P. & Gathen, L., 01.09.2021, In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. 40, p. 450-460 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Added value of convection-permitting simulations for understanding future urban humidity extremes: case studies for Berlin and its surroundings

    Langendijk, G. S., Rechid, D., Sieck, K. & Jacob, D., 01.09.2021, In: Weather and Climate Extremes. 33, 14 p., 100367.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    “Beyond nature and culture: relational perspectives on the Wadden Sea landscape”

    Döring, M., Walsh, C. & Egberts, L., 01.09.2021, In: Maritime Studies. 20, 3, p. 225-234 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  10. Published

    Biophysical variability and politico-economic singularity: Responses of livestock numbers in South Mongolian nomadic pastoralism

    Engler, J. O., Wesche, K., Kaczensky, P., Dhakal, P., Chuluunkhuyag, O. & von Wehrden, H., 01.09.2021, In: Ecological Economics. 187, 13 p., 107073.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Collaborative design prototyping in transdisciplinary research: An approach to heterogeneity and unknowns

    Peukert, D. & Vilsmaier, U., 01.09.2021, In: Futures. 132, 10 p., 102808.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review