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. 2022
  2. Published

    Sustainability communication: West vs Asia

    Saleh, M. S. M., 29.12.2022, Sustainability Communication across Asia: Fundamental Principles, Digital Strategies and Community Engagement. Saleh, M. S. M., Rahman, N. A. A. & Kasuma, S. A. A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 1-14 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Sustainability communication across Asia: Fundamental principles, digital strategies and community engagement

    Saleh, M. S. M. (Editor), Rahman, N. A. A. (Editor) & Kasuma, S. A. A. (Editor), 29.12.2022, Taylor and Francis Inc. 238 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    The roles of the sharing economy in promoting sustainability communication and practices in China

    Tong, Z., Miao, H. & Saleh, M. S. M., 29.12.2022, Sustainability Communication across Asia: Fundamental Principles, Digital Strategies and Community Engagement. Saleh, M. S. M., Rahman, N. A. A. & Kasuma, S. A. A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 31-43 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    Bio-cultural diversity in south America: Overcoming agro-extractivism linked to unhealthy diets

    Tribaldos, T., Jacobi, J., Llanque, A. & Nogales, M. T., 30.12.2022, Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Diets. Kevany, K. & Prosperi, P. (eds.). London: Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 636-647 12 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  6. Published

    The programme on ecosystem change and society (PECS) – a decade of deepening social-ecological research through a place-based focus

    Norström, A. V., Agarwal, B., Balvanera, P., Baptiste, B., Bennett, E. M., Brondízio, E., Biggs, R., Campbell, B., Carpenter, S. R., Castilla, J. C., Castro, A. J., Cramer, W., Cumming, G. S., Felipe-Lucia, M., Fischer, J., Folke, C., DeFries, R., Gelcich, S., Groth, J., Ifejika Speranza, C., Jacobs, S., Hofmann, J., Hughes, T. P., Lam, D. P. M., Loos, J., Manyani, A., Martín-López, B., Meacham, M., Moersberger, H., Nagendra, H., Pereira, L., Polasky, S., Schoon, M., Schultz, L., Selomane, O. & Spierenburg, M., 31.12.2022, In: Ecosystems and People. 18, 1, p. 598–608 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. 2023
  8. Published

    „Ben, möchtest du auch abstimmen?“: Partizipationsprozesse in Klassenräten heterogener Lerngruppen aus interaktionistischer Perspektive

    Meyn, J., 2023, Partizipation, Wissen und Kommunikation im sonderpädagogischen Diskurs. Marek, G., Wolfram, K., Christian, L., Vera, O. & Stephan, S. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 118-127 10 p. (Perspektiven sonderpädagogischer Forschung).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Cradle to Cradle im Holzfertigbau: Analyse der Umsetzbarkeit des Cradle–to-Cradle-Prinzips bei Einfamilienhäusern in Holzfertigbauweise

    Lindner, S., 2023, Stuttgart: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag. 307 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  10. Published

    Der neue Lehrplan Chemie für die Sekundarstufe I

    Hofer, E., Lembens, A. & Spitzer, P., 2023, In: Chemie & Schule. 38, 1, p. 20-23 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  11. Published

    Environmental Management Accounting – Developments Over the Last 20 years from a Framework Perspective

    Burritt, R., Schaltegger, S. & Christ, K. L., 2023, In: Australian Accounting Review. 33, 4, p. 336-351 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Governing the co-production of nature's contributions to people: the road ahead

    Isaac, R., Albrecht, E., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Piquer-Rodríguez, M., Winkler, K. J. & Martín-López, B., 2023, Advances in Ecological Research: Roadmaps: Part B. Bohan, D. A. & Dumbrell, A. J. (eds.). Academic Press Inc., p. 1-15 15 p. (Advances in Ecological Research; vol. 69).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review