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. 2024
  2. Published

    Von Freihandelsabkommen zu Nachhaltigkeitsabkommen

    Bäumler, J., 2024, In: Neue Juristische Wochenschrift. 77, 42, p. 3037-3041 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  3. Published

    Welche Dienstleistungen benötigt die (große) Nachhaltigkeitstransformation

    Schaltegger, S., 2024, Sustainable Service Management: Band 2: Strategien und Umsetzung der Nachhaltigkeit. Bruhn, M. & Hadwich, K. (eds.). Springer Gabler, p. 239-252 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    Wie treffen Gruppen gute Entscheidungen? "Holzbein Kiel" - eine Übung zur Entscheidungsfindung in Gruppen

    Mann, M., Warsitzka, M., Trötschel, R. & Hüffmeier, J., 2024, Planspiele – interdisziplinär vernetzt: Rückblick auf das 34. Europäische Planspielforum und den Deutschen Planspielpreis 2023. Alf, T., Hahn, S., Fischer, I., Zürn, B. & Trautwein, F. (eds.). Stuttgart: ZMS – Zentrum für Managementsimulation, DHBW Stuttgart, p. 8-19 12 p. (ZMS-Schriftenreihe; vol. 14).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsTransfer

  5. Published

    Zum transformativen Potenzial solidarischer Landwirtschaft

    Hartmann, E., 2024, Transformationsprozesse in Stadt und Land: Erkenntnisse, Strategien und Zukunftsperspektiven. Finger, A., Badelt, O., Dahmen, K., Heilen, L., Mai, N., Seegers, R., Seewald, E., Śnieg, F. & Wiemer, L. (eds.). Hannover: ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, p. 248-262 14 p. (Forschungsberichte der ARL; no. 23).

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

  6. Published

    Combining multiple investigative approaches to unravel functional responses to global change in the understorey of temperate forests

    Landuyt, D., Perring, M. P., Blondeel, H., De Lombaerde, E., Depauw, L., Lorer, E., Maes, S. L., Baeten, L., Bergès, L., Bernhardt-Römermann, M., Brūmelis, G., Brunet, J., Chudomelová, M., Czerepko, J., Decocq, G., den Ouden, J., De Frenne, P., Dirnböck, T., Durak, T., Fichtner, A., Gawryś, R., Härdtle, W., Hédl, R., Heinrichs, S., Heinken, T., Jaroszewicz, B., Kirby, K., Kopecký, M., Máliš, F., Macek, M., Mitchell, F. J. G., Naaf, T., Petřík, P., Reczynska, K., Schmidt, W., Standovár, T., Swierkosz, K., Smart, S. M., Van Calster, H., Vild, O., Waller, D. M., Wulf, M. & Verheyen, K., 01.2024, In: Global Change Biology. 30, 1, 14 p., e17086.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Hill–Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components

    Chao, A., Chiu, C.-H., Hu, K.-H., van der Plas, F., Cadotte, M. W., Mitesser, O., Thorn, S., Mori, A. S., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Eisenhauer, N., Bässler, C., Delory, B., Feldhaar, H., Fichtner, A., Hothorn, T., Peters, M. K., Pierick, K., von Oheimb, G. & Müller, J., 01.2024, In: Ecology Letters. 27, 1, 14 p., e14336.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    I share because of who I am: values, identities, norms, and attitudes explain sharing intentions

    Schuster, C., Goseberg, T., Arnold, J. & Sundermann, A., 01.2024, In: Journal of Social Psychology. 164, 2, p. 199-217 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Promoting Subjective Well-Being and a Sustainable Lifestyle in Children and Youth by Strengthening Their Personal Psychological Resources

    Voltmer, K. & von Salisch, M., 01.2024, In: Sustainability. 16, 1, 16 p., 134.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Räumliche Mixturen. (Stadt-)Räumliche Einschreibungen sozial-ökologischer Trennungs- und Vermittlungsverhältnisse in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie

    Mölders, T. & Hofmeister, S., 01.2024, Urbane Mixturen : Städtebau und Stadtplanung als relationales Handlungsfeld. Peer, C. & Psenner, A. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 216-241 26 p. (Urban studies ).

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

  11. Published

    Systematic distributions of interaction strengths across tree interaction networks yield positive diversity–productivity relationships

    Yu, W., Albert, G., Rosenbaum, B., Schnabel, F., Bruelheide, H., Connolly, J., Härdtle, W., von Oheimb, G., Trogisch, S., Rüger, N. & Brose, U., 01.2024, In: Ecology Letters. 27, 1, 11 p., e14338.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch