School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- 2025
- Published
A metacoupling lens on the co-production of nature’s contributions to people: Insights for sustainability
Mayer, A., Martín-López, B., Locatelli, B., Rabeschini, G., Liu, J., Loos, J., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Riechers, M. & Isaac, R., 2025, Ecological Horizons: From Nature to People. Dumbrell, A. J. (ed.). Academic Press Inc., p. 91-115 27 p. (Advances in Ecological Research; vol. 72, no. 1).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation
Colloff, M. J., Gorddard, R., Munera-Roldán, C., Locatelli, B., Lavorel, S., Allain, S., Bruley, E., Butler, J. R. A., Dubo, T., Enokenwa Baa, O., González-García, A., Lécuyer, L., Lo, M., Loos, J., Palomo, I., Topp, E., Vallet, A. & Walters, G., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: People and Nature.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Conceptualizing transformative climate action: insights from sufficiency research
Richard, B., Nathan, B., Andreas, N. & Ernest, A., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Climate Policy. 20 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Accepted/In press
Empowering Change: A Self-Control Perspective on How Choice Architecture Interventions Can Promote Sustainable Behavior Change
Engel, L., Kukowski, C. A. & Hahnel, U. J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Motivation Science.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Heterogeneity of demands for nature’s contributions to people and nature’s values by farmers: insights from the Kilimanjaro social-ecological system
Sanya, J., Gross, M., Mwampamba, T. H., Pearson, J., Sesabo, J. K., Riechers, M., Kinabo, N. R., Krail, V. & Martín-López, B., 2025, In: Ecology and Society. 30, 2Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Impuls – Wandel kritisch-konstruktiv gestalten lernen: Das neue Modul „Transformation“ im Leuphana Semester
Picht-Wiggering, L., Bürgener, L., Fischer, D. & Nigro, R., 2025, Interdisziplinäre Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (I-BNE): Beiträge zur zweiten Fachkonferenz 2024 an der Technischen Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. Humburg, D., Dernbach, B. & Klages, M. (eds.). p. 5-14 10 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Education
- Accepted/In press
Inclusive transdisciplinarity: Embracing diverse ways of being and knowing through inner work
Manuel-Navarrete, D., Grauer, C., Brundiers, K., Chilisa, B., Bin Zanusi, Z. A., Seidel, T., Tolksdorf, F. & Lang, D. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Ecology and Society.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Inner Development Goals zur Erreichung der Sustainable Development Goals – Ein Self-Assessment als Reflexionsanlass zum Einsatz in transformativen Lernprozessen
Hantke, H. & Lorch, A., 2025, (Accepted/In press) Klimawandel und Bildung – Interdisziplinäre Grundlagen und didaktische Impulse. Pijetlovic, D. & von Au, J. (eds.). MünchenResearch output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Education › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Inter- und transdisziplinäre Forschungsprojekte als Ansatz für eine transformative Hochschulbildung
Bürgener, L. & Meyer, S., 2025, (Accepted/In press) Didaktik der Interdisziplinären Hochschullehre. Braßler, M., Lerch, S. & Brandstädter, S. (eds.).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Education › peer-review
- Submitted
Inter- und Transdisziplinarität
Weiser, A., Bürgener, L., Steinbrügge, F. & Lang, D. J., 2025, (Submitted) Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review