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. Published

    Classifying Entrepreneurship for the Public Good: Empirical Analysis of a Conceptual Framework

    Wagner, M. & Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2010, In: Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 23, 3, p. 431-443 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Classifying railway stations for strategic transport and land use planning: Context matters!

    Zemp, S., Stauffacher, M., Lang, D. & Scholz, R. W., 07.2011, In: Journal of Transport Geography. 19, 4, p. 670-679 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Clean energy storage technology in the making: An innovation systems perspective on flywheel energy storage

    Wicki, S. & Hansen, E., 20.09.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 162, p. 1118-1134 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Climate Accounting and Sustainability Management

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor) & Csutora, M. (Editor), 11.2012, London: Elsevier B.V. 112 p. (Journal of Cleaner Production; no. 36)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  5. Published

    Climate and land use affect genetic structure of Stipa glareosa P. A. Smirn. in Mongolia

    Oyundelger, K., Ritz, C. M., Munkhzul, O., Lang, B., Ahlborn, J., Oyuntsetseg, B., Römermann, C. & Wesche, K., 05.2020, In: Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 266, 151572.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Climate change: An amplifier of existing health risks in developing countries

    Huynen, M. M. T. E., Martens, P. & Akin, S.-M., 2013, In: Environment, Development and Sustainability. 15, 6, p. 1425-1442 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Climate change adaptation strategies within the framework of the German “Energiewende” – Is there a need for government interventions and legal obligations?

    Groth, M. & Cortekar, J., 11.2014, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 28 p. (Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 315).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  8. Published

    Climate change and environmental hazards related to shipping: An international legal framework; Proceedings of the Hamburg International Environmental Law Conference 2011

    Koch, H.-J. (Editor), König, D. (Editor), Sanden, J. (Editor) & Verheyen, R. (Editor), 2013, Leiden; Boston: Martinus Nijhoff. 276 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Climate change and society - communicating adaptation

    Heinrichs, H., 2010, Environmental Sociology : European Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Challenges. Gross, M. & Heinrichs, H. (eds.). Dordrecht u.a.: Springer, p. 323-344 22 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Climate change as an element of sustainability communication

    Newig, J., 2011, Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoretical Foundations. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: Springer Netherlands, p. 119-128 12 p.

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