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

    Completion of the OBD- with the OBM-(On-Board-Measurement)-Technology

    Palocz-Andresen, M., 2007, Onboard-Diagnose II: Status der Gesetzgebung und Auswirkungen auf die Fahrzeugentwicklung. Predelli, O. (ed.). Renningen: Expert Verlag, p. 12-32 21 p. (Haus der Technik Fachbuch; vol. 81).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  2. Published

    Complexity in Water Management and Governance

    Kirschke, S. & Newig, J., 12.06.2021, Handbook of Water Resources Management: Discourses, Concepts and Examples. Bogardi, J. J., Gupta, J., Nandalal, K. D. W., Salamé, L., van Nooijen, R. R. P., Kumar, N., Tingsanchali, T., Bhaduri, A. & Kolechkina, A. G. (eds.). Cham: Springer Nature AG, p. 801-810 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Compositional variation in grassland plant communities

    Bakker, J. D., Price, J. N., Henning, J. A., Batzer, E., Ohlert, T., Wainwright, C. E., Adler, P. B., Alberti, J., Arnillas, C. A., Biederman, L. A., Borer, E. T., Brudvig, L., Buckley, Y. M., Bugalho, M. N., Cadotte, M. W., Da Conceição Caldeira, M., Catford, J. A., Chen, Q., Crawley, M. J., Daleo, P., Dickman, C. R., Donohue, I., DuPre, M. E., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Fay, P. A., Gruner, D. S., Haider, S., Hautier, Y., Jentsch, A., Kirkman, K., Knops, J. M. H., Lannes, L. S., MacDougall, A. S., McCulley, R. L., Mitchell, R. M., Moore, J. L., Morgan, J. W., Mortensen, B., Venterink, H. O., Peri, P. L., Power, S. A., Prober, S. M., Roscher, C., Sankaran, M., Seabloom, E. W., Smith, M. D., Stevens, C., Sullivan, L. L., Tedder, M. J., Veen, G. F. C., Virtanen, R. & Wardle, G. M., 01.06.2023, In: Ecosphere - An esa open access journal. 14, 6, 17 p., e4542.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Computational history of knowledge: Challenges and opportunities

    Laubichler, M. D., Maienschein, J. & Renn, J., 01.09.2019, In: Isis. 110, 3, p. 502-512 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Computational modeling of material flow networks

    Moeller, A., 2015, ICT Innovations for Sustainability. Hilty, L. M. & Aebischer, B. (eds.). Springer International Publishing AG, Vol. 310. p. 301-311 11 p. (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing; vol. 310).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Computerspiele mit und ohne Gewalt: Auswahl und Wirkung bei Kindern

    Salisch, M., Kristen, A., Oppl, C. & Lehmann, A., 2007, 1. ed. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer Verlag GmbH. 212 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  7. Published

    Computerspiele mit und ohne Gewalt?

    Salisch, M., Kristen, A. & Oppl, C., 2007, In: Kind, Jugend, Gesellschaft. 52, p. 46-48 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Computer Support for Cooperative Sustainability Communication

    Möller, A., 2011, Sustainability Communication: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoretical Foundations. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). 1 ed. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, Vol. 1. p. 171-185 15 p.

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

  9. Published

    Computer Support for Environmental Management Accounting

    Möller, A., Prox, M. & Viere, T., 2006, Sustainability accounting and reporting. Schaltegger, S., Bennett, M. & Burritt, R. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer, p. 605-624 20 p. (Eco-Efficiency in industry and science; vol. 21).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Comunicazione e sviluppo della sostenibilità: un compito transdisciplinare

    Stoltenberg, U., 2005, La Sostenibilità si può fare: la "vetrina per uno sviluppo sostenibile": un progetto innovativo per la comunicazione e lo sviluppo della sostenibilità. Stoltenberg, U., Muraca, B. & Nora, E. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 83-89 7 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch