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

    Increasing Entrepreneurial Intentions through Innovations in Pedagogy: European Approaches, Programmes, and Tools

    Tegtmeier, S., Asplund, C.-J., Bengtsson, L., Klapper, R., Kurczewska, A., Kyrö, P., Leger-Jarniou, C., Pruvli, E., Tzeremes, N. G. & Vliamos, S., 2009, Proceedings of the 54th ICSB World Conference. International Council for Small Business, 38 p.

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

  2. Published

    Increasing the accuracy and efficiency of wildlife census with unmanned aerial vehicles: a simulation study

    Fust, P. & Loos, J., 09.02.2023, In: Wildlife Research. 50, 12, p. 1008-1020 13 p., WR22074.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Incremental contribution of pollination and other ecosystem services to agricultural productivity: Effects of service quantity and quality

    Garibaldi, L. A., Aizen, M. A., Cunningham, S. A., Harder, L. D. & Klein, A. M., 14.04.2016, Pollination Services to Agriculture : Sustaining and Enhancing a Key Ecosystem Service. Gemmill-Herren, B. (ed.). London: Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 33-42 10 p.

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

  4. Published

    IN DER UMWELT ABBAUBARE CHINOLON-ANTIBIOTIKA MIT HEMIAMINAL-STRUKTUREINHEIT

    Kümmerer, K., Leder, C., Rastogi, T., Suk, M. & Peifer, C., 18.04.2019, IPC No. A61K31/47, A61P31/04 , C07D405/06, Europäisches Patentamt, Patent No. WO2019072905A1, 10.10.2018, Priority date 11.10.2017, Priority No. DE102017218119A

    Research output: PatentsPatent

  5. Published

    Indicators for relational values of nature’s contributions to good quality of life: the IPBES approach for Europe and Central Asia

    Schröter, M., Başak, E., Christie, M., Church, A., Keune, H., Osipova, E., Oteros-Rozas, E., Sievers-Glotzbach, S., van Oudenhoven, A. P. E., Balvanera, P., González, D., Jacobs, S., Molnár, Z., Pascual, U. & Martín-López, B., 10.01.2020, In: Ecosystems and People. 16, 1, p. 50-69 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Indigenous and Local Communities' initiatives have transformative potential to guide shifts toward sustainability in South America

    Jimenez-Aceituno, A., Burgos-Ayala, A., Cepeda-Rodriguez, E., Lam, D. P. M. & Martin-Lopez, B., 19.06.2025, In: Communications Earth & Environment. 6, 1, 9 p., 481.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Indigenous and local knowledge in biocultural approaches to sustainability: a review of the literature in Spanish

    Burke, L., Díaz Reviriego, I., Lam, D. & Hanspach, J., 02.2023, In: Ecosystems and People. 19, 1, 15 p., 2157490.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Indigenous and local knowledge in environmental management for human-nature connectedness: a leverage points perspective

    Burgos-Ayala, A., Jiménez-Aceituno, A., Torres-Torres, A. M., Rozas-Vásquez, D. & Lam, D. P. M., 01.12.2020, In: Ecosystems and People. 16, 1, p. 290-303 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Indigenous and local knowledge in sustainability transformations research: a literature review

    Lam, D., Hinz, E., Lang, D. J., Tengö, M., Wehrden, H. V. & Martín-López, B., 03.2020, In: Ecology and Society. 25, 1, 25 p., 3.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Indigenous and local values of nature through a gender lens: A literature review

    Hartmann, J. Z. & Pearson, J., 01.10.2024, In: Ecosystem Services. 69, 14 p., 101654.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Kinderbilder in den sozialen Netzwerken – Wenn Eltern posten
  2. Sven Dupre (ed.), Perspective as Practice. Renaissance Cultures of Optics. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2019, 512 p. ISBN 978-2-503-58107-1
  3. Auswirkungen illegaler Altfahrzeugverwertung
  4. Rechtsphilosophie nach Hegel
  5. Stand und Perspektiven des Wirtschaftsrechtsstudiums an Fachhochschulen
  6. Einleitung: Nachhaltige Gesellschaft – Gestaltung durch Partizipation und Kooperation?
  7. Beziehungsstrukturen und Schulentwicklung
  8. Pierre Bourdieu: Soziologische Herrschaftsanalyse des Rechts
  9. Medialisierung der Wissenschaft als Voraussetzung ihrer Legitimierung und politischen Relevanz
  10. Rechtsangleichung zwischen Gemeinschafts- und Unionsrecht – die Richtlinie über die Vorratsdatenspeicherung vor dem EuGH
  11. Legal Aspects of Electricity Tariff Fixation in Germany
  12. Röntgenkontrastmittel, Quelle für die AOX-Belastung des Abwassers durch Krankenhäuser
  13. International reports on literacy research
  14. The Role of Corporate Sustainability in a Low-Cost Business Model
  15. Regulierung der europäischen Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung
  16. Desiderata zur Erforschung des Einflusses von Kohäsion auf das Leseverständnis
  17. Empathic Healthcare Chatbots
  18. Responsabilidade Internacional Dos Estados: duas décadas após os trabalhos da Comissão de Direito Internacional
  19. Grundlagen des Umweltmanagements
  20. 12 Fragen an Gerd Michelsen
  21. Sustainability communication
  22. ROYAL-COMMISSION-ON-ANCIENT-AND-HISTORICAL-MONUMENTS-IN-WALES, GLAMORGAN INVENTORY, VOL 3 PT 1A, THE EARLY CASTLES, FROM THE NORMAN-CONQUEST TO 1217
  23. Gaspreiskontrolle im Vertragsrecht ?
  24. L'arte contemporanea è in armonia con le sue istituzioni?
  25. Können Mädchen doch rechnen ?
  26. The Legitimation of International Organizations