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

    Management der Biodiversität aus Sicht der Portofoliotheorie

    Figge, F., 2002, In: Zeitschrift für Biopolitik. 1, 1, p. 18-24 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Management des universitären Auftrags mit der Sustainability Balanced Scorecard

    Schaltegger, S., 2007, Zukunft Bologna!?: Gender und Nachhaltigkeit als Leitideen für eine neue Hochschulkultur. Dudeck, A. & Jansen-Schulz, B. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main, p. 127-145 19 p.

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

  3. Published

    Management Education for Sustainability: Deriving learning formats from competence requirements

    Hesselbarth, C., Buhr, M. & Schaltegger, S., 24.08.2015, Sustainability in Higher Education. Davim, J. P. (ed.). Waltham: Elsevier B.V., p. 21-49 29 p. (Chandos information professional series).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  4. Published

    Management guidelines to address cultural challenges and facilitate values-based innovation through gamification

    Breuer, H., Ivanov, K. & Abril, C., 10.2023, In: International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. 27, 3-4, p. 208-236 29 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Management in neuem Licht

    Figge, F. & Horst, D., 2002, In: UmweltMagazin. 3, p. 42-44 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Management klimarelevanter Reportinginformationen: Eine explorative Untersuchung in deutschen Unternehmen

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 2011, In: Zeitschrift für Controlling & Management. 55, 2, p. 92-96 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Management of Biodiversity in Protected Areas with Sustainability Control

    Hellmann, K., 2005, Ecosystems and sustainable development V. Tiezzi, E. (ed.). WIT Press, (WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment ; no. 81).

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

  8. Published

    Management Roles and Sustainability Information: Exploring corporate practice

    Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R., Zvezdov, D., Hörisch, J. & Tingey-Holyoak, J., 01.12.2015, In: Australian Accounting Review. 25, 4, p. 328-345 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Management unternehmerischer Nachhaltigkeitsleistung: die Sustainability Balanced Scorecard zur Integration wirtschaftlicher, ökologischer und sozialer Verantwortung

    Schaltegger, S. & Wagner, M., 2006, Bausteine einer nachhaltigkeitsorientierten Betriebswirtschaftslehre: Festschrift zum 70. Geburtstag von Eberhard Seidel. Göllinger, T. (ed.). Marburg: Metropolis Verlag für Ökonomie, p. 157-176 20 p.

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

  10. Published

    Management von Biodiversität in Schutzgebieten

    Hellmann, K., 2005, Treffpunkt biologische Vielfalt V: Aktuelle Forschung im Rahmen des Übereinkommens über die biologische Vielfalt. B. F. N. B. (ed.). BfN-Schriftenvertrieb im Landwirtschaftsverlag, p. 67-75 9 p.

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