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

    Mother-infant social gaze dynamics relate to infant brain activity and word segmentation

    Vanoncini, M., Hoehl, S., Elsner, B., Wallot, S., Boll-Avetisyan, N. & Kayhan, E., 01.02.2024, In: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 65, 8 p., 101331.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  2. Published
  3. Published
  4. Published

    Motive und Eigenschaften von Unternehmensgründer(inne)n

    Halberstadt, J., 2014, In: Berufsbildung : Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule. 147, p. 16-18 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Mountain cold-trapping increases transfer of persistent organic pollutants from atmosphere to cows' milk

    Shunthirasingham, C., Wania, F., MacLeod, M., Lei, Y. D., Quinn, C. L., Zhang, X., Scheringer, M., Wegmann, F., Hungerbühler, K., Ivemeyer, S., Heil, F., Klocke, P., Pacepavicius, G. & Alaee, M., 20.08.2013, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 47, 16, p. 9175-9181 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Moving Ahead: Environmental Sociology’s Contribution to Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research

    Groß, M. & Heinrichs, H., 2010, Environmental Sociology : European Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Challenges. Gross, M. & Heinrichs, H. (eds.). Dordrecht u.a.: Springer, p. 347-351 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Moving beyond “the” business case: How to make corporate sustainability work

    Busch, T., Barnett, M. L., Burritt, R. L., Cashore, B. W., Freeman, R. E., Henriques, I., Husted, B. W., Panwar, R., Pinkse, J., Schaltegger, S. & York, J., 02.2024, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 33, 2, p. 776-787 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Moving beyond unlearning unsustainable consumption

    Fischer, D., 2012, Beyond Consumption Pathways to Responsible Living: 2nd PERL International Conference. Fricke, V., Schrader, U. & Thoresen, V. (eds.). Hedmark University College, p. 239-252 14 p.

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

  9. Published

    MSPs for the SDGs: Assessing the collaborative governance architecture of multi-stakeholder partnerships for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

    Glass, L.-M., Newig, J. & Ruf, S., 01.08.2023, In: Earth System Governance. 17, 17 p., 100182.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Multidimensional Performance Measurement Meets Sustainability: A Systematic Review of the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard

    Hansen, E. G. & Schaltegger, S., 2013, Proceeding of British Academy of Management 2013: Proceedings of the 27th Annual Conference of the British Academy of Management (BAM). Holloway, J., Jones, O. & Zundel, M. (eds.). British Academy of Management, 30 p.

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