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

    Occurrence and Air-sea exchange of phthalates in the Arctic

    Xie, Z., Ebinghaus, R., Temme, C., Lohmann, R., Caba, A. & Ruck, W., 01.07.2007, In: Environmental Science & Technology. 41, 13, p. 4555-4560 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Occurrence and distribution of triclosan in the German Bight (North Sea)

    Xie, Z., Ebinghaus, R., Floeser, G., Caba, A. & Ruck, W., 01.12.2008, In: Environmental Pollution. 156, 3, p. 1190-1195 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Occurrence and fate of the antidiabetic drug metformin and its metabolite guanylurea in the environment and during drinking water treatment

    Scheurer, M., Michel, A., Brauch, H.-J., Ruck, W. & Sacher, F., 01.10.2012, In: Water Research. 46, 15, p. 4790-4802 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Occurrence, distribution, and ecotoxicological risk assessment of selected pharmaceutical compounds in water from Lake Victoria, Uganda

    Nantaba, F., Wasswa, J., Kylin, H., Palm, W. U., Bouwman, H. & Kümmerer, K., 01.01.2020, In: Chemosphere. 239, 11 p., 124642.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Occurrence of the antidiabetic drug Metformin and its ultimate transformation product Guanylurea in several compartments of the aquatic cycle

    Trautwein, C., Berset, J.-D., Wolschke, H. & Kümmerer, K., 09.2014, In: Environmental international. 70, p. 203-212 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient Measurement by a Simple 1H NMR Method

    Cumming, H. & Rücker, C., 30.09.2017, In: ACS Omega. 2, 9, p. 6244-6249 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Offene Forschungsfragen und Ausblick im Coastal Energy Managemen

    Runge, K., 2002, Coastal Energy Management: Integration Erneuerbarer Energieerzeugung an der Küste . Runge, K. (ed.). Berlin: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, p. 83-90 8 p. (Energierecht und Energiewirtschaft; vol. 2).

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

  8. Published
  9. Published
  10. Published