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

    Present generation’s negotiators realize their interests at the cost of future generations

    Treek, M., Majer, J. M., Zhang, H., Zhang, K. & Trötschel, R., 01.11.2023, In: Journal of Environmental Psychology. 91, 102126.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Préserver les ressources par une gestion durable

    Schaltegger, S., 2008, In: La Vie économique. 81, 9, p. 45 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Preserving Colias myrmidone in European cultural landscapes: requirements for the successful development from egg to higher larval stages at a Natura 2000 site in Romania

    Nippen, P., Dolek, M. & Loos, J., 08.2021, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 25, 4, p. 643-655 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Pressure effects on activity and selectivity of Candida rugosa lipase in organic solvents

    Herbst, D., Peper, S., Fernández, J. F., Ruck, W. & Niemeyer, B., 02.2014, In: Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic. 100, p. 104-110 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Preventing Depression in Adults With Subthreshold Depression: Health-Economic Evaluation Alongside a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based Intervention

    Buntrock, C., Berking, M., Smit, F., Lehr, D., Nobis, S., Riper, H., Cuijpers, P. & Ebert, D. D., 04.01.2017, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19, 1, 16 p., e5.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  6. Published

    Preventing household food waste via nudging: an exploration of consumer perceptions

    von Kameke, C. & Fischer, D., 20.05.2018, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 184, 2018, p. 32-40 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Primary source regions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) measured in the Arctic

    Ubl, S., Scheringer, M., Stohl, A., Burkhart, J. & Hungerbühler, K., 12.2012, In: Atmospheric Environment. 62, p. 391-399 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Priming of CD8+ T-cell responses after DNA immunization is impaired in TLR9- and MyD88-deficient mice.

    Pavlenko, M., Leder, C., Moreno, S., Levitsky, V. & Pisa, P., 21.08.2007, In: Vaccine. 25, 34, p. 6341-6347 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Principles for knowledge co-production in sustainability research

    Norström, A. V., Cvitanovic, C., Löf, M. F., West, S., Wyborn, C., Balvanera, P., Bednarek, A. T., Bennett, E. M., Biggs, R., de Bremond, A., Campbell, B. M., Canadell, J. G., Carpenter, S. R., Folke, C., Fulton, E. A., Gaffney, O., Gelcich, S., Jouffray, J. B., Leach, M., Le Tissier, M., Martín-López, B., Louder, E., Loutre, M. F., Meadow, A. M., Nagendra, H., Payne, D., Peterson, G. D., Reyers, B., Scholes, R., Speranza, C. I., Spierenburg, M., Stafford-Smith, M., Tengö, M., van der Hel, S., van Putten, I. & Österblom, H., 01.03.2020, In: Nature Sustainability. 3, 3, p. 182-190 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Principles for sustainable urban places: the why, what and how

    John, B. & Lüderitz, C., 2015, Dialogues of Sustainable Urbanisation: Social Science Research and Transitions to Urban Contexts. Condie, J. & Cooper, A. M. (eds.). Penrith, N.S.W.: University of Western Sydney, p. 13-18 6 p.

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