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

    Public participation and local environmental planning: Testing factors influencing decision quality and implementation in four case studies from Germany

    Drazkiewicz, A., Challies, E. & Newig, J., 01.07.2015, In: Land Use Policy. 46, p. 211-222 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Public understanding of climate change terminology in Germany

    Wege, L., de Bruin, W. B. & Kause, A., 15.05.2024, In: Climatic Change. 177, 5, 27 p., 81.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  3. Published

    PUMA's Environmental Profit and Loss Statement

    Viere, T., 2011, In: News Journal of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Accountability. 17, 4, p. 221-223

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Pumpspeicher an Bundeswasserstraßen: Technische, wirtschaftliche und rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen am Beispiel des Elbe-Seitenkanals

    Degenhart, H. (Editor), Schomerus, C.-T. (Editor) & Schulz, D. (Editor), 17.12.2015, Springer Vieweg. 107 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Purchasing unpackaged food products: An empirical analysis of personal norms and contextual barriers

    Marken, G. H. & Hörisch, J., 01.12.2019, In: NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum. 27, 3-4, p. 165-175 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Purely ornamental? Public perceptions of distributed energy storage in the United Kingdom

    Ambrosio-Albalá, P., Upham, P. & Bale, C. S. E., 01.02.2019, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 48, p. 139-150 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Purpose durch Nachhaltigkeit: Zukunftsfähige Zweckbestimmung für Unternehmen und Controlling

    Petersen, H., Schaltegger, S. & Nuzum, A.-K., 2021, In: Controlling. 33, S, p. 26-30 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Pursuing Sustainability with the Balanced Scorecard: Between Shareholder Value and Multiple Goal Optimisation

    Hansen, E. G. & Schaltegger, S., 2012, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management. 35 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  9. Published

    Pushing the Boundaries: Experience-Based Learning in Early Phases of Graduate Sustainability Curricula

    Birdman, J. M., Redman, A. & Lang, D. J., 22.01.2021, In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 22, 2, p. 237-253 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Putting adaptive planning into practice: A meta-analysis of current applications

    Malekpour, S. & Newig, J., 11.2020, In: Cities. 106, 12 p., 102866.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review