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

    Reducing Environmental Pollution by Antibiotics through Design for Environmental Degradation

    Leder, C., Suk, M., Lorenz, S., Rastogi, T., Pfeifer, C., Kietzmann, M., Jonas, D., Buck, M., Pahl, A. & Kümmerer, K., 19.07.2021, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 9, 28, p. 9358–9368 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Reducing problematic alcohol use in employees: economic evaluation of guided and unguided web-based interventions alongside a three-arm randomized controlled trial

    Buntrock, C., Freund, J., Smit, F., Riper, H., Lehr, D., Boss, L., Berking, M. & Ebert, D. D., 01.03.2022, In: Addiction: The British journal of addiction to alcohol and other drugs. 117, 3, p. 611-622 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Reduction of Atmospheric Transboundary Fluxes of Heavy Metals in Europe: Scientific Support for European Environmental Protection Conventions

    Petersen, G., 01.03.2002, Lüneburg. 90 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesPost-doctoral dissertations

  4. Published

    Reduction of the Microbial Load of Digestate by the Cultivation of Galdieria sulphuraria Under Acidic Conditions

    Pleissner, D. & Händel, N., 08.2023, In: Waste and Biomass Valorization. 14, 8, p. 2621-2627 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  5. Published

    Reflecting trends in the academic landscape of sustainable energy using probabilistic topic modeling

    Bickel, M. W., 20.12.2019, In: Energy, Sustainability and Society. 9, 1, 23 p., 49.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Reflections on educational leadership for sustainability: a Brazilian case study

    Sudan, D. C. & Zuin, V. G., 12.2022, In: Discover Sustainability. 3, 1, 13 p., 4.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Refocusing ecosystem services towards sustainability

    Schröter, M., Stumpf, K. H., Loos, J., van Oudenhoven, A. P. E., Böhnke-Henrichs, A. & Abson, D. J., 01.06.2017, In: Ecosystem Services. 25, p. 35-43 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Reformation process of the neuronal template for nestmate recognition cues in the carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus)

    Leonhardt, S., Brandstaetter, A. S. & Kleineidam, C. J., 09.2007, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A – Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 193, 9, p. 993-1000 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Reformbedarf für die Regelungen zur Pflichtenübertragung nach den §§ 16-18 KrW-/AbfG?

    Claus, O., Schomerus, T. & Versteyl, L.-A., 2009, In: AbfallR. 8, 6, p. 290-297 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Reform der europäischen Chemikalienpolitik: Anforderungen an die unternehmerische Umsetzung

    Tschochohei, H., 2005, In: Umweltwirtschaftsforum. 13, 4, p. 91-96 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review