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
  2. Published

    Rekonstruktion pleistozäner und holozäner Landschafts- und Klimageschichte im nördlichen Mitteleuropa mithilfe limnisch-telmatischer und terrestrischer Sediment- und Bodenabfolgen

    Urban, B., 2002, Geo 2002 - Planet Erde: Vergangenheit, Entwicklung, Zukunft: Programm und Kurzfassungen der Tagung vom 1.-5. Oktober 2002 in Würzburg . Niebuhr, B. (ed.). Hannover: Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft – Geologische Vereinigung, p. 336-337 2 p. (Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft; vol. 21).

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

  3. Published

    Relating the philosophy and practice of ecological economics: the role of concepts, models, and case studies in inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability research

    Baumgärtner, S., 2008, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 32 p. (Working paper series in economics; no. 75).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  4. Published

    Relating the philosophy and practice of ecological economics: the role of concepts, models, and case studies in inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability research

    Baumgärtner, S., Becker, C., Frank, K., Müller, B. & Quaas, M., 15.10.2008, In: Ecological Economics. 67, 3, p. 384-393 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Relational leadership for strategic sustainability: practices and capabilities to advance the design and assessment of sustainable business models

    Kurucz, E. C., Colbert, B. A., Lüdeke-Freund, F., Upward, A. & Willard, B., 01.01.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 140, p. 189-204 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Relational Transdisciplinarity: Five Reflexive Steps for Embodying Relational Ontologies in Transdisciplinary Learning Contexts

    Tolksdorf, F., Grauer, C., Chilisa, B., Manuel-Navarrete, D., Sanusi, Z. A., Rühl, S. & Lang, D. J., 19.12.2023, In: Social Innovations Journal. 22, 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  7. Submitted

    Relational Transdisciplinarity: Inner Shifts for embracing Onto-epistemological Diversity

    Manuel-Navarrete, D., Grauer, C., Brundiers, K., Chilisa, B., Bin Zanusi, Z. A., Seidel, T., Tolksdorf, F. & Lang, D. J., 2024, (Submitted) In: Ecology and Society.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Relationship between pH-values and nutrient availability in forest soils - the consequences for the use of ecograms in forest ecology

    Hardtle, W., von Oheimb, G., Friedel, A., Westphal, C. & Hartmut, M., 01.01.2004, In: Flora. 199, 2, p. 134-142 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Relationships between human activity and richness and abundance of some bird species in the Paraguay river (Pantanal, Brazil)

    Lozano, J. & Malo, A. F., 06.2013, In: Ardeola. 60, 1, p. 99-112 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Relationships between the vegetation and soil conditions in beech and beech-oak forests of northern Germany

    Hardtle, W., von Oheimb, G. & Westphal, C., 01.03.2005, In: Plant Ecology. 177, 1, p. 113-124 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review