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

    Resource use and competition between honey bees and wild bees in the Lüneburger Heath

    Hudewenz, A. & Klein, A.-M., 2012, GfÖ Conference book: Book of abstracts. Drees, C. & von Oheimb, G. (eds.). Gesellschaft für Ökologie, Vol. 42. p. 69 1 p. (Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie; no. 42).

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

  2. Published

    Response diversity as a sustainability strategy

    Walker, B., Crépin, A. S., Nyström, M., Anderies, J. M., Andersson, E., Elmqvist, T., Queiroz, C., Barrett, S., Bennett, E., Cardenas, J. C., Carpenter, S. R., Chapin, F. S., de Zeeuw, A., Fischer, J., Folke, C., Levin, S., Nyborg, K., Polasky, S., Segerson, K., Seto, K. C., Scheffer, M., Shogren, J. F., Tavoni, A., van den Bergh, J., Weber, E. U. & Vincent, J. R., 01.06.2023, In: Nature Sustainability. 6, 6, p. 621-629 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Response of a shrubland mammal and reptile community to a history of landscape-scale wildfire

    Doherty, T. S., Davis, R. A., Van Etten, E. J. B., Collier, N. & Krawiec, J., 02.2015, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 24, 4, p. 534-543 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels

    Buse, J., Entling, M. H., Ranius, T. & Assmann, T., 01.06.2016, In: Landscape Ecology. 31, 5, p. 939-949 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Responses of herbivory and pollinators to grassland management and plant diversity

    Hudewenz, A., Klein, A.-M., Scherber, C., Stanke, L., Tscharntke, T., Vogel, A., Weigelt, A., Weisser, W. W. & Ebeling, A., 2011, 41st Annual Meeting "Ecological Functions, Patterns, Processes": 41st Annual Meeting "Ecological Functions, Patterns, Processes". Minden, V. (ed.). Oldenburg: Gesellschaft für Ökologie

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

  6. Published

    Response to comment on "In situ air-water and particle-water partitioning of perfluorocarboxylic acids, perfluorosulfonic acids and perfluorooctyl sulfonamide at a wastewater treatment plant"

    Vierke, L., Ahrens, L., Shoeib, M., Palm, W.-U., Webster, E. M., Ellis, D. A. F., Ebinghaus, R. & Harner, T. J., 11.2013, In: Chemosphere. 93, 9, p. 2207-2207 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  7. Published

    Response to David B. Brooks

    Wegerich, K. & Olsson, O., 05.2011, In: Water International. 36, 3, p. 410-413 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Response to Turnhout et al.’s rethinking biodiversity: From goods and services to “living with”

    Abson, D. & Hanspach, J., 05.2014, In: Conservation Letters. 7, 3, p. 334-335 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Responsible Management Learning and Education in Need of Inter- and Transdisciplinarity

    Beckmann, M. & Schaltegger, S., 2020, The SAGE Handbook of Responsible Management Learning and Education. Moosmeyer, D. C., Laasch, O., Parkes, C. & Brown, K. G. (eds.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Inc., p. 561-577 17 p.

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