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

    Revealing the coastal event-history of the Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal) during the Holocene using radiocarbon and OSL dating

    Frechen, M., Ramachandran, R., Urban, B. & Kunz, J.-A., 01.12.2010, In: International Journal of Earth Sciences. 99, 8, p. 1741-1761 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published

    Reversible formation of alcohol solvates and their potential use for heat storage

    Korhammer, K., Mihály, J., Bálint, S., Trif, L., Vass, Á., Tompos, A. & Tálas, E., 01.10.2019, In: Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 138, 1, p. 11-33 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Reviewing relational values for future research: insights from the coast

    Riechers, M., Betz, L., Gould, R. K., Loch, T. K., Lam, D. P. M., Lazzari, N., Martín-López, B. & Sala, J. E., 12.2022, In: Ecology and Society. 27, 4, 18 p., 44.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Reviewing the science on 50 years of conservation: Knowledge production biases and lessons for practice

    Dawson, N. M., Coolsaet, B., Bhardwaj, A., Brown, D., Lliso, B., Loos, J., Mannocci, L., Martin, A., Oliva, M., Pascual, U., Sherpa, P. & Worsdell, T., 10.2024, In: Ambio. 53, 10, p. 1395-1413 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Review: Refugial areas and postglacial colonisations in the Western Palaearctic

    Habel, J. C., Drees, C., Aßmann, T. & Schmitt, T., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and Conservation Biology. Assmann, T. & Habel, J. C. (eds.). Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer, p. 189-197 9 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  7. Published

    Review: The dark side of relict species biology: Cave animals as ancient lineages

    Aßmann, T., Casale, A., Drees, C., Habel, J. C., Schuldt, A. & Matern, A., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and conservation biology. Habel, J. C. & Assmann, T. (eds.). Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer, p. 91-103 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Revisiting Carbon Disclosure and Performance: Legitimacy and Management Views

    Qian, W. & Schaltegger, S., 07.2017, In: The British Accounting Review. 49, 4, p. 365–379 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Revisiting Renewable Energies: Liberating, Pacifying, and Democratizing

    Schaltegger, S., Linnenluecke, M. K., Dijkstra-Silva, S. & Christ, K. L., 07.2024, In: Business and Society. 63, 6, p. 1295-1301 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  10. Published

    Revisiting the sustainability science research agenda

    Sahle, M., Lahoti, S. A., Lee, S. Y., Brundiers, K., van Riper, C. J., Pohl, C., Chien, H., Bohnet, I. C., Aguilar-Rivera, N., Edwards, P., Pradhan, P., Plieninger, T., Boonstra, W. J., Flor, A. G., Di Fabio, A., Scheidel, A., Gordon, C., Abson, D. J., Andersson, E., Demaria, F., Kenter, J. O., Brooks, J., Kauffman, J., Hamann, M., Graziano, M., Nagabhatla, N., Mimura, N., Fagerholm, N., O’Farrell, P., Saito, O. & Takeuchi, K., 01.2025, In: Sustainability Science. 20, 1, p. 1-19 19 p., e0261190.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research