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

    Study programme sustainability - a way to impart competencies for handling sustainability?

    Barth, M. & Godemann, J., 2006, Higher education for sustainability: New Challenges from a Global Perspective. Adomßent, M., Godemann, J., Leicht, A. & Busch, A. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 198-207 10 p. (Higher education for sustainability ; vol. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  2. Published

    Subjektive Theorien und biographische Erfahrungen im Professionalisierungsprozess von Lehrkräften – am Beispiel von Umweltbildung

    Godemann, J. & Stoltenberg, U., 2004, Lehrerkompetenzen für den Sachunterricht: Probleme und Perspektiven des Sachunterrichts. Hartinger, A. & Fölling-Albers, M. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt, p. 67-77 11 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Subsistence and substitutability in consumer preferences

    Baumgärtner, S., Drupp, M. & Quaas, M. F., 12.2013, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 28 p. (University of Lüneburg Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 290).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  4. Published

    Subsistence, Substitutability and Sustainability in Consumption

    Baumgärtner, S., Drupp, M. A. & Quaas, M. F., 01.05.2017, In: Environmental and Resource Economics. 67, 1, p. 47-66 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Subsistenzansatz: Veronika Bennholdt-Thomsen, Maria Mies, Claudia von Werlhof und Vandana Shiva

    Hofmeister, S., 2013, Geschlechterverhältnisse und Nachhaltigkeit: Die Kategorie Geschlecht in den Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaften. Hofmeister, S., Katz, C. & Mölders, T. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 123-129 6 p.

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

  6. Published

    Substantial light woodland and open vegetation characterized the temperate forest biome before Homo sapiens

    Pearce, E. A., Mazier, F., Normand, S., Fyfe, R., Andrieu, V., Bakels, C., Balwierz, Z., Bińka, K., Boreham, S., Borisova, O. K., Brostrom, A., de Beaulieu, J. L., Gao, C., González-Sampériz, P., Granoszewski, W., Hrynowiecka, A., Kołaczek, P., Kuneš, P., Magri, D., Malkiewicz, M., Mighall, T., Milner, A. M., Möller, P., Nita, M., Noryśkiewicz, B., Pidek, I. A., Reille, M., Robertsson, A. M., Salonen, J. S., Schläfli, P., Schokker, J., Scussolini, P., Šeirienė, V., Strahl, J., Urban, B., Winter, H. & Svenning, J. C., 10.11.2023, In: Science Advances. 9, 45, 15 p., eadi9135.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Substrate preference determines macrofungal biogeography in the greater Mekong Sub-Region

    Ye, L., Li, H., Mortimer, P. E., Xu, J., Gui, H., Karunarathna, S. C., Kumar, A., Hyde, K. D. & Shi, L., 01.10.2019, In: Forests. 10, 10, 14 p., 824.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Success Factors of Biofuel Feedstock Investments: An Empirical Analysis Applying Resource-Based Theory

    Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Kügemann, M., 2012, Sustainability: Enabling a Transdisciplinary Approach: Abstract band. Heinrichs, H. (ed.). Centre for Sustainability Management, p. 40 1 p.

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

  9. Published

    Successful Alien Plant Species Exhibit Functional Dissimilarity From Natives Under Varied Climatic Conditions but Not Under Increased Nutrient Availability

    Milanović, M., Bakker, J. D., Biederman, L., Borer, E. T., Catford, J. A., Cleland, E., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S., Komatsu, K., MacDougall, A. S., Römermann, C., Seabloom, E. W., Knapp, S. & Kühn, I., 01.03.2025, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 36, 2, 12 p., e70032.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Success of collaboration for sustainable agriculture: a case study meta-analysis

    Velten, S., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J., 10.2021, In: Environment, Development and Sustainability. 23, 10, p. 14619–14641 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review