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

    Business Model Experimentation for Circularity: Driving sustainability in a large international clothing retailer

    Bocken, N. M. P., Miller, K., Weissbrod, I., Holgado, M. & Evans, S., 12.2017, In: Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment. 2017, 1, p. 85-122 38 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Business model experimentation for sustainability

    Bocken, N. M. P., Weissbrod, I. & Tennant, M., 06.04.2016, Sustainable Design and Manufacturing 2016. Setchi, R., Howlett, R., Liu, Y. & Theobald, P. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 297-306 10 p. (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies; vol. 52).

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

  3. Published

    Business Model Experimentation for the Circular Economy: Definition and Approaches

    Bocken, N. M. P., Weissbrod, I. & Antikainen, M., 06.2021, In: Circular Economy and Sustainability. 1, 1, p. 49-81 33 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainability

    Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Schaltegger, S., 30.03.2023, Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World. Rasche, A., Morsing, M., Moon, J. & Kourula, A. (eds.). Second Edition ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 388-411 24 p.

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

  5. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Energy: German Utilities and Renewable Energy

    Richter, M., 2011, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 29 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Energy: How German Municipal Utilities invest in Offshore Wind Energy

    Richter, M., 2012, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 30 p.

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  7. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Energy: How German Municipal Utilities Invest in Offshore Wind Energy

    Richter, M., 2013, In: International Journal of Technology Management. 63, 1/2, p. 24-50 27 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Energy: German Utilities and Renewable Energy

    Richter, M., 11.2013, In: Energy Policy. 62, November, p. 1226-1237 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Business model patterns of sustainability pioneers - Analyzing cases across the smartphone life cycle

    Zufall, J., Norris, S., Schaltegger, S., Revellio, F. & Hansen, E. G., 20.01.2020, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 244, 15 p., 118651.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Business Models for Sustainability: Innovative Regional Business Models as Subject and Trigger of a Sustainable Change in the Energy Industry

    Lüdeke-Freund, F., 2009, Joint actions on climate change. 20 p.

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