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

    Overview of the Aggregate Results of the International Corporate Sustainability Barometer

    Hörisch, J. & Windolph, S. E., 2014, Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges. Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E., Harms, D. & Hörisch, J. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 21-33 13 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31).

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

  2. Published

    International Corporate Sustainability Barometer: Purpose and Approach

    Hörisch, J., 2014, Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges. Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E., Harms, D. & Hörisch, J. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 13-19 7 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31).

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

  3. Published

    International Corporate Sustainability Barometer: Introduction and Structure

    Harms, D., Hörisch, J., Schaltegger, S. & Windolph, S. E., 2014, Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges. Schaltegger, S., Windolph, S. E., Harms, D. & Hörisch, J. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 3-12 10 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31).

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

  4. Published

    Corporate Sustainability in International Comparison: State of Practice, Opportunities and Challenges

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor), Windolph, S. E. (Editor), Harms, D. (Editor) & Hörisch, J. (Editor), 2014, Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. 255 p. (Eco-Efficiency in Industry and Science; vol. 31)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published
  6. Published

    The Potential of IT for Corporate Sustainability

    Hack, S. & Berg, C., 02.07.2014, In: Sustainability. 6, 7, p. 4163-4180 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe

    Hartel, T., Hanspach, J., Abson, D. J., Máthé, O., Moga, C. I. & Fischer, J., 08.2014, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 15, 5, p. 385–395 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Expanding Material Flow Cost Accounting: Framework, Review and Potentials

    Schaltegger, S. & Zvezdov, D., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 108, Part B, p. 1333-1341 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Does CSR Matter for Nonprofit Organizations? Testing the Link Between CSR Performance and Trustworthiness in the Nonprofit Versus For-Profit Domain

    Lin-Hi, N., Hörisch, J. & Blumberg, I., 22.10.2015, In: Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. 26, 5, p. 1944-1974 31 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Low-intensity agricultural landscapes in Transylvania support high butterfly diversity: Implications for conservation

    Loos, J., Dorresteijn, I., Hanspach, J., Fust, P., Rakosy, L. & Fischer, J., 24.07.2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 7, 11 p., e103256.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review