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

    Fate of phenothiazine pharmaceuticals during Fenton process: experimental design optimization, assessment of transformation products and ready biodegradability

    Wilde, M. L. & Kümmerer, K., 04.06.2014, Abstract book of the 2nd international conference on recycling and reuse: June 4-6, 2014-İstanbul/ Türkiye. Bekbölet, M., Selcuk, H., Kavurmaci, S. S., Aydin, I., Yüzer, B. & Yigit Hunce, S. (eds.). Boğaziçi University Press, p. 103-104 2 p.

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

  2. Published

    Education for Sustainable Development: Status Quo and Perspectives

    Michelsen, G., 2014, International Yearbook for Research in Arts Education. O'Farrell, L., Schonmann, S. & Wagner, E. (eds.). Münster, New York: Waxmann Verlag, Vol. 2. p. 121-130 10 p.

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

  3. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung im Verbund

    Gómez, J. M., Halberstadt, J., Severith, M. & van Vliet, S., 2014, Konzepte, Anwendungen und Entwicklungstendenzen von betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen (BUIS): Tagungsband zu den 6. BUIS-Tagen am 24. und 25.4.2014 in Berlin (16. Tagung der Fachgruppe Betriebliche Umweltinformationssysteme der Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.). Wohlgemuth, V., Lang, C. V. & Marx Gomez, J. (eds.). Shaker Verlag, p. 25-41 17 p.

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

  4. Published

    Motive und Eigenschaften von Unternehmensgründer(inne)n

    Halberstadt, J., 2014, In: Berufsbildung : Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule. 147, p. 16-18 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Germany – Europe –World 2042: A Transformative Longitudinal Study

    Bergmann, M., Burandt, S., Heinrichs, H., Kümmerer, K. & Lang, D. J., 05.2014, In: GAIA. 23, 2, p. 132-134 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Ecosystem services as a boundary object for sustainability

    Abson, D., von Wehrden, H., Baumgärtner, S., Fischer, J., Hanspach, J., Härdtle, W., Heinrichs, H., Klein, A.-M., Lang, D. J., Martens, P. & Walmsley, D., 07.2014, In: Ecological Economics. 103, 7, p. 29-37 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Tree Species Traits but Not Diversity Mitigate Stem Breakage in a Subtropical Forest following a Rare and Extreme Ice Storm

    Nadrowski, K., Pietsch, K., Baruffol, M., Both, S., Gutknecht, J., Bruelheide, H., Heklau, H., Kahl, A., Kahl, T., Niklaus, P. A., Kröber, W., Liu, X., Mi, X., Michalski, S. G., Oheimb, G., Purschke, O., Schmid, B., Fang, T., Welk, E. & Wirth, C., 30.05.2014, In: PLoS ONE. 9, 5, 7 p., e96022.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Site and neighborhood effects on growth of tree saplings in subtropical plantations (China).

    Li, Y., Härdtle, W., Bruehlheide, H., Nadrowski, K., Scholten, T., von Wehrden, H. & Oheimb, G., 01.09.2014, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 327, p. 118-127 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Nachhaltigkeitstrends im Management

    Schaltegger, S., 2014, Corporate Resposibility 2014: Unternehmen und Verantwortung- Trends in Corporate Responsibility. A. V. &. S. G. & F.-I. F.M.-,.M. U. M. G. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main: F.A.Z.-Institut für Management-, Markt- und Medieninformationen , p. 28-31 4 p.

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

  10. Published

    Applying Stakeholder Theory in Sustainability Management: Links, Similarities, Dissimilarities, and a Conceptual Framework

    Hörisch, J., Freeman, R. E. & Schaltegger, S., 19.12.2014, In: Organization & Environment. 27, 4, p. 328-346 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review