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

    Current overview of research on priority effects and its relevance to restoration

    Weidlich, E. W. A., Nelson, C. R. & Temperton, V. M., 2017, Linking Science and Practise for a Better World: Book of Abstracts; VII World Conference on Ecological Restoration. Durigan, G. (ed.). Sociedad Ibero Americana y der Caribe de Restauracion Ecologica, p. 215 1 p.

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

  2. Published

    Priority effects caused by plant order of arrival affect below-ground productivity

    Weidlich, E. W. A., Von Gillhaussen, P., Max, J., Delory, B., Jablonowski, N. D., Rascher, U. & Temperton, V. M., 01.03.2018, In: Journal of Ecology. 106, 2, p. 774-780 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Neighbourhood stories: role of neighbour identity, spatial location and order of arrival in legume and non-legume initial interactions

    Weidlich, E. W. A., Temperton, V. M. & Faget, M., 01.03.2018, In: Plant and Soil. 424, 1-2, p. 171-182 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Autotrophic and heterotrophic microalgae and cyanobacteria cultivation for food and feed: life cycle assessment

    Smetana, S., Sandmann, M., Rohn, S., Pleißner, D. & Heinz, V., 01.12.2017, In: Bioresource Technology. 245, Part A, p. 162-170 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Reallabore im Kontext Transformativer Forschung: Ansatzpunkte zur Konzeption und Einbettung in den internationalen Forschungsstand

    Schäpke, N., Stelzer, F., Bergmann, M., Singer-Brodowski, M., Wanner, M., Caniglia, G. & Lang, D. J., 25.02.2017, Lüneburg: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 62 p. (IETSR Discussion papers in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research ; no. 1/2017).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  6. Published

    Lehreinheiten zu inklusiver Fachdidaktik evidenzbasiert entwickeln

    Süßenbach, J., Greve, S., Troll, B., Besser, M. & Abels, S., 08.2017, Innovation und Technologie im Sport : 23. dvs-Hochschultag, München, 13.-15. September 2017, Abstracts. Schwirtz, A., Mess, F., Demetriou, Y. & Senner, V. (eds.). 1. ed. Hamburg: Feldhaus, Ed. Czwalina, p. 53 1 p. (Schriften der Deutschen Vereinigung für Sportwissenschaft; vol. 265).

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

  7. Published

    Innovationsverbund Nachhaltige Smartphones: Ergebnisdokumentation Workshop III - "Endgeräte als Materialdatenbanken: Wie Altgeräte für die Wertschöpfung erhalten bleiben"

    Hansen, E. G., Eggers, A.-C., Weber, U., Revellio, F. P., Schaltegger, S., Zufall, J. & Norris, S., 2017, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 29 p.

    Research output: Working paperResearch communication reportsResearch

  8. Published

    A theory of participation: what makes stakeholder and public engagement in environmental management work?

    Reed, M. S., Vella, S., Challies, E., de Vente, J., Frewer, L., Hohenwallner-Ries, D., Huber, T., Neumann, R. K., Oughton, E. A., Sidoli del Ceno, J. & van Delden, H., 01.04.2018, In: Restoration Ecology. 26, S1, p. S7-S17 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Time- and age-related effects of experimentally simulated nitrogen deposition on the functioning of montane heathland ecosystems

    Calvo-Fernández, J., Taboada, A., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Calvo, L. & Marcos, E., 01.02.2018, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 613-614, p. 149-159 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Transferring an Analytical Technique from Ecology to the Sport Sciences

    Woods, C. T., Robertson, S., Collier, N. F., Swinbourne, A. L. & Leicht, A. S., 01.03.2018, In: Sports Medicine. 48, 3, p. 725-732 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review