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

    Clean energy storage technology in the making: An innovation systems perspective on flywheel energy storage

    Wicki, S. & Hansen, E., 20.09.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 162, p. 1118-1134 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Das Wirken von Nachhaltigkeitsräten in Politik und Gesellschaft

    Sieveking, A., 12.06.2017, In: GAIA. 26, 2, p. 158-160 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  3. Published

    The German Version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10): Evaluation of Dimensionality, Validity, and Measurement Invariance With Exploratory and Confirmatory Bifactor Modeling

    Reis, D., Lehr, D., Heber, E. & Ebert, D. D., 01.10.2019, In: Assessment (ASM). 26, 7, p. 1246-1259 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Off-stage ecosystem service burdens: A blind spot for global sustainability

    Pascual, U., Palomo, I., Adams, W. M., Chan, K. M. A., Daw, T. M., Garmendia, E., Gómez-Baggethun, E., de Groot, R., Mace, G. M., Martín-López, B. & Phelp, J., 07.2017, In: Environmental Research Letters. 12, 7, 10 p., 075001.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Servicios Ecosistémicos en Latinoamérica: De la investigación a la acción

    Laterra, P., Martín-López, B., Mastrángelo, M. & Garibaldi, L. A., 01.04.2017, In: Ecología Austral. 27, 1, p. 94-98 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung - (k)ein Thema für den Sachunterricht?

    Barth, M., 2017, Nachhaltig Handeln lernen im Sachunterricht: Beitragsdokumentation zur Tagung am 5. Oktober 2016 an der Universität Siegen. Gröger, M., Janssen, M. & Wiesemann, J. (eds.). Siegen: Universitätsverlag Siegen, p. 41-57 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  7. Published

    Participation and Effective Environmental Governance: Causal mechanisms and beyond

    Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., Newig, J. & Challies, E., 2018, Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 149-159 11 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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

  8. Published

    Impact of participation on sustainable water management planning: Comparative analysis of eight cases

    Kochskämper, E., Jager, N. W., Newig, J. & Challies, E., 2018, Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 117-148 32 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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

  9. Published

    Stakeholder engagement in Water Framework Directive planning in the United Kingdom: Two case studies from Northern Ireland and Scotland

    Challies, E., 2018, Participation and Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from Implementing the European Water Framework Directive. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 90-113 24 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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

  10. Published

    Stakeholder and citizen involvement for Water Framework Directive implementation in Spain: Three case studies from Andalusia, Cantabria and Catalonia

    Kochskämper, E., Schütze, N. & Ballester, A., 2018, Participation for Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from European Water Framework Directive Implementation. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 64-89 26 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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