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

    Control versus Complexity: Approaches to the Carbon Dioxide Problem at IIASA

    Schrickel, I., 06.2017, In: Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte. 40, 2, p. 140-159 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published
  4. Published

    Socio-cultural valuation approaches

    Santos-Martín, F., Kelemen, E., García-Llorente, M., Jacobs, S., Oteros-Rozas, E., Barton, D. N., Palomo, I., Hevia, V. & Martín-López, B., 30.03.2017, Mapping ecosystem services. Burkhard, B. & Maes, J. (eds.). Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 102-112 11 p.

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

  5. Published

    Phenotypic Plasticity Explains Response Patterns of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Saplings to Nitrogen Fertilization and Drought Events

    Dziedek, C., Fichtner, A., Calvo, L., Marcos, E., Jansen, K., Kunz, M., Walmsley, D., Von Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 20.03.2017, In: Forests. 8, 3, p. 1-11 11 p., 91.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Human and veterinary drugs in the environment

    Rastogi, T., Ahmed, W. M. M. M. & Kümmerer, K., 01.01.2017, Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene. Elsevier B.V., Vol. 1-5. p. 263-268 6 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaResearch

  7. Published

    Functional flower traits and their diversity drive pollinator visitation

    Fornoff, F., Klein, A.-M., Hartig, F., Benadi, G., Venjakob, C., Schaefer, H. M. & Ebeling, A., 07.2017, In: Oikos. 126, 7, p. 1020-1030 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Unternehmerische Freiheit endogen verwirklichen

    Petersen, H., 2017, Unternehmen der Gesellschaft : Interdisziplinäre Beiträge zu einer kritischen Theorie des Unternehmens . F. U. U. G. O. (ed.). Marburg: Metropolis Verlag, p. 205-230 26 p. (Theorie der Unternehmung; vol. 65).

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

  9. Published

    Innovationsverbund Nachhaltige Smartphones: Ergebnisdokumentation Workshop II "Vom Gerät zur Lösung: Produkt-Service Systeme als Basis nachhaltiger Nutzungssysteme"

    Hansen, E. G., Weber, U., Schaltegger, S. & Zufall, J., 2017, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 34 p.

    Research output: Working paperResearch communication reportsResearch

  10. Published

    Innovationsverbund Nachhaltige Smartphones: Ergebnisdokumentation Workshop I - "Nachhaltige Produktdesigns und Lieferkette"

    Hansen, E. G., Weber, U. & Schaltegger, S., 2016, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management, 30 p.

    Research output: Working paperResearch communication reportsResearch