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

    Internet- and mobile-based treatment of comorbid depression in chronic back pain patients on sick leave

    Schlicker, S., Baumeister, H., Paganini, S., Lin, J., Sander, L., Berking, M., Titzler, I., Lehr, D. & Ebert, D. D., 2016, European Health Psychology Society & BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference 2016: Behaviour Change: Making an Impact on Health and Health Services; Conference Abstracts. University of Aberdeen, p. 309 1 p.

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

  2. Published

    20th EMAN Conference: Two Decades of Corporate Environmental and Sustainability Accounting – What has been achieved? Proceedings

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor), 2016, Lüneburg: Centre for Sustainability Management. 299 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesConference proceedingsResearch

  3. Published

    Energizing marginal soils: A perennial cropping system for Sida hermaphrodita

    Nabel, M., Poorter, H., Temperton, V. M., Schrey, S., Koller, R., Schurr, U. & Jablonowski, N., 2017, Geophysical Research Abstracts. European Geosciences Union (EGU), Vol. 19. 1 p. (Geophysical research abstracts; vol. 19).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearch

  4. Published

    Direct production of lactic acid based on simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of mixed restaurant food waste

    Pleissner, D., Demichelis, F., Mariano, S., Fiore, S., Navarro Gutiérrez, I. M., Schneider, R. & Venus, J., 01.02.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 143, p. 615-623 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Wirksamkeit und Kosteneffektivität eines Online-Trainings zur Reduktion riskanten Alkoholkonsums bei Erwerbstätigen: Ergebnisse einer drei-armigen randomisiert-kontrollierten Studie

    Boß, L., Lehr, D., Berking, M., Riper, H. & Ebert, D. D., 2015, Menschen – Medien – Möglichkeiten: 9. Fachgruppentagung Arbeits-, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie der DGPs in Mainz, Abstracts. Rigotti, T., Haun, V. C. & Dormann, C. (eds.). Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers, p. 90-91 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsTransfer

  6. Published

    Wirksamkeit eines internet- und smartphone-basierten Dankbarkeitstrainings zur Verbesserung der gedanklichen Distanzierung – Sekundäranalyse einer randomisiert-kontrollierten Studie

    Lehr, D., Freund, H., Ebert, D. D., Berking, M., Riper, H. & Sieland, B., 2015, Menschen Medien Möglichkeiten: 9. Fachgruppentagung Arbeits-, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie der DGPs in Mainz, Abstracts. Rigotti, T., Haun, V. C. & Dormann, C. (eds.). Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers, p. 88-89 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsTransfer

  7. Published

    Preventing Depression in Adults With Subthreshold Depression: Health-Economic Evaluation Alongside a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based Intervention

    Buntrock, C., Berking, M., Smit, F., Lehr, D., Nobis, S., Riper, H., Cuijpers, P. & Ebert, D. D., 04.01.2017, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 19, 1, 16 p., e5.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  8. Published

    Mapping and analysing historical indicators of ecosystem services in Germany

    Dittrich, A., von Wehrden, H., Abson, D. J., Bartkowski, B., Cord, A. F., Fust, P., Hoyer, C., Kambach, S., Meyer, M. A., Radzevičiūtė, R., Nieto-Romero, M., Seppelt, R. & Beckmann, M., 01.04.2017, In: Ecological Indicators. 75, p. 101-110 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Trait-based approaches to analyze links between the drivers of change and ecosystem services: Synthesizing existing evidence and future challenges

    Hevia, V., Martín-López, B., Palomo, S., García-Llorente, M., de Bello, F. & González, J. A., 01.02.2017, In: Ecology and Evolution. 7, 3, p. 831-844 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Utilization of food waste in continuous flow cultures of the heterotrophic microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa for saturated and unsaturated fatty acids production

    Pleissner, D., Lau, K. Y. & Ki Lin, C. S., 20.01.2017, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 142, 4, p. 1417-1424 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review