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

    The marketing and public affairs of sustainability

    Breitbarth, T., Schaltegger, S. & Mahon, J., 08.2018, In: Journal of Public Affairs. 18, 3, 3 p., e1854.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  2. Published

    Transferring sustainability solutions across contexts through city-university partnerships

    Keeler, L. W., Beaudoin, F. D., Lerner, A. M., John, B., Beecroft, R., Tamm, K., Wiek, A. & Lang, D. J., 09.2018, In: Sustainability. 10, 9, 17 p., 2966.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Collaborative energy visioning under conditions of illiberal democracy: Results and recommendations from Ecuador

    Noboa, E., Upham, P. J. & Heinrichs, H., 08.10.2018, In: Energy, Sustainability and Society. 8, 1, 17 p., 31.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Social bees are fitter in more biodiverse environments

    Kaluza, B. F., Wallace, H. M., Heard, T. A., Minden, V., Klein, A. & Leonhardt, S. D., 01.12.2018, In: Scientific Reports. 8, 1, 10 p., 12353.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Interactive influence of livestock grazing and manipulated rainfall on soil properties in a humid tropical savanna

    Okach, D. O., Ondier, J. O., Kumar, A., Rambold, G., Tenhunen, J., Huwe, B. & Otieno, D., 11.03.2019, In: Journal of Soils and Sediments. 19, 3, p. 1088-1098 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Mindfulness training at school: A way to engage adolescents with sustainable consumption?

    Böhme, T., Stanszus, L. S., Geiger, S. M., Fischer, D. & Schrader, U., 04.10.2018, In: Sustainability. 10, 10, 22 p., 3557.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment

    Huang, Y., Chen, Y., Castro-Izaguirre, N., Baruffol, M., Brezzi, M., Lang, A., Li, Y., Härdtle, W., Von Oheimb, G., Yang, X., Liu, X., Pei, K., Both, S., Yang, B., Eichenberg, D., Assmann, T., Bauhus, J., Behrens, T., Buscot, F., Chen, X. Y., Chesters, D., Ding, B. Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Fang, J., Fischer, M., Guo, L. D., Guo, D., Gutknecht, J. L. M., He, J. S., He, C.-L., Hector, A., Hönig, L., Hu, R. Y., Klein, A. M., Kühn, P., Liang, Y., Li, S., Michalski, S., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmidt, K., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Shi, X., Tan, M. Z., Tang, Z., Trogisch, S., Wang, Z., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Xiang, W., Yu, M., Yu, X.-D., Zhang, J., Zhang, S., Zhang, N., Zhou, H.-Z., Zhu, C.-D., Zhu, L., Bruelheide, H., Ma, K., Niklaus, P. A. & Schmid, B., 05.10.2018, In: Science. 362, 6410, p. 80-83 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    User experience predicts the effectiveness of a gamified recovery app: Investigation of Holidaily—an app promoting recovery behavior after vacation and during daily working life

    Smyth, A., Syrek, C., Reins, J. A., Domin, M., Janneck, M. & Lehr, D., 01.11.2018, In: Pravention und Gesundheitsforderung. 13, 4, p. 319-326 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    The Project Schöningen from an ecological and cultural perspective

    Serangeli, J., Rodríguez-Álvarez, B., Tucci, M., Verheijen, I., Bigga, G., Böhner, U., Urban, B., van Kolfschoten, T. & Conard, N. J., 15.10.2018, In: Quaternary Science Reviews. 198, p. 140-155 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Interactive priming effect of labile carbon and crop residues on SOM depends on residue decomposition stage: Three-source partitioning to evaluate mechanisms

    Shahbaz, M., Kumar, A., Kuzyakov, Y., Börjesson, G. & Blagodatskaya, E., 01.11.2018, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 126, p. 179-190 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Tree diversity and nectar composition affect arthropod visitors on extrafloral nectaries in a diversity experiment
  2. Nitrogen fixation and carbon assimilation of the desert legume Tephrosia apollinea under PEG-induced osmotic stress
  3. Video-Bewerbung als Instrument der Personalauswahl und des Personalmarketing bei Gruner + Jahr: Ein Erfahrungsbericht
  4. Developing Responsible and Sustainable Innovations in Entrepreneurship Education – Introducing the Sandbox Approach
  5. The influence of balanced and imbalanced resource supply on biodiversity-functioning relationship across ecosystems
  6. Wie werden Nachhaltigkeitsinformationen gemanagt? Eine Exploration in führenden deutschen und britischen Unternehmen
  7. Rezension von Gebauer, Michael: Unternehmensbewertung auf der Basis von Humankapital, Eul-Verlag, Lohmar 2005, 259 Seiten.
  8. F. LeRon Shults: Reforming Theological Anthropology. After the Philosophical Turn to Relationality. Grand Rapids u.a. 2003
  9. Environmental and historical effects on richness and endemism patterns of carabid beetles in the western Palaearctic
  10. Artikel 34 EUV [Koordiniertes Auftreten auf internationaler Ebene; Unterrichtungspflicht der Sicherheitsratsmitglieder]
  11. Predator diversity and abundance provide little support for the enemies hypothesis in forests of high tree diversity
  12. Accounting for Un-Sustainability or Sustainability Accounting? Notions, Concepts and Consequences for Research. A Debate
  13. Gemeinschaft in Bildern, jüdische Jugendbewegung und zionistische Erziehungspraxis in Deutschland und Palästina/Israel
  14. Tree neighbourhood diversity increases community productivity and growth stability under contrasting climatic regimes
  15. Zweiter Fund des Südlichen Blaupfeils, Orthetrum brunneum (FONSCOLOMBE, 1837), in Nordost-Niedersachsen (Odonata: Libellulidae).
  16. Increasing the acceptance of internet-based mental health interventions in primary care patients with depressive symptoms