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

    ORCHIDEE-SOM: Modeling soil organic carbon (SOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics along vertical soil profiles in Europe

    Camino-Serrano, M., Guenet, B., Luyssaert, S., Ciais, P., Bastrikov, V., De Vos, B., Gielen, B., Gleixner, G., Jornet-Puig, A., Kaiser, K., Kothawala, D., Lauerwald, R., Peñuelas, J., Schrumpf, M., Vicca, S., Vuichard, N., Walmsley, D. & Janssens, I. A., 15.03.2018, In: Geoscientific Model Development. 11, 3, p. 937-957 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Recycling and reuse of food waste

    Pleißner, D., 10.2018, In: Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 13, October 2018, p. 39-43 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  3. Published
  4. Published

    Accounting for Sustainability: Asia Pacific Perspectives

    Lee, K.-H. (Editor) & Schaltegger, S. (Editor), 2018, Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. 305 p. (Eco-efficiency in industry and science; vol. 33)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Measuring plant root traits under controlled and field conditions: Step-by-step procedures

    Delory, B., Weidlich, E. W. A., van Duijnen, R., Pagès, L. & Temperton, V. M., 2018, Root Development: Methods and Protocols. Ristova, D. & Barbez, E. (eds.). New York: Humana Press, p. 3-22 20 p. (Methods in Molecular Biology; vol. 1761).

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

  6. Published

    Simulating the fate and release of metazachlor and its transformation products metazachlor oxalic acid and sulfonic acid in a small-scale agricultural catchment

    Vollert, D., Gassmann, M., Lange, J., Kümmerer, K. & Olsson, O., 04.2018, Proceedings from the 20th EGU General Assembly: Geophysical research abstracts 20. European Geosciences Union (EGU), Vol. 20. p. 19569 1 p. (Geophysical Research Abstracts (GRA); vol. 20).

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

  7. Published

    Einfluss von Klimaänderungen auf das simulierte Umweltverhalten der Fungizide Boscalid und Penconazol in einem typischen terrassierten Weineinzugsgebiet

    Vollert, D., Denien, M., Kümmerer, K. & Olsson, O., 22.03.2018, Forum für Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung 39.18: M³ - Messen, Modellieren, Managen in Hydrologie und Wasserressourcenbewirtschaftung . Schütze, N., Müller, U., Schwarze, R., Wöhling, T. & Grundmann, J. (eds.). Dresden: Fachgemeinschaft Hydrologische Wissenschaften (FgHW), Vol. 39. p. 281-290 10 p.

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

  8. Published

    Managing Eco-efficiency Development for Sustainability: An Investigation of Top Carbon Polluters in Australia

    Qian, W., Kaur, A. & Schaltegger, S., 2018, Accounting for Sustainability : Asia Pacific Perspectives. Lee, K.-H. & Schaltegger, S. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 103-124 22 p. (Eco-efficiency in industry and science; vol. 33).

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

  9. Published

    Asia Pacific Perspectives on Accounting for Sustainability: An Introduction

    Lee, K.-H. & Schaltegger, S., 2018, Accounting for Sustainability : Asia Pacific Perspectives. Lee, K.-H. & Schaltegger, S. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 1-8 8 p. (Eco-efficiency in industry and science; vol. 33).

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

  10. Published

    Strong or weak synergy? Revising the assumption of team-specific advantages in integrative negotiations

    Hüffmeier, J., Zerres, A., Freund, P. A., Backhaus, K., Trötschel, R. & Hertel, G., 01.09.2019, In: Journal of Management. 45, 7, p. 2721-2750 30 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review