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

    Stakeholders perceptions of the endangered Egyptian vulture: Insights for conservation

    Cortés-Avizanda, A., Martín-López, B., Ceballos, O. & Pereira, H. M., 01.02.2018, In: Biological Conservation. 218, February 2018, p. 173-180 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Ten essentials for action-oriented and second order energy transitions, transformations and climate change research

    Fazey, I., Schäpke, N., Caniglia, G., Patterson, J., Hultman, J., van Mierlo, B., Säwe, F., Wiek, A., Wittmayer, J., Aldunce, P., Al Waer, H., Battacharya, N., Bradbury, H., Carmen, E., Colvin, J., Cvitanovic, C., D'Souza, M., Gopel, M., Goldstein, B., Hämäläinen, T., Harper, G., Henfry, T., Hodgson, A., Howden, M. S., Kerr, A., Klaes, M., Lyon, C., Midgley, G., Moser, S., Mukherjee, N., Müller, K., O'Brien, K., O'Connell, D. A., Olsson, P., Page, G., Reed, M. S., Searle, B., Silvestri, G., Spaiser, V., Strasser, T., Tschakert, P., Uribe-Calvo, N., Waddell, S., Rao-Williams, J., Wise, R., Wolstenholme, R., Woods, M. & Wyborn, C., 01.06.2018, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 40, June 2018, p. 54-70 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Klimaschutz- und Umweltenergierecht

    Schomerus, C.-T., 2018, Grundzüge des Umweltrechts. Rehbinder, E. & Schink, A. (eds.). 5., völlig neu bearbeitete und erweiterte Auflage ed. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag, p. 639 - 714 76 p. 8

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

  4. Published

    The glocal curriculum: A model for transnational collaboration in higher education for sustainable development

    Caniglia, G., John, B., Bellina, L., Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Cohmer, S. & Laubichler, M. D., 10.01.2018, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 171, p. 368 - 376 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    A social-ecological typology of rangelands based on rainfall variability and farming type

    Engler, J.-O., Abson, D. J., Feller, R., Hanspach, J. & von Wehrden, H., 01.01.2018, In: Journal of Arid Environments. 148, p. 65 - 73 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Integrating methods for ecosystem service assessment: Experiences from real world situations

    Dunford, R., Harrison, P., Smith, A., Dick, J., Barton, D. N., Martin-Lopez, B., Kelemen, E., Jacobs, S., Saarikoski, H., Turkelboom, F., Verheyden, W., Hauck, J., Antunes, P., Aszalós, R., Badea, O., Baró, F., Berry, P., Carvalho, L., Conte, G., Czúcz, B., Garcia Blanco, G., Howard, D., Giuca, R., Gomez-Baggethun, E., Grizetti, B., Izakovicova, Z., Kopperoinen, L., Langemeyer, J., Luque, S., Lapola, D. M., Martinez-Pastur, G., Mukhopadhyay, R., Roy, S. B., Niemelä, J., Norton, L., Ochieng, J., Odee, D., Palomo, I., Pinho, P., Priess, J., Rusch, G., Saarela, S. R., Santos, R., van der Wal, J. T., Vadineanu, A., Vári, Á., Woods, H. & Yli-Pelkonen, V., 01.02.2018, In: Ecosystem Services. 29, Part C, p. 499-514 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Large mammal diversity matters for wildlife tourism in Southern African Protected Areas: Insights for management

    Arbieu, U., Grünewald, C., Martín-López, B., Schleuning, M. & Böhning-Gaese, K., 06.2018, In: Ecosystem Services. 31, p. 481-490 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Agency and structure in a sociotechnical transition: Hydrogen fuel cells, conjunctural knowledge and structuration in Europe

    Upham, P., Dütschke, E., Schneider, U., Oltra, C., Sala, R., Lores, M., Klapper, R. & Bögel, P., 01.03.2018, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 37, p. 163-174 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition alters growth responses of European beech (Fagus sylvativa L.) to climate change

    Hess, C., Niemeyer, T., Fichtner, A., Jansen, K., Kunz, M., Maneke, M., von Wehrden, H., Quante, M., Walmsley, D., von Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 02.2018, In: Environmental Pollution. 233, p. 92-98 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Berufliche Handlungsanforderungen im Fokus der Hochschuldidaktik eines inklusiven Sachunterrichts

    Offen, S., 2018, Handeln im Sachunterricht: Jahresband GDSU 2017. Hartinger, A., Heinrich-Dönges, A., Franz, U., Giest, H. & Reinhoffer, B. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 215-222 8 p. (Probleme und Perspektiven des Sachunterrichts; vol. 28).

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