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

    “Hunting Otherwise”: Women’s Hunting in Two Contemporary Forager-Horticulturalist Societies

    Reyes-García, V., Díaz Reviriego, I., Duda, R., Fernández-Llamazares, Á. & Gallois, S., 11.09.2020, In: Human Nature. 31, 3, p. 203-221 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published

    Making the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration a Social-Ecological Endeavour

    Fischer, J., Riechers, M., Loos, J., Martín-López, B. & Temperton, V. M., 01.01.2021, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 36, 1, p. 20-28 9 p., 2749.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Aportes de la agrobiodiversidad a la sustentabilidad de la agricultura familiar en Colombia

    Acevedo Osorio, Á., Ortiz-Przychodzka, S. & Ortiz-Pinilla, J., 08.2020, In: Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems. 23, 2, 18 p., 35.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Capacity building for transformational leadership and transdisciplinarity

    Barth, M., Bruhn, A., Lam, D., Bergmann, M. & Lang, D. J., 15.10.2020, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Societa. 29, 3, p. 195-197 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Interview mit Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Thomas Schomerus

    Schomerus, C.-T., 15.09.2020, In: Fachzeitschrift für Energierecht. 9, 5, p. 199-201 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsTransfer

  7. Published

    Local perceptions of ecosystem services across multiple ecosystem types in Spain

    García-Llorente, M., J. Castro, A., Quintas-Soriano, C., Oteros-Rozas, E., Iniesta-Arandia, I., González, J. A., García del Amo, D., Hernández-Arroyo, M., Casado-Arzuaga, I., Palomo, I., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Onaindia, M., Montes, C. & Martín-López, B., 18.09.2020, In: Land. 9, 9, 20 p., 0330.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Discursos economicistas de la sostenibilidad: Los momentos determinantes y la pregunta por alternativas

    Meyer, E. & Vilsmaier, U., 30.04.2020, In: Sustentabilidade em Debate. 11, 1, p. 98-110 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Provenance- and life-history stage-specific responses of the dwarf shrub Calluna vulgaris to elevated vapour pressure deficit

    Ibe, K., Walmsley, D., Fichtner, A., Coners, H., Leuschner, C. & Härdtle, W., 01.12.2020, In: Plant Ecology. 221, 12, p. 1219-1232 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Biosphere reserves' management effectiveness-A systematic literature review and a research agenda

    Ferreira, A. F., Zimmermann, H., Santos, R. & von Wehrden, H., 01.07.2020, In: Sustainability. 12, 12, 31 p., 5497.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch